WASHINGTON, Ga. - On Wednesday, May 29, Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA) hosted National Park Service Acting Director Dan Smith for a tour of the Kettle Creek Battlefield, the site of the only significant patriot victory in Georgia during the Revolutionary War. 

Joined by members of the Kettle Creek Battlefield Association, the American Battlefield Trust and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Hice highlighted this historic battle in Washington, Georgia and its critical role in the Southern Campaign as America fought for its independence. A member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Hice earlier this year introduced H.R. 306, the Kettle Creek Battlefield Study Act, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the site and determine its suitability as a designated unit of the National Park System.

“The Battle of Kettle Creek is part of a larger story, one of the greatest ones ever told,” Hice said. “By protecting battlefields, such as this one, we will help future generations remember the courage, cost, and sacrifice that was made on behalf of our freedom. I’m grateful that Acting Director Dan Smith accepted my invitation and saw our rich history and heritage firsthand as I work with local stakeholders and the National Park Service to preserve this sacred site.”

“This is a tremendous step forward for future preservation and interpretation of the Kettle Creek Battlefield, a site instrumental in the history of Georgia and the formation of the United States,” James Lighthizer, president of the American Battlefield Trust, said. “It is our privilege to work with Congressman Hice, one of the strongest supporters of battlefield preservation in Congress, as well as the National Park Service, Wilkes County, and the Kettle Creek Battlefield Association, to preserve hallowed ground at this Revolutionary War site.”