Vol. 8 Copies - 61 Issue 4

Editor: Homer S. “Chip” Durden, P.O. Box 478, Swainsboro GA 30401

Compatriots:

Our next Wiregrass Chapter meeting will be Thursday night, May 10, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at the New China

Restaurant in Swainsboro. This month Mike Lisenby will present his program on the “Founding Fathers”. Mike

is a retired Attorney at Law and lives here is Swainsboro with his wife, the former Nancy Smith. Nancy is the

daughter of the late James and Anna Smith.

On April 14, 2018, members of the Wiregrass Chapter traveled the 153 miles to St. Simons Island, GA to

participate in the 240th Anniversary of the Frederica Naval Action that occurred on April 19, 1778. Compatriots

Steve Burke, Dess Smith III and Don Bazemore (Brier Creek Chapter) joined the “Award Winning Georgia Society

Color Guard” in presenting and retrieving the Colors. Dess and Don participated with the militia during the

Pennsylvania Flintlock Long Rifle 3 round volley and Steve fired his 6-pounder Naval Cannon during the 3 round

cannon volley. Also, Registrar Dess Smith III presented his Wiregrass Chapter’s wreath and Sgt-at-Arms Don

Bazemore presented his Brier Creek Chapter’s wreath.

See Below, photo’s taken at the Frederica Naval Action, Patriots Day Ceremony on St. Siomons Island, Georgia

Wiregrass Courier Wiregrass Chapter

Swainsboro, Georgia

On Sunday, April 15, 2018, Compatriots Don Thomas of the Col William Few Chapter, Don Bazemore of the Brier

Creek Chapter, Bill Colbert of the Col William Few Chapter and Steve Burke of the Wiregrass Chapter traveled to

Edgefield County, South Carolina to help in the 250th Celebration of the Horn’s Creek Baptist Church. The Church

had just been totally renovated and the church association asked Compatriot Bill Colbert for help in making this

celebration a success. The sun was out during the inside ceremony, but when our compatriots went outside for

their 3 round volley, the rain came hard. Even during the rain all weapons fired successfully.

See below, members of the Col William Few Chapter, Brier Creek Chapter and Wiregrass Chapter that

participated in the ceremony in South Carolina.

On Friday morning, April 27, 2018, 11 members of the Brier Creek Chapter, Wiregrass Chapter and the Col

William Few Chapter Traveled to the 301 Welcome Station in Screven County, GA to participate in the State of

Georgia’s “Georgia on My Mine Day” celebration. Each year this event is held at the Center with students from

private schools in Georgia and public schools in South Carolina attending. The event starts at 9:00 and continues

until 12:00. Lunch is then served. Compatriot Steve Burke displayed his relics and we had a special guest this

year that brought their “Traveling Trunk” display. This is a Sons of the American Revolution project and was

presented by Don and Pat Thomas of Lincoln County, Georgia. During the event, several spectators were

selected to fire our 6-pounder Naval Cannon and we also fired our Pennsylvania Flintlock Long Rifles.

See below from L to R; Steve Burke, Lee Smith, Don Bazemore, Ruskin Powell, Caroline Pope, Tommy

Christopher, Charles Cotton-Dixon, Casey Cotton-Dixon, Christian Cotton-Dixon, Dess Smith III, Don Thomas and

Pat Thomas. Not in photo is John Fitzner..

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On Sunday, April 29, 2018, Compatriots Ruskin Powell, Steve Burke, Lee Smith, Dess Smith III, and the 3 Cotton-

Dixon Boys, Christian, Charles and Casey traveled the 95 miles to Midway, Georgia to participate in the

“Dedication of grave markers commemorating the service of Patriot Soldiers, Thomas Bacon, John Osgood,

Joseph Quarterman, Josiah Osgood and William Way”. Six Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution

Chapters sponsored this event. They were the Athens Chapter, Brier Creek Chapter, Captain John Collins

Chapter, Marshes of Glynn Chapter, Robert Forsyth Chapter and the Wiregrass Chapter. This event was in

conjunction with the St. John’s Parish Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

President Lee Smith presented the Brier Creek Chapter wreath and Dess Smith III presented the Wiregrass

Chapter wreath. Ruskin, Dess, Christian, Charles and Casey fired their Pennsylvania Flintlock Long Rifles 8

rounds and Steve and Lee Fired our 6-pounder Naval Cannon 3 rounds.

See below dinner on the grounds before the event & also the Cotton-Dixon Boys preparing to fire.

2nd Quarter Events in the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution.

May 10, 2018: 5th Monthly meeting at the New China Restaurant at 6:30.

May 12, 2018: Patriot Grave Marking, Charles McCall & John Everitt Cemetery, Metter, GA, 11:00.

May 12, 2018: Fort Wrightsboro settlement Celebration in Wrightsboro, GA 1t 10:00.

May 19, 2018: Patriot Grave Marking, Signers Monument, Augusta, GA at 11:00.

June 14, 2018: 6th Monthly meeting at the New China Restaurant at 6:30.

July 12, 2018: 7th Monthly meeting at the New China Restaurant at 6:30.

In SAR friendship and service, Chip