St. Simons Island, Georgia - Romantic Jewel of the Southern Coast

Continuing our St. Valentine's Day look at some of the most romantic destinations in the South, there are few places that possess the charm and beauty of historic St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast.

One of the Peach State's famed Golden Isles, St. Simons is a place unto itself. There are ruins of the old English settlement and fort of Frederica, the beautiful St. Simons Lighthouse, oak canopied streets, unique shopping and dining districts and an array of unique and charming places to stay. Dolphins play off the waterfront and the island fronts an area of the Atlantic that is a noted habitat of the magnificent North Atlantic Right Whale.

St. Simons was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries before Spanish missionaries arrived to bring Christianity to the Guale Indians. The Spanish eventually gave way to the English, who established Fort Frederica on the island during the 1700s. The ruins of the old fort and town can still be seen beneath the magnificent moss-draped oaks at Fort Frederica National Monument.

Visitors can climb to the top of the St. Simons Lighthouse for spectacular panoramic views of the island and adjacent waters. They can also learn the history of the beautiful old tower as well as the story of its well known ghost.

And the causeway out to the island passes over the Marshes of Glynn, made famous by the noted Southern poet Sidney Lanier.

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

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Over the last few days I've been posting about some of the historic sites on St. Simons Island. This beautiful coastal island on the Georgia coast is one of the real jewels of the Golden Isles.

Connected to Brunswick by the Torres Causeway and located about halfway between Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, St. Simons Island is a beautiful Southern setting noted for its ancient oak trees, historic sites and stunning waterfront.

The island was once the home of the Guale Indians who lived in the region when the first Spanish explorers arrived. The Spanish established missions in an effort to convert the Guale to Christianity and maintained control over the island for more than 100 often turbulent years.

By the early 1700s, however, the Spanish had withdrawn from the area although they still claimed Georgia as a possession of Spain. The English challenged this and during the 1730s sent Gen. James Oglethorpe to establish a colony in Georgia. Oglethorpe established Savannah and then looked south for a site to built a military settlement that would serve as a bulwark against any attack by the Spanish in Florida. He picked St. Simons Island.

The English built Fort Frederica and Fort St. Simons on the island and defended it against the Spanish at the Battles of Gully Hole Creek and Bloody Marsh in 1742.

The beautifully-designed English village of Frederica flourished for a time, but eventually faded when the military garrison was disbanded. Most of the town was destroyed by fire during the 1750s and only ruins remain today at Fort Frederica National Monument.

The island remained inhabited, however, and prospered under American control during the early 19th century. Today it is considered a beautiful resort area, noted for its charming and supposedly haunted lighthouse, numerous historic sites and much more. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stsimons.

Battle of Bloody Marsh - St. Simons Island, Georgia

Legend holds that on July 7, 1742, an expanse of saltwater marsh ran red with blood as English troops ambushed and drove back Spanish soldiers on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The event has been remembered as the Battle of Bloody Marsh and the site is now preserved as a detached unit of Fort Frederica National Monument.

The real story of the fight at Bloody Marsh is a bit different, but still highly significant. English troops led by General James Oglethorpe had defeated a Spanish advance force earlier in the day at the smaller but actually bloodier Battle of Gully Hole Creek (see yesterday's post). When the Spanish forces withdrew down the island's Military Road following that encounter, Oglethorpe followed them. Recognizing that he would need additional men, the general put his company of Independent Highlanders and part of the 42nd Regiment of Foot into position along the edge of an area of woods looking out across the open marsh any Spanish advance would likely cross. He then started to the rear to speed up his reinforcements that were moving down the island from Fort Frederica.

By mid-afternoon, Spanish commander Governor Don Manuel de Montiano ordered additional troops forward to help his retreating advance make it back to his base at Fort St. Simons. Moving up the Military Road, they soon reached the open marsh covered by Oglethorpe's troops.

Although legend holds that the Spanish were caught by surprised and ambushed by the English, an eyewitness described them moving forward with shouts. This indicates they probably knew Oglethorpe's men were waiting and were launching an attack against them.

Additional support for this is provided by the fact that part of the English line collapsed in the face of the Spanish attack. At least three "squads" from the 42nd Regiment of Foot retreated in confusion, leaving the Highlanders along with some rangers and a few allied Indians. The story with the hard-fighting Highlanders was different. As they Spanish approached they fought with such fury that the battle quickly turned into a stalemate and finally an English victory when the Spanish ran out of ammunition and were forced to withdraw. While it is true that blood may have been seen running in the marsh, casualties were light.

The Battle of Bloody Marsh marked the end of the last major Spanish land campaign to retake the nation's lost lands in Georgia and South Carolina. Combined with the English victory at Gully Hole Creek earlier in the day, the engagement convinced Montiano that he could not overwhelm Oglethorpe with his land forces. He soon would withdraw back to St. Augustine leaving Georgia firmly and permanently in English possession.

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

Battle of Gully Hole Creek - St. SImons Island, Georgia

It is strange to consider today, but one of the most significant battles in the history of the South was actually a small skirmish fought at a place called Gully Hole Creek on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The War of Jenkins' Ear (named for the severed ear of an English sea captain) was then underway between England and Spain. English troops, led by General James Oglethorpe, had invaded Florida but failed to take the powerful fort of Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine. In June of 1742, the Spanish retaliated when Governor Don Manuel de Montiano led a fleet of warships and an army of 5,000 men up the Georgia coast.

After forcing his way into St. Simons Sound past the guns of Fort St. Simons (see yesterday's post), Montiano began landing his army on St. Simons Island. Realizing that he was outnumbered, Oglethorpe executed a withdrawal up the island to Fort Frederica while Montiano occupied the now evacuated Fort St. Simons.

On July 7, 1742, the Spanish moved forward a force of around 200 troops and Indian auxiliaries, intending to take up a position near Fort Frederica from which they could launch an attack on the English post. This force was to prepare entrenchments for the main army, which would soon follow.

As the Spanish force was moving across the open marsh at Gully Hole Creek, a small stream about one mile south of Fort Frederica, they ran into Oglethorpe's scouts who engaged them while the General brought up a company of Independent Highlanders to join the resistance, while ordering other troops to follow.

The sudden counterattack stunned the Spanish, who fought fiercely but were soon forced to withdraw back down the island. Oglethorpe and his forces followed. The fight resulted in the deaths of 12 Spanish soldiers and the capture or wounding of a number of others. The English supposedly lost only a single man.

Remembered today as the Battle of Gully Hole Creek, the skirmish turned the tide of the campaign against the Spanish. It was followed later in the day by the Battle of Bloody Marsh (also on St. Stimons Island). Together the two skirmishes overawed the superior Spanish force and prevented them from making further land attempts against Fort Frederica.

The failure of the Spanish troops at Gully Hole Creek began a chain of events that unraveled the whole campaign. Montiano's dream of taking both Georgia and South Carolina back from the English would fail and, as a result, the Spanish forever lost their hold on both colonies. A large part of the South fell permanently under the influence of the English.

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

Fort St. Simons - St. Simons Island, Georgia

A little known fort built by English troops under General James Oglethorpe in 1738, Fort St. Simons played an important role in the strangely named War of Jenkins' Ear.

Located on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where the St. Simons Lighthouse stands today, the bastioned fort was built to protect the island's harbor from attack by enemy warships - in specific those of the Spanish. The coast of Georgia had long been claimed by Spain, but Oglethorpe challenged that claim by planting the settlements of Savannah and Frederica directly on the contested lands.

Although Spain protested these settlements, it did not immediately move against them. It took the War of Jenkins' Ear (named for the body part of an English sea captain who was captured and had his ear severed by the Spanish) to bring about the campaign. When war was declared between England and Spain, Oglethorpe moved against the Spanish city of St. Augustine, Florida, but was unable to capture the powerful fort of Castillo de San Marcos.

Spanish Governor Don Manuel de Montiano retaliated two years later in 1742 by attacking Georgia with a powerful fleet and an army of 5,000 men. When he attacked, it was Fort St. Simons that stood in his way.

To learn more about the Spanish attack and the subsequent history of Fort St. Simons, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortstsimons.

Summer Escapes #6 - St. Simons Lighthouse, Georgia

On a hot summer day on the Georgia coast, few places offer the refreshing breezes and beautiful views of the St. Simons Lighthouse on historic St. Simons Island.

Built during the 1870s to replace earlier structures, the beautiful old lighthouse is now maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, which has developed a museum in the Keeper's Cottage and allows visitors to climb to the top of the lighthouse for spectacular views of St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and the other Golden Isles of Georgia.

The tower rises 104 feet above the St. Simons Island waterfront and the spiral stairway leading to the top has 129 steps. The strenuous climb is worth it, though, because the panoramic view from the catwalk at the top is truly astounding.

For lovers of ghost stories, the lighthouse is said to be haunted by the restless ghost of a former keeper. Frederick Osborne was shot and killed by his assistant for allegedly making "improper remarks" to the assistant's wife. Many have claimed to see and hear his ghost inside the tower.

The lighthouse site also figures prominently in the Colonial and Civil War history of the area. British troops built Fort St. Simons on the site during the 1700s and Confederate troops later built a fort on the grounds during the early years of the Civil War.

To learn more and to read the fascinating story of the ghost of the lighthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons.

St. Simons Lighthouse - St. Simons Island, Georgia

One of the most beautiful spots on the Georgia coast, the St. Simons Lighthouse on St. Simons Island is a noted Southern historic landmark.

Built to replace earlier towers, the lighthouse was constructed during the 1870s and is still in use today. The site had earlier also been the location of a Confederate battery during the Civil War and Fort St. Simons, built by the British during the early 1700s. Nothing remains of either fortification, but a cannon on the ground preserves the memory of Fort St. Simons.

From bottom to top, the spiral staircase inside the tower includes 129 steps that reach the catwalk where visitors can absorb a spectacular view of the Golden Isles of Georgia from 104 feet above the ground.

According to legend, the St. Simons Light is haunted by the ghost of one of its former keepers. Newspaper accounts of the time confirm that Frederick Osborne, the keeper of the light in 1880, was shot and killed by his assistant, John Stephens. According to the reports, Stephens believed that Osborne had spoken "inappropriately" to Mrs. Stephens. He shot and killed Osborne, was arrested for murder, but was subsequently acquitted.

Since then, there have been reports that Osborne's restless spirit roams the lighthouse and grounds. Eyewitness accounts of a ghost at the lighthouse appeared in print as early as 1908.

To learn more about the St. Simons Lighthouse and its unusual ghost story, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons.

Southern Ghosts Part Seven - St. Simons Lighthouse, Georgia

One of the most beautiful lighthouses to be found anywhere, the St. Simons Lighthouse towers over the Atlantic Coast of Georgia.

Located on St. Simons Island, the old tower stands on the site of earlier British and Confederate forts and has served as an important landmark for ships sailing into the harbor for more than a century.

St. Simons Light is also haunted by stories of a restless spirit. Most story tellers agree that the ghost is that of Frederick Osborne, onetime keeper of the light.

The ghost legend has its origin in 1880, when Osborne and his assistant, John Stephens, became embroiled in an argument. The following brief account appeared in the Georgia Weekly Telegraph newspaper on March 12, 1880:

Mr. Osburn, keeper of the lighthouse on St. Simons' Island, was seriously shot by Mr. John Stephens, his assistant, for talking in a disrespectful manner to his wife.

Osborne died from his wounds and Stephens was arrested and charged with murder, but was acquitted following a trial.

Reports of a ghost at the lighthouse originated almost immediately. By 1907, the story of the haunted lighthouse and its ghostly keeper was being printed in newspapers across the country.

An eyewitness that year described one of the spirit's appearances. Apparently, prior to his death, Osborne had indicated that if he was ever needed to assist with the works of the lighthouse, all his assistants had to do was call. One of them jokingly asked, "What if you are dead?" to which he responded, "Well, call anyway!"

According to the newspaper accounts, the new keeper of the lighthouse had gone to shore and his wife began having difficulty with the mechanism and, remembering Osborne's words, said "Well, come and fix it now!" To the surprise of the woman, the spirit of the old keeper appeared:

There was a clink and rattle, and looking up Mrs. C---- saw the distinct figure of the French Canadian bending over the works. Overcome by the reaction, she fainted, and when she regained consciousness the steady "click, click," of the works assured her all was well with the light. The man had disappeared.... (From the Idaho Statesman, September 8, 1907)

In the years since, many people have reported seeing the ghostly figure of Osborne in and around the lighthouse. Strange sounds of footsteps going up and down the spiral staircase have also been reported.

The lighthouse today is beautiful restored and can be visited during regular hours. If you would like to read more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons.