Hessian soldier John Reed fought for the British in the Revolutionary War but deserted his mercenary role to join the German community in Cabarrus County in 1782. Reed Gold Mine will present "From Mercenary to Miner" Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to examine his life and early years before the 1799 discovery of gold on his farm.
Reed was drafted in Germany and believed to have served in Garrison Regiment of von Wissenbach. He arrived as a replacement soldier in New York in June 1778 and sailed to Savannah that November. When he deserted June 21, 1782, his journey to North Carolina began.
Military re-enactors from Royal NC Regiment will portray Hessian soldiers (Regiment Von Bose), British loyalists - Americans who remained loyal to England - and Continental militia. There will be rifle and cannon demonstrations and also artillery and musket demonstrations throughout the day.
Dr. Gary Freeze of Catawba College will lecture on why Germans settled in Cabarrus County, why John Reed chose to return to this area and the importance of Cabarrus County to the North Carolina gold region.
Along with the special activities, visitors can walk through the visitor center, take the underground mine tour, see an 1890s era operating stamp mill and pan for gold.
Admission is $5 for adults and children over age 13; ages 12 and under are $2 each. The panning fee is $3.21 for ages 8 and older. All prices include tax. Tickets are not sold to ages younger than 8 because they cannot pan independently. Panning for gold is available April through October.
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays. Reed is located 12 miles southeast of Concord, 25 miles east of Charlotte and 18 miles east of Albemarle. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites, part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.