Tribute to Revolutionary War militia unveiled

Master of Ceremonies state Rep. Joe Sam Queen called Lanning a “man with art, history and adventure in his blood.”

Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley thanked Lanning for gift and “for educating our citizens about our history.”

The county did very little to make the statue possible, he said.

“God bless you, Earl,” he said. “God bless our county, and God bless our nation.”

Queen described the role of the militia 243 years ago in what eventually became Haywood County.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and one of the atrocities the British crown was accused of was riling up the Native Americans against the settlers, he said.

Gen. Griffith Rutherford put out a call for volunteers to join him in ending the aggression and take the Cherokee out of the American Revolution, Queen said. More than 2,800 answered the call. The group camped on the banks of the Pigeon River near Canton on Sept. 5, 1776, and spent the following night near Sulphur Springs near Waynesville.

“It was the largest militia event in the entire Revolutionary War,” he said, noting the Rutherford campaign accomplished its goal.

One of the militiamen was John Lanning, Earl Lanning’s fifth great-grandfather, Queen said.

He introduced Lanning as a “master gunsmith, sculptor and citizen extraordinaire.”

Lanning said the nation has been part of many wars to preserve freedoms, but those who fought the Revolutionary War procured the freedoms, he emphasized.

He introduced Nicolas Zarate, who helped him with the statue, nd spoke of the 75 pounds of clay needed before the sculpting could begin.

“There’s no shortage of bravery in Haywood County,” Lanning said, mentioning two friends of his who earned the Medal of Honor, Max Thompson and William Halyburton.

He also paid tribute to Riley Howell, a Haywood college student who tackled a school shooter on the UNC-Charlotte campus this spring, giving his life to save others, sparking loud applause.

Living history

Also present for the dedication was a group of living history buffs dressed in Revolutionary War garb and toting a habersham, which was used to carry extra clothing and food, a powder horn intricately inscribed with a portion of the map used on the expedition, hand-crafted knives, a hunting pouch and long rifle. One even had a tomahawk smoking pipe.

There is a resurgence of interest in military history, said L.C. Rice of Waynesville, whose attire was handmade as authentic as it could be.

“To make this stuff, you have to study its origin,” he said.

Terry Levi of Asheville, said he and others would be traveling to Pennsylvania later this summer for the Contemporary Long Rifle Association, where 10,000 were expected to attend.

“In 1776, it would not have been safe to live right here,” he said, referencing the fighting between the Native Americans and settlers. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘the good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise.’ Well, that was about the Cree Indians.”

Rice said the area that’s now Haywood County was heavily forested and didn’t have much buffalo.

The various tribes not only fought settlers, but each other, said C.A. Rector, also of Asheville.

“Back then, the Cherokee could have amassed 60,000 warriors,” he said, noting the present Athens, Georgia, was tribal headquarters.

Kim Palmer of Waynesville said the militia was a big part of the Continental Army, noting all who showed up for the dedication were there to represent those who had served in the militia.

The Lanning family printed 200 programs for the dedication but ran out a good 20 minutes before the ceremony started.

The program stated: “This monument is dedicated to all the armed services that fought and died in the American Revolutionary War. These men represented the first American veterans who freed America from British tryanny. All American wars after the Revolutionary War have been fought to preserve America’s freedoms. These militiamen were the predecessors to today’s National Guard.”