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Battle of Brier Creek, Georgia, by 32 Rabun A

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Battle of Brier Creek, Georgia, by 32 Rabun A THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN NOVEMBER 13-15, 2015 SYLVANIA, GA Table of Contents page Introduction 2 Battlefield Park 5 Site Analysis 5 Battlefield Experience Path 7 Park Entrance Design 8 Elbert’s Point Memorial 9 Memorial Competition 12 Interpretive Trail 16 Engaging the Public 22 Brannen Bridge Park 22 Kayak Tours 23 Physical and Virtual Visitor’s Centers 24 Special Events at the Battlefield 25 Case Studies of Revolutionary War Sites 26 Conclusion 30 Appendix 31 The Battle of Brier Creek, Georgia, by 32 Rabun A. Lee Excerpts from "An Unfortunate Affair: 34 The Battle of Brier Creek and the Aftermath in Georgia" by William Henry Maintaining a WordPress site 38 Battle of Brier Creek Charrette Report Introduction but the historic battleground is not otherwise recognized nor is it protected, other than the protection provided through state ownership The Battle of Brier Creek was an American and management as a wildlife management area. Until a recent Revolutionary War battle fought on March 3, 1779 near archaeological study, the exact location of the battlefield and 150 the confluence of Brier Creek with the Savannah River Patriot gravesites were a mystery. The City of Sylvania and the Georgia in Screven County, Georgia. A Patriot force consisting Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hired an archaeologist in 2013 principally of militia from North Carolina and Georgia to locate the battlefield site, which resulted in a confirmation of the was surprised by the British, and suffered significant general battlefield area and a general idea of burial sites. casualties. The British Southern Campaign began in Georgia and had it not been for the Battle of Brier Creek it could have just as easily ended there. The Battle of Brier Creek swung momentum in favor of the British, crushed Patriot morale, and derailed Rebel offensive plans in Georgia. It also provided the British with the opportunity to secure their foothold in the frontier colony, which changed the course of the war.1 The Battle of Brier Creek site is located within the southernmost portion of the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area, which is managed by the GA Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a fishing and hunting preserve. The battlefield site has a historic marker that was placed in the vicinity of the site at a small county picnic park beside Brier Creek, 1 Henry, William, "An Unfortunate Affair: The Battle of Brier Creek and the Aftermath in Georgia" (2012). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. Paper 875. http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/875 2 Battle of Brier Creek Charrette Report Design Charrette The City of Sylvania and the Remember Brier Creek Battlefield During the weekend of November 13-15, 2015, a charrette team of Committee were interested in developing a network of trails, students and faculty from The University of Georgia spent time touring interpretive signage and a monument to honor the soldiers who died in the site with local historians and members of the Remember Brier Creek the Battle of Brier Creek, and to attract tourism to the historical site. Battlefield Committee, as well as the state archaeologist and the WMA The City of Sylvania requested the College of Environment and Design at Manager, to better understand the physicality, function, history and the University of Georgia to conduct a weekend long charrette – a aesthetics of the site. With their help, the charrette team was able to design brainstorming session between local stakeholders and outside draft a number of different design options that would bring more designers to create ideas for a park design that would be permissible recognition to the battle site. The results of the charrette are contained and sustainable for the Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The purpose in this report and in the creation of a website of the charrette was to facilitate design ideas that would tell the story of https://thebattleofbriercreek.wordpress.com in order to begin to share the battle while also being mindful of the historical and archaeological the history of the battle with the public and showcase ideas for its aspects of the site, as well as hunting and fishing concerns in the WMA. interpretation. The UGA charrette team listens to WMA Manager Howard Pope and State Archaeologist Bryan Tucker describe the function and limitations of the site as it relates to hunting and archaeological resources. 3 Battle of Brier Creek Charrette Report The UGA charrette team touring the site where Brier Creek floods the lowlands. Local historian Alex Rabun showcases a painting by Jeff Trexler entitled "One Gallant Stand". done in commemoration of the Battle of Brier Creek. UGA students listen to local historian and reenactor, Dr. Al Freeland, talk about the battle and the consequences of its outcome. 4 Battle of Brier Creek Charrette Report Battlefield Park The Tuckahoe Wildlife Site Analysis Management area is a 15,000- The UGA team began their analysis of the site by creating a group of acre state-owned hunting and maps in order to understand and overlay the archaeological, hunting fishing preserve bordering the and ecological parameters of the site. (These maps are inserted after Savannah River. The Pittman- page 6 of this report.) Robertson Tax Act specifies Archaeological Map that the wildlife management Using archaeological studies, the team overlaid zones generally related area property is to primarily be to the battle over the modern WMA site and its existing roads and sites. used for hunting and fishing in The identified archaeological zones include the First Patriot Camp site, perpetuity, and additional the American pickets, the Battlefield and the Retreat zone through the activities are allowed if they swamp to the Savannah River. These zones are not the exact locations do not encroach on the of the battle lines, but the general proximity was important to note so primary uses. as not to inadvertently recommend ground disturbance for interpretive Therefore, any battlefield trails. interpretation site within the Ecological Map WMA must consider primary Taken from a 1990 rendering, these zones indicate the dominant hunting and fishing zones, ecosystem and species types. A trail would ideally run through many archaeological resources, and different zones, giving spectators a variety of views and the highest level ecological factors, such as of biodiversity possible. The Loblolly Pine areas, indicated on the map as flooding, in determining where “pine forest”, are dense and would not be appropriate for long to locate interpretive trails, signage, and a memorial. stretches of the trail. Clear cut areas will allow an extended view of the landscape, giving the spectator a place to imagine the battle taking 5 Battle of Brier Creek Charrette Report place. The low swamp areas are flood zones and will require a trail that a trail system provides safe passage for travel through an active hunting is either elevated or constructed of materials that will withstand zone and minimizes ground disturbance of any archaeological remains inundation. that may exist. Hunting Map It is key to understand where the hunting areas are located in the WMA. Prime hunting areas are to be avoided to prevent the interaction between heritage tourists and active hunters. While the entire site is dedicated to hunting and fishing, the particular favored zones vary depending on what is in season and the amount of rainfall the area has received. The deeper areas of the site nearest the creek and the river (blue zone) are popular with hunters. However, when these lowland areas flood, wildlife moves inland. The arrows on the map indicate the general movement of hunters during times in which the normal hunting area is inundated. The areas that are never active zones are the roadways, as they are generally avoided by animals and hunters have to keep a certain distance from the roads before shooting. Composite Map Lastly, a composite map with the archaeological, ecological and hunting zones were overlaid to show which zones overlapped or left void. With this analysis, the team determined that the three existing roads in this area of the WMA – Cannon Lake Rd, Main Rd and Well Rd – are generally close enough to the battle site so as to provide a sense of the landscape and ecology of the area. Additionally, using existing roads for 6 Maps showing the location of the battlefield area (yellow oval) within the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area of Screven County, GA. Final Report | Battle of Brier Creek Charrette | November 13‐15, 2015 Center for Community Design & Preservation | UGA College of Environment and Design Using archaeological studies, the team overlaid zones generally related to the battle over the modern WMA site and its existing roads. The identified archaeological zones include the First Patriot Camp site [pink], the American pickets [purple], the Battlefield [yellow] and the Retreat zone through the swamp to the Savannah River [blue]. These zones are not the exact locations of the battle lines, but the general proximity was important to note so as not to inadvertently recommend ground disturbance for interpretive trails. Final Report | Battle of Brier Creek Charrette | November 13‐15, 2015 Center for Community Design & Preservation | UGA College of Environment and Design Taken from a 1990 rendering, these zones indicate the dominant ecosystem and species types. A trail would ideally run through many different zones, giving spectators a variety of views and the highest level of biodiversity possible. The Loblolly Pine areas, indicated on the map as “pine forest”, are dense and would not be appropriate for long stretches of the trail. Clear cut areas will allow an extended view of the landscape, giving the spectator a place to imagine the battle taking place. The low swamp areas are flood zones and will require a trail that is either elevated or constructed of materials that will withstand inundation.
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