By Tabitha Johnston, The Journal
SHEPHERDSTOWN — The final event held in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Bee Line March was held at Morgan’s Grove Park and in downtown Shepherdstown on Saturday.
Two hundred fifty years ago, the Second Continental Congress called for 10 companies of riflemen from Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland to aid General George Washington at the Siege of Boston. The first to answer the call was a company from Shepherdstown, which set off on July 17, 1775 from a location near Morgan’s Grove Park — Morgan’s Spring — and made the 600-mile march on foot in a record 25 days. That moment in history was portrayed on Saturday by a large group of reenactors, who set up a military encampment at the park in the morning and then, in the afternoon, marched into downtown Shepherdstown.
Throughout the day at the park, a variety of of activities were held, including: military drills, children’s 18th century games, flintlock rifle demonstrations, musical performances by the Old Line Fife and Drum Corps and speeches on various aspects of Revolutionary War life, such as colonial hygiene practices and clothing trends. Food trucks selling barbecue, macaroni and cheese, artisanal ice cream and lemonade were also on site, enabling attendees to make a day of the experience.
