Abingdon: Living History Muster Grounds

Overmountain Men and their families come to life at the Abingdon Muster Grounds during Living History Days 2019. These events highlight the importance of the Washington County, Virginia militia and the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings Mountain, 1780.  There will be demonstrations related to life in backcountry Virginia during colonial times.  This event has activities for the whole family!  Join the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, Blacks Fort Chapter-DAR, and General William Campbell Chapter-SAR as we bring history to life.

Certified by the National Park Service as the northern trailhead of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the Abingdon Muster Grounds is a picturesque 9-acre park with significant history.  When a call was issued for militia to respond to British inroads in the South, men from all over the region moved into action.  Under the leadership of Colonel William Campbell, 400 Virginians set out to join patriot militia from modern-day Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  After a two week campaign, the Overmountain Men fought the Battle of Kings Mountain with overwhelming success.  Thomas Jefferson said it was “the turn of the tide of success which terminated the Revolutionary War, with the seal of our independence”.