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The Tennessee Society
Sons of the American Revolution
Members of the TNSSAR Color Guard marked 2024 Patriot's Day by presenting the colors at the Tennessee State Senate on April 18th.
Our Mission
Perpetuating the stories of patriotism, courage, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph of the men and women who achieved the independence of the American people in the belief that these stories are universal ones of man's eternal struggle against tyranny, relevant to all time, and will inspire and strengthen each succeeding generation as it too is called upon to defend our freedoms on the battlefield and in our public institutions, including the stories of those brave men and women who came to this Tennessee wilderness with little more than their raw grit and determination and proceeded to claw out a gracious society of which WE are the recipients.
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descendants of a supporter of the American Revolution. We honor these ancestors by promoting patriotism, serving
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President Joel Davenport
2024 Gathering at Sycamore Shoals - President's Message
Delivered at The Gathering at Sycamore Shoals, September 14, 2024
It is an honor to stand before you today. PG and First Lady Addington and many notable guests, all of whom far outrank myself. Compatriots, friends, family, and fellow citizens.
Good morning and welcome to the 244th Anniversary of the Gathering here at Sycamore Shoals. Truly, an historic event. And for many of us here it is an event that led to our ancestors being catapulted to a status that lives in our minds - and in our hearts - and makes us proud to have their blood flowing through our veins. For their journey 244 years ago the Gathering led to the historic march that began on September 25th to that place - that Battle! - on King's Mountain. And they became revered patriots. And their names are etched into a monument at Kings Mountain for generations to come to remember their brave sacrifices.
Oftentimes we need to stop and consider the context of events in our lives. In 1780 the Colonists of America were four years into a bitter battle against the tyranny of King George. They were considered rebels. Terrorists, even. They had suffered years of oppression, taxation without representation, persecution for social and religious beliefs and practices, by a government houses on another continent who largely viewed them as a people who existed for the sole purpose of funding their lifestyles in England. The Continental Army under George Washington, and the State Militias of the aspiring nation had suffered a series of defeats in the Seize of Charleston, the Battle of Camden, and a number of other skirmishes where they were repelled. It was demoralizing, and seemed hopeless to many. Many events prior to September 1780 seemed to signal their cause was in jeopardy.
British Major Patrick Ferguson was tasked with gathering Loyalists and Torries to form their own militia to reinforce Cornwallis’ troops in the war. Ferguson, along with the likes of Tarleton and others, were set on annihilating the rebellion. Ferguson gave notice that if they didn’t stand down and join his efforts he would rain fire and sword on their towns and homes. Given their recent defeats he believed this would intimidate them into submission.
But those efforts did not have the effect that Major Ferguson believed they would have.
Our ancestors resolved to take a harder stand. Col. John Sevier, Col. Isaac Shelby, Col. Benjamin Cleveland, and leaders like Winston, Christian, Rutherford, were forming militia units in Carolana (North and South Carolina, which included today’s Tennessee and Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia) and were organizing their next steps.
But a problem existed that, even with manpower stepping up for the fight, was potentially their undoing.
Sidebar: As proud as each of us here are of our Patriot Ancestors and their contributions to the cause of freedom, not one of them gets credit for winning the Revolutionary War. Wars are not one by one man. One soldier. They require a collective resolve to overcome and stand firm for a cause. And fight.
As many of us also know, some of our ancestors did not bear arms against our oppressors. They performed public service – civic duties. Some, such as David Glen Snodgrass of Washington Virginia, served as a juror, commissioner or gave supplies, such as a beef, clothing or other supplies for the troops. Some even just paid a tax to support the war effort. Some, such as the aforementioned David Snodgrass, along with Samuel Duff, Sr., and many others, who were too aged to physically fight, gave their sons and grandsons to the efforts. John Peden, a Scot of Fairview SC, who arrived the colonies around 1772 and had the offenses of the King all too fresh in his memory, drove a caravan of 27 of his sons and grandsons to the Spartan Regiment in South Carolins and enlisted them. Being too old himself to be approved for service, the commanders allowed him to stay with them for a few months to train them on how to handle their muskets and in all things related to war. Those sons and grandsons served in many different regiments throughout the country for the entirety of the war. John himself, after training them was completed, went to work for the Revolutionary Navy as an Armor Bearer. Some of the mothers and wives of those who served as soldiers, paid taxes or gave goods or services to the cause. One such woman was Fraces Cooper, whose husband, Arbraham and eldest son, John Francis, were killed at Fort Cowan in SW Virginia along the Clinch River less than 60 miles from this very spot, in 1778, is recorded to have paid taxes to support the war in 1782 and 1784. All of these are examples of how our ancestors qualify as Patriots.
In life, each of us - all men and women – have to follow their hearts and their consciences and decide where they stand on various issues and what they are willing to do to make the changes needed.
To that end, there was an Irishman named John Adair. An educated man, and a man of business, yes, but a man of service. Early in the war, he provided a substitute, but he also served as the Entry Taker for North Carolina. He was a prominent citizen of Sullivan County then-NC.
Col.’s Sevier and Shelby, having realized they were out of funds to facilitate the arming of their forming militias – they were almost out of black powder, too, were looking for a fast method of raising funds.
John Adair had in his possession the North Carolina Treasury Funds he had collected and been entrusted.
I am going to share a section from Draper’s Book “Kings Mountain and its Heroes,” page 174, “Colonel Sevier endeavored to borrow money on his private responsibility, to fit out his men for this distant service — for there were a few traders in the country- who had small supplies of goods. What little money the people had saved, had been expended to the last dollar to the Entr)' Taker of Sullivan County, John Adair, the State officer, for the sate of the North Carolina lands — the same person, doubtless, whom Colonel Shelby had sent as his express to Colonel Arthur Campbell. Sevier waited upon him, and suggested that the public money in his possession be advanced to meet the military exigencies at this critical juncture.
His reply was worthy of the. man and the times : "Colonel Sevier," said he, " I have no authority by law to make that disposition of this money; it belongs to the impoverished treasury of North Carolina, and I dare not appropriate a cent of it to any purpose ; but, if the country is over-run the by the British, our liberty is gone. Let the money go, too. Take it. If the enemy, by its use, is driven from the country, I can trust that country to justify and vindicate my conduct — so take it."*
Thus between twelve and thirteen thousand dollars were obtained (the equivalinet of more than $300k today), ammunition and necessary equipments secured. Colonels Sevier and Shelby pledging themselves to see the loan refunded or legalized by an act of the Legislature, which they effected at the earliest practicable moment. “
Incidentally, I invite you on the 28th of this month to Knoxville Tennessee for a Patriot Grave Marking for this unsung hero of Kings Mountain, JOHN ADAIR, and another Kings Mountain veteran, Edward Smith, at 10 a.m. Please check the tnssar.org website for information or contact me or other leaders here.
Within a short time Sevier came to Sycamore Shoals with over 200 men. Isaac Shelby with about 250. Likewise, Campbell, Hambright, McDowell, Winston, Benjamin Cleveland, James Williams, James Johnston, etc., came here to this sacred place to gather, plan and then go on to march to Kings Mountain, where Ferguson was killed early in the battle, and the Tory/Loyalist Militia of Britain was decimated. As David Carr pointed out last night, not one Tory or Loyalist survived to take up arms against the America People – they were either killed or taken prisoner but never to be a threat against us again.
As we leave this place these 244 years later, let us be resolved to work together in our communities and the various states represented here – the various organizations here – as a people with a common bond, a common purpose, a common mission. We won’t always agree on every point. But fortunately our Patriot Ancestors provided us the opportunity to think for ourselves and express those beliefs. But if we don’t work together – in spite of differences – we will not overcome the evil that stands against us in this world even today. And…
Let us not forget our obligation to our forefathers, who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, an Independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.
Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution Chartered 02 DEC 1889
(02 DEC 24 is our 135th Anniversary)