Sunbury - A Georgia Ghost Town!

An original street runs along Church Square in Sunbury

I have a fascination with ghost towns because I love to walk their former streets and wonder what they looked like and what life was like in them.

Perhaps my favorite of all Southern ghost towns is Sunbury, once a booming port town that rivaled Savannah in commerce. Today, all that remains are a few old roads, the earthworks at Fort Morris State Historic Site and a cemetery.

Founded in 1758 as part of the Congregationalist movement from Dorchester, South Carolina, to what is now Liberty County, Georgia, Sunbury grew dramatically in the years before the American Revolution. By 1773, for example, it had over 1,000 residents. The town was visited that year by the famed naturalist William Bartram:

Markers tell the story of the "Dead Town"

There are about one hundred houses in the town neatly built of wood frame having pleasant Piasas [i.e. piazzas] around them. The inhabitants are genteel and wealthy, either Merchants or Planters from the Country who resort here in the Summer and Autumn, to partake of the Salubrious Sea Breeze, Bathing & sporting on the Sea Islands.

The people of Sunbury were fierce supporters of the cause of American Independence and they paid dearly for it. The British occupied their town in both 1778 and 1779, even using it as a place to hold American prisoners of war. Residents fled the British occupation and by the end of the Revolution, Sunbury was but a shell of its former self.

The town continued its decline after the war until eventually it was gone.  Union troops even burned the Baptist church during Sherman's March to the Sea.  Not a building still stands and even the vast majority of the graves in the cemetery are no longer marked. Sunbury is a true ghost town of the Georgia coast.

To learn more, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sunbury1.

To learn more about Sunbury Cemetery, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sunbury2

To learn more about Fort Morris, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortmorris.

Midway Congregational Church - Midway, Georgia

Midway Congregational Church in Georgia

One of the most beautiful landmarks of the Georgia Coast, Midway Congregational Church was founded before the American Revolution and played an important role in that war. The current structure dates from 1792.

It was at Midway Church, often called Midway Meeting House, in 1775 that the residents of what is now Liberty County gathered to elect someone to represent them at the Second Continental Congress. The Congregationalists settled in Midway, Sunbury and the surrounding area had originally come from Dorchester, Massachusetts, and were quick to support their their former neighbors there in the wake of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

The present structure was completed in 1792.

The community was targeted by the British in 1778 and Colonel James Screven, now buried in the Midway Cemetery, was mortally wounded at the Battle of Midway Church. The original church structure was burned by the British following that battle, but was rebuilt in 1792.

The church was occupied by troops again some nine decades later during the final days of Sherman's March to the Sea. The cavalry of Union Gen. Judson Kilpatrick corralled their horses in the cemetery and Kilpatrick made Midway Church his headquarters as Sherman was closing in on Savannah and Fort McAllister.

Please visit our new Midway Congregational Church page to learn more about this historic landmark: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/midway.

The Battle of Kings Mountain - Blacksburg, South Carolina

Ferguson's Cairn (right) and the crest of Kings Mountain

Thomas Jefferson called the Battle of Kings Mountain the "turn of the tide of success" in the cause for American Independence.

Outraged by threats made against their lives, homes and families, a large force of "Overmountain Men" came across the Blue Ridge from Tennessee and trapped 1,100 British soldiers on the top of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. By the time the fighting was over, 225 British soldiers and Loyalist allies had been killed, 163 were wounded and 716 were prisoners of war.

Kings Mountain National Military Park

The bloody battle ended the threat of Major Patrick Ferguson and his Loyalist (Tory) Battalion to the Patriot settlers in the Carolina backcountry and the frontier families living across the mountains in what is now Tennessee. The disaster dealt to Ferguson's command also proved to the British commander, Lord Cornwallis, that he could not pacify South Carolina by force. He had hoped to suppress the Revolution there by forcing residents to either swear their loyalty to King George III or suffer the consequences.

Rocky Slopes of Kings Mountain

As Thomas Jefferson noted, the Battle of Kings Mountain was the first in a series of bloody disasters handed to Cornwallis and his army by Patriot forces in the South. It was followed three months later by Daniel Morgan's stunning victory over Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens and a few months thereafter the bloodletting at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Combined these battles put Cornwallis on the road to Yorktown, where he was trapped and defeated by George Washington.

The site of the battle is now preserved at Kings Mountain National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina. The park features a paved interpretive trail that winds through key areas of the battlefield and across the crest of the mountain. It also has monuments, the stone cairn where Patrick Ferguson is buried and a recently remodeled museum that includes outstanding displays on the battle.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/KingsMountain1.

Siege of Augusta, Georgia - A Battle of the American Revolution

Monument marking site of Fort Cornwallis

Augusta is a charming and beautiful city nestled along the Savannah River. And while the Georgia city is known for its historic and scenic riverfront, few visitors realize that it also was the scene of a major battle of the American Revolution.

The Siege of Augusta began on April 16, 1781, when Patriot militia companies from the backcountry of Georgia arrived on the outskirts of the city. Augusta was then held by a Loyalist force commanded by the notorious Lt. Col. Thomas Brown.

Gen. Andrew Pickens

The militia, led first by Lt. Col. Micajah Williamson and later by the famed Col. Elijah Clarke, hovered around the edges of Augusta, creating the impression that their force was much larger in size than it really was. Col. Brown withdrew his forces into three strong points: Fort Cornwallis at St. Paul's Church, Fort Grierson about 1/2 mile away and the fortified home of Indian trader George Galphin 12 miles outside of town.

Clarke's militia was reinforced in May by hundreds of South Carolina militiamen under Gen. Andrew Pickens and Continental regulars under Lt. Col. "Light Horse Harry" Lee, the father of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.

The combined forces struck first at Galphin's place, taking it on May 21, 1781. The battle was found in intense heat and one Patriot soldier died from heat stroke.

St. Paul's Church

The Patriot army moved on Fort Grierson next. As the American soldiers came into Augusta and began to surround the fort, its commander Col. Grierson tried to lead 80 men in a desperate retreat to larger and stronger Fort Cornwallis. They made it as far as the banks of the Savannah River before they were cut off by the Patriot militia and slaughtered to a man. The massacre was frontier-style retribution for similar tactics used by Lt. Col. Brown in previous battles.

The main siege of Fort Cornwallis now began. For days the two forces battled in smoke and fury along the riverfront of Augusta. Finally, at the suggestion of Lee, the Patriots resorted to the construction of a 30 foot tower from which they could fire their single cannon down into the fort. A desperate breakout was attempted by Brown's men, but failed.

As Pickens, Clarke and Lee were positioning their men for an attempt to storm the fort on June 4, 1781, Lt. Col. Brown agreed to surrender. His only condition was that the capitulation be delayed by one day so he would not be forced to surrender on the birthday of King George III. The Americans agreed and the next the U.S. flag was raised over Fort Cornwallis.

To learn more about this remarkable battle and see additional photos of the scene, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/augustasiege.

The Battle of Baton Rouge - The American Revolution in Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Battlefield at Right)

It is a little known fact that one of the most important battles of the American Revolution took place not in New England or along the East Coast, but far to the west on the banks of the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Hoping to gain advantage over Great Britain, the King of Spain declared his support of the fledgling United States on May 8, 1779, and declared war on Spain's long-time rival. Two months later he extended the right to make war to his subjects in North America.

Spain then possessed what later became known as the Louisiana Purchase, which included the parts of present day Louisiana west of the Mississippi River, as well as the city of New Orleans. Spanish territory also extended up the great river to include present-day Arkansas, Missouri and other states.

Revolutionary War Cannon at Baton Rouge

Great Britain, in turn, held the colonies of East Florida and West Florida, which had not joined in the revolution against the King. West Florida then extended from the Apalachicola River on the east all the way to the Mississippi River on the west. The modern cities of Baton Rouge, Mobile and Pensacola were included in this domain and were garrisoned by British troops.

Learning of the King's declaration, the Spanish Governor of Louisiana immediately began to prepare a campaign against the British at Baton Rouge. His name was Bernardo de Galvez and he was one of the most successful year least known generals of the American Revolution.

The British fort stood near the Pentagon Barracks (right)

Moving north from New Orleans with an army of 580 Spanish regulars, 60 local militiamen, 80 free blacks, 10 American volunteers and an irregular force of some 600 Acadians and Indians, Galvez took Fort Bute, an English post at Bayou Manchac, on September 7, 1779.  He then moved on Baton Rouge, where 550 British soldiers manned the new and strong Fort New Richmond.

Nothing remains above ground of the fort today, but it stood adjacent to the spot where the historic Pentagon Barracks were later built overlooking the river. The earthwork fortification was armed with cannon and held 400 British regulars from the 16th and 60th regiments, some militia, a few regular artillerymen and several companies from the 3rd Waldeck Regiment (Germans).

Memorial to the 1779 Battle of Baton Rouge

Galvez laid siege to the fort on September 12, 1779, moving his troops completely around its land sides and preparing siege trenches and hidden batteries. On September 21, 1779, the Patriot army opened its bombardment of Fort New Richmond. The British fired back long enough to defend the honor of their king, but then raised the white flag.

The Battle of Baton Rouge gave the Spanish control of the western end of West Florida and ended forever Great Britain's claim to the Mississippi River. Galvez went on to take Fort Charlotte at Mobile and Fort George at Pensacola in one of the most remarkable campaigns of the American Revolution. The Spanish general with his mixed army eliminated any British claim to the Gulf Coast and opened the door for the eventual United States capture and acquisition of the territory making up the modern states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

To learn more about the Battle of Baton Rouge, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/batonrouge1779.

Battle of Yorktown - Yorktown, Virginia

On October 17, 1781, one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the world was enacted at the town of Yorktown, Virginia.

A little drummer boy, braving the shot and shell being thrown by American and French cannon, climbed to the top of an earthen breastwork and began to beat out a call to parley. One by one the big guns fell silent and a British officer soon joined the drummer atop the fortifications, a white flag in his hand.

Two days later, the British army of Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis marched out of Yorktown and surrendered its arms to the allied army of Gen. George Washington. A British band played a then popular tune called "The World Turned Upside Down."  The Battle of Yorktown, the climactic battle of the American Revolution, was over. The United States of America would survive to become a beacon of freedom to people from all over the world.

The site of Washington's monumental victory is now preserved at the Yorktown Battlefield section of Colonial National Historical Park. Visitors can walk the battle lines to see the preserved forts and batteries of both armies. The site of the British surrender is preserved, as are many other key points of the battle that literally turned the world upside down.

To learn more about Yorktown Battlefield and this fascinating moment in Southern history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/yorktown.

Fort George - The American Revolution in Pensacola, Florida

In my last post I discussed the little known Battle of Fort Charlotte, fought in Mobile, Alabama, during the American Revolution. This battle was followed one year later by one of the most significant yet least known battles of the Revolution.

During the spring of 1781, General Bernardo de Galvez led an army of Spanish, French, Irish and American troops against the British stronghold of Pensacola, Florida. It would take two months for the city to fall, but when it did, the course of U.S. history was forever changed.

The capture of Pensacola, for example, returned control of West Florida and the lower Mississippi River to Spain and France. This eventually allowed the Louisiana Purchase to take place, but perhaps even more importantly it removed Great Britain from the borders of the southern states. Had England still possessed Florida during the War of 1812, it is doubtful that the United States could have survived. It would have provided a natural base for invading the South and, coupled with the disastrous campaigns in the North, likely would have ended the war in favor of the British.

It is also safe to assume that the British would never have turned Florida over to the United States in 1821, as the Spanish eventually did.

A small portion of the Pensacola battlefield is preserved at Fort George Park at the intersection of Palafox and La Rua Streets near downtown Pensacola. The park features a reconstructed section of Fort George, the primary British defense of the city, and also offers interpretive panels explaining the battle.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortgeorge.

Battle of Fort Charlotte - American Revolution in Alabama

When the American Revolution comes to mind, most people think of the Eastern seaboard. The war raged from Georgia north to Maine.

It may be surprising, then, to learn that a Revolutionary War battle took place in the heart of what is now downtown Mobile, Alabama. Remembered today as the Battle of Fort Charlotte, the engagement was an important part of General Bernardo de Galvez' Gulf Coast campaign.

When Spain established a formal alliance with the Continental Congress, General Galvez was sent to drive British forces from the lower Mississippi River, Gulf Coast and West Florida. By 1780 he had successfully cleared the lower Mississippi of British troops and now turned his attention to Mobile Bay.

Fort Charlotte at Mobile (formerly called Fort Conde by the French) had been in British hands since the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. Located on the waterfront of the old French city, the fort was forty years old at the time British troops moved in and another 17 years had passed since then.

General Galvez targeted Fort Charlotte as a preliminary move prior to a planned attack on the British West Florida capital in Pensacola. He arrived off Mobile Bay with a fleet and hundreds of soldiers in February of 1780. The weather was bad and the general's ships had been damaged and supplies lost and he was on the verge of calling off the attack when reinforcements and additional ships arrived.

Galvez now moved up the bay and laid siege to Fort Charlotte, digging entrenchments and planting batteries of artillery. British Captain Elias Durnford turned down a request to surrender and the Spanish forces opened fire on March 10, 1780.

In anticipation of the battle, Durnford torched the city of Mobile to prevent its houses and shops from being used as cover by the attacking army. It was a wasted gesture that caused enormous suffering for the inhabitants of the city. British reinforcements did not reach Fort Charlotte time and the outnumbered captain was forced to surrender. The white flag was raised on March 12, 1780 and the surrender completed the next day.

The site of the Battle of Fort Charlotte is now partially preserved on South Royal Street in Mobile where about one third of Fort Conde (later Fort Charlotte) has been reconstructed. A British cannon can be seen adjacent to the fort in the front yard of the Conde-Charlotte House.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortcharlotte.

The Last Battle of the American Revolution

If you spend much time reading about the American Revolution you will quickly notice that several different encounters claim the distinction of being the "last battle of the American Revolution."

I thought in honor of the 233rd anniversary of the official beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775, it might be of interest to visit the topic of the final battle.

If you search "last battle" and "American Revolution" on Google, you will come up with all kinds of answers. One source (obviously wrong!) says it was the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. Chattanooga, Tennessee, points to an engagement on Lookout Mountain in 1782. Kentucky claims the Battle of Blue Licks as the final battle and Florida recently erected a marker for its own candidate, a 1783 naval engagement off Cape Canaveral.

As best I can tell, the Battle of Arkansas Post in Arkansas was the real final battle of the American Revolution. The naval battle off Cape Canaveral, Florida, was fought on March 10, 1783, but five weeks later on April 16, 1783, a party of British-allied irregulars approached Arkansas Post. Sometimes remembered as "Colbert's Raid," the battle began before sunrise on the morning of April 17, 1783 and resulted in the last known shots and last known casualties of the American Revolution.

If you would like to read more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/arkansaspost.

If anyone is aware of a documented incident that took place after April 17, 1783, I would love to hear about it!