09/07/2023
September 6, 2023
Dear Friends of the Buford Massacre Battlefield,
I hope you are all in good health and have enjoyed the summer. It has been hot as usual for this time of the year in the Carolinas. But the hot weather has not slowed down the progress being made to enhance and develop the Buford Battlefield. This spring the Friends, with the help of volunteers and the JROTC class of Buford High School held a cleanup of the park. On May 26th the Sons of the American Revolution put on a commemoration to mark the 243-year anniversary of the Battle. The Friends hosted a Memorial Day program on the same day that included several local guest speakers, firing a revolutionary war cannon and a 21-gun salute.
In June, the Friends applied for and received a $15,000 Accommodation Tax Grant, from the Lancaster County Council. This money along with additional funds from the Friends will be used to complete several new projects. The first is the placement of a new bronze plaque. The plaque contains the names of 23 Continental soldiers who have been identified as being engaged in the battle since the original plaque, that contains 225 names, was mounted in 2017. The new plaque will be placed on the memorial wall and dedicated on Veteran’s Day. We will of course send out photos of the new plaque when it is unveiled.
An 8’ wide walkway is planned that will extend from the base of the middle set of steps in the stone retaining wall and lead straight to the brick patio. Also, we will be setting up four new educational kiosks. All these projects will be completed by the end of the year.
It has been hard to accurately describe all the improvements we are undertaking at the Battlefield. To appreciate what is being done, you may have to plan a visit.
A perfect time would be our annual Veteran’s Day ceremony which will be held on Nov. 11th starting at 11 AM. We think you will be pleasantly surprised and pleased with all that has been accomplished.
Finally, I want to thank our Board members who have put in so much time and effort to make this all happen. Each has contributed in substantial ways to these endeavors. We couldn’t do it without them.
As a member of the Friends, you can be very proud of what our group has done to make improvements to the Battlefield over the course of our founding 11 years ago. You have helped to create a true and lasting memorial to the 113 fallen heroes of the Buford massacre who had gone virtually unnoticed and unheralded for over 243 years. Thank you for your support.
Perseverando,
Ken Obriot
President, Friends of the Buford Massacre Battlefield
