Wyndmoor resident Martha Snider (center) hosted members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association who camped on her property and told stories about the original Overmountain Men to Sniders neighbors. The reenactors were in town to mark the opening of The Museum of the American Revolution. Snider is on the museum’s board. (Photo by Brendan Sample)[/caption]

by Brendan Sample

As the war that won our independence, the American Revolution is one of the most well-known and important events in our country’s history. Despite the iconic imagery of the Declaration of Independence, Washington crossing the Delaware and the Liberty Bell, however, there are still many people and stories from the Revolution that have gone relatively unnoticed throughout history.

One such tale is that of the Overmountain Men, a group of southern frontiersmen who played a key role late in the Revolution. This group is the focus of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, an organization dedicated to spreading the story of the Overmountain Men to as many people as possible. Reenactors from the OVTA visited Wyndmoor on April 19 to tell their story at historic Guildford Manor, formerly known as the Wharton Sinkler estate.

The reenactment was organized by Martha Snider, owner of the Guildford Manor and a member of the Museum of the American Revolution’s board of directors. The Overmountain Men took part in the museum’s opening parade on the same day, and being in Philadelphia already made coming to Wyndmoor much more convenient. As the day was about to end, the reenactors were able to tell their story in front of a group of children and adults alike.

“The Overmountain Men’s story is a lesser-known one, especially here in the North,” Snider said. “It’s almost movie-script-worthy, and so I thought that it would be an important story to highlight.”

The Overmountain Men, who got their name from the fact that they came from “over” the Appalachian Mountains, marched along a specific trail in the South and were involved in a number of battles during the Revolution.

Their most well-known engagement was in the Battle of Kings Mountain, an American victory that took place on Oct. 7, 1780. Helping to destroy the Loyalist militia that was protecting the main British army, their involvement helped stop the British advance in the South and led to America’s ultimate victory the following year.

For their part, the reenactors were dressed exactly how southern frontiersmen would have looked like in the late 1700s. They also had a full camp set up on the manor grounds, complete with pelts draped over a clothesline and tents that they actually slept in for the full, authentic experience.

In addition to attracting people from the community, a member of the National Park Service was also in attendance for the reenactment. John Slaughter, group superintendent for the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, has been working to take the story of the Overmountain Men to places outside of the trail.

“My job is to share the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution with others, and this is done primarily through partnerships with groups like the Overmountain Men,” Slaughter said. “I really want people across the nation to understand the deeper history.”

With everyone gathered around a bonfire, several of the Overmountain Men took turns in telling the complete story of the group and the Battle of Kings Mountain. They concluded their reenactment by ceremoniously firing off their authentic muskets twice into the air, making for a memorable sight.

In thanking the group for sharing their story, Snider expressed her enthusiasm for potentially putting on more events like this one in the future.

“I will continue to support the museum and the community with events that are beneficial and educational,” she said.

Slaughter will likewise continue to look forward to the partnerships that will allow the National Park Service to bring stories of the Revolution in the South up north.

“This task can’t be done by just one entity, specifically the federal government,” he noted. “It takes ownership of the communities along the trail and relies on everyone to get the full benefit, which is by far my favorite part of the job.”

Wherever they take their story next, it’s clear that many people are dedicated to helping the Overmountain reenactors convey what is, to them, “the most untold story in the entire Revolution.”

Brendan Sample can be reached at brendan@chestnuthilllocal.com