Georgia's landmarks, memorials and legends, Volume I, Part 29

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1148

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sion, suggesting the opulent days of the old regime. It presents to the eyes a picture at once quaint and strange. fascinating the beholder's gaze and inviting him to linger .*

Other Historic To mention in brief some of the Homes of Savannah. numerous other historic homes of Savannah, there is not to be found on the Georgia coast a more picturesque retreat than the Hermitage, owned by Judge Henry McAlpin. This fine It was

old estate was settled not later than 1783. acquired by the ancestors of Judge McAlpin nearly a century ago and has remained in the possession of his family ever since. The mansion is a well-preserved specimen of ante-bellum architecture, recalling the patrician life of the old slavery regime, and it was prob- ably built some time in the early thirties. Here may still be seen the slave quarters, preserving amid an altered scene the typical aspect of a thrifty plantation settlement, such as here existed in the days of Judge McAlpin's grandfather. The mansion is reached by an avenue of oaks, forming a gate-way of foliage to a bower of Eden. Situated on the southern banks of the Savannah River, it adjoins the country-seat of the noted old Revolution- ary patriot, Jonathan Bryan; and on the landward side connects with Savannah by means of the old Augusta road.

The historic Owens mansion-today the home of Mrs. M. W. Thomas-presents much the appearance which it did in 1825, when it sheltered the great palladin of liberty, then on his last visit to America. It was built by the celebrated architect Jay, for an Englishman named Richardson, who married a Miss Bolton, and it came into

* These facts were obtained from a copy of the Savannah Morning News, bearing date of February 20, 1905.

THE FAMILY RESIDENCE OF THE LATE GEORGE W. OWENS, WHERE GENERAL LAFAYETTE WAS ENTERTAINED, IN OGLETHORPE SQUARE, SAVANNAH.

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possession of the Owens family some time before the Civil War. It was formerly one of the stylish boarding houses of the city, kept by a Mrs. Maxwell and frequent- ed by official visitors. The Marquis de la Fayette occu- pied an elegant room on the south side overlooking the spacious veranda.

Greenwich, the handsome estate of Mr. Spencer P. Shotter, on the Wilmington River, recalls the heroic martydom of the gallant Count Casimer Pulaski. When the brave officer fell mortally wounded, during the siege of Savannah, he was brought to this place, where he received the most tender nursing until the end came. It was from a tomb in this immediate locality that his ashes were removed to the Pulaski monument on Bull Street in Savannah. There is no truth in the tradition that he died at sea. Wimberley, the home of Mayor George W. Tiedeman, on the Isle of Hope, is also one of the beauty-spots of Savannah. It is literally a palace of art, framed in a typical landscape of Arcadia, a scene in which green woods and blue waters blend in a conscious effort to show how Paradise must have looked. White Hall also belongs to the list of homes which have made the environs of the Forest City famous. Within the ancient town itself, the elegant old Comer mansion, where President Davis was entertained; and the homes of old Savannah families like the Jacksons, the Charltons, the Gordons, the Lawtons-these must at least be mentioned in a list of Savannah's historic fire-sides.

Chatham's Historic Along the Vernon River lie scat- Towns. tered the ashes of not less than four of Georgia's dead towns : Highgate, Hampstead, Vernonburg, and Acton. The first two set- tlements were at the head of the stream. Highgate was between four and five miles southwest of Savannalı and

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United States. These proved to be six-pounders, both of which were trophies of war captured from the British; and, on one of them was inscribed these words: "Surren- dered at the capitulation of York Town, October nine- teenth, 1781. Honi soit qui mal y pense-G. R." It was cast in 1756 during the reign of George IT: and. besides the inscription, it bore the stamp of the imperial crown. Though no longer used in actual service the "Washing- ton Guns" are still treasured among the most precious keep-sakes and mementoes of the ancient organization. The Chatham Artillery participated in the War of 1812 and in the War between the States. When hostilities with Mexico began in 1845 the services of the company were offered to the United States government but they were not needed.

During the first week of May, 1886, the centennial jubilee of the Chatham Artillery was celebrated. Visit. ing companies from various States of the Union enjoyed the lavish hospitality of Savannah; fetes and tourna- ments were held in compliment to the city's distinguished guests ; and round after round of merriment imparted an endless charm of variety to the historic festival. Serious business of every kind was suspended. Old soldiers held reunions ; the hatchet was buried; and both the blue and the gray met in fraternal converse around the same camp-fires. It will ever be a source of the keenest satis -. faction to the people of Savannah that they were privi- leged to entertain at this time the great leader of the Lost Cause. He was then an old man, near the end of his long life of four score years; and it marked one of the very few occasions, after the war, when the recluse of Beauvoir consented to appear in public. With him was Winnie, the beloved and only "Daughter of the Confed- eracy," whose birth in the White House at Richmond, during the last year of the war, gave her this peculiar and exclusive title of honor. Both were the guests of

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Mr. H. M. Comer, at his elegant home on the corner of Bull and Taylor streets. Hon. John E. Ward, ex-Minis- ter to China, was another distinguished guest. Though a native of Georgia, he was then a resident of New York .*

In 1796 the Chatham Hussars came into existence. Twenty years later this company united with the Light Dragoons to form the Georgia Hussars under Capt. John MacPherson Berrien. The company claims to be the oldest organization of cavalry in the United States and boasts an unbroken lineal descent from a company of Rangers organized by General Oglethorpe in 1733. On the basis of this contention, the company was allowed by the Federal Government to retain its distinctive uniform notwithstanding the law of 1793 under which organiza- tions belonging to the Federal Guard, if organized subse- quent to 1796, were required to adopt the regulation uni- forms. At the beginning of the Civil War, the company went to the front and served throughout the struggle in the army of Northern Virginia. When the commandant, Capt. J. F. Waring, was made Colonel of the Jeff Davis Legion, Lieutenant David Waldhauer was chosen to fill his place. At the same time Lieutenant W. W. Gordon was made a Captain on General Mercer's staff. The second division, known as company B., was organized during the first year of the war under Capt. W. H. Wiltberger.

Georgia's oldest infantry corps dates back to 1802, when the Savannah Volunteer Guards were organized under the command of Capt. John Cumming, M. D. His successors in office down to the outbreak of the Civil War included Edward F. Tattnall, Joseph W. Jackson, Cosmo P. Richardsone, M. D., James P. Screven and John F

* Condensed from The History of the Chatham Artillery by Charles C. Jones, Jr., and from Historic and Picturesque Savannah by Adelaide Wilson.

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Screven. The latter was in command when the company participated in the seizure of Fort Pulaski. Early in the struggle Captain John Screven was advanced to the rank of Major and Capt. W. S. Basinger succeeded him to be in turn promoted. The second division known as com- pany B. was organized in 1861 under Capt. George W. Stiles. The armory of the Savannah Volunteer Guards was used by General Sherman as a guardhouse during the Federal occupation of the city, and through careless- ness was destroyed by fire. However, in the course of time, the personal activities of Lieutenant-Colonel Wil- liam Garrard were successful in obtaining from the State of Georgia the old arsenal which was handsomely reno- vated. This in turn fell a prey to the flames, after which the present handsome armory on Bull street, at the corner of Charlton, was erected. Since the Civil War the corps has been a battilion consisting of four companies. In 1900 to preserve its autonomy it joined the artillery branch of the service but retained the right to bear rifles. Dr. John Cumming the founder of the organiza- tion was the first president of the Hibernian Society and one of the leading financiers of the city of Savannah. He was lost at sea, on the ill-fated steamer, "Pulaski," off the coast of Hatteras, in 1836.

Fort Pulaski: Its Seizure on the Eve of Secession. Volume II.

Fort Jackson. On the passage of the ordinance of seces- sion Fort Jackson, a stronghold, situated

about three miles from Savannah, on the south side of the river, and named in honor of General Andrew Jack- son, was seized and occupied by Savannah troops. In like manner, Oglethorpe barracks, near the city limits

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were taken, while Thunderbolt and other exposed points were fortified against the likelihood of attack.

Fort McAllister. On the right bank of the Great Ogeechee River, at a place called Genesis Point, was situated Fort McAllister, a stronghold which figured with conspicuous prominence during the last days of the Civil War. The fortification was an earthwork, con- structed on the outer line of defences to guard the ap- proach to the city of Savannah. It was at one time as- saulted by a fleet of seven Federal gun-boats. But so well was it defended by the brave men who constituted the garrison that, after eight days, the bombardment ceased and the fleet of the enemy withdrew, crippled and defeated. In recognition of this gallant fight, the garri- son was authorized by General Beauregard to inscribe on its flag the victorious date : "March 3, 1863."*

Sherman's March to Nothing further occurred in the the Sea Ends. way of fighting, beyond an occa- sional skirmish, until December 11, 1864, when Sherman's army arrived in front of the line of defences, his force amounting to sixty thousand infan- try, six thousand cavalry, and a full supply of heavy guns. Along the coast was a large fleet of iron-clads and other war vessels, awaiting the establishment of com- munication with the land force, to begin the siege of Savannah. For the city's protection, Lieutenant-General William J. Hardee commanded ten thousand men.

Before there could be a juncture between the military and the naval forces to compel the surrender of Georgia's port of entry, it was first necessary to overcome Fort

* Lawton B. Evans, in History of Georgia for Schools.

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McAllister. At this critical season, Major George W. Anderson was in charge, and he resolved to make one of the pluckiest of fights before yielding an inch of ground to the modern Attila. The fort eventually fell; but, to quote an account of the affair written by the gallant com- mander, "it was never surrendered; it was captured by overwhelming numbers." Special commendation was given to Captain W. B. Clinch, and to other brave sub- ordinate officers.

With the fall of Fort McAllister, the last vestige of hope for the beleaguered city was abandoned. In the presence of an enemy too powerful to be resisted, Gen- eral Hardee saved his army by skillfully withdrawing from the intrenchments which he occupied. He made the passage of the Savannah during the night, over pontoon bridges, and was soon out of reach on South Carolina soil. Arriving in the city, on December 25, 1864, General Sherman wired his famous dispatch to President Lincoln, in which he tendered him the city of Savannah as a Christmas gift*

Hodgson Hall: Where Georgia's One of the chief centers of interest in Savannah is Hodgson Hall, the Heirlooms are Kept. home of the Georgia Historical Society, where some of the rarest documents and manuscripts in existence relating to Geor- gia's history are preserved. The handsome new build- ing faces Forsyth Park at the intersection of Whitaker and Gaston streets. It was erected in 1876 by the lib- erality of two surviving daughters of Gov. Telfair, whose handsome estate was devoted mainly to publie benefac- tions. His daughters were Miss Mary Telfair and Mrs. Margaret Telfair Hodgson. The building was called Hodgson Hall in honor of the latter's husband, Wm. B. Hodgson, one of the most devoted members of the time-

* Lee and Agnew in Historical Record of Savannah; Charles C. Jones, Jr., in Historical Sketch of the Chatham Artillery; Evans,, Wilson, etc.

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honored organization. It was on May 24, 1839 that the Georgia Historical Society was first organized with some twenty-five members representing the culture of Savannah and the pioneer officers were: Hon. John MacPherson Berrien, President; Hon. James M. Wayne, 1st Vice- President; Hon. Wm. B. Bulloch, 2nd Vice-President; J. K. Tefft,* Esq., Corresponding Secretary; Dr. Wm. Bacon Stevens, Recording Secretary; George W. Hunter, Esq., Treasurer ; Henry Kirk Preston, Librarian ; and the following Board of Curators: Wm. Thorne Williams, Charles S. Henry, John C. Nicholl, Wm. Law, Richard D. Arnold, Robert M. Charlton and Mathew Hall McAllister. Never in the history of the State was an enterprise launched by a company of men more illustrious for attain- ment in the varied walks of life, including two United States Senators, a member of the Cabinet, a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, and a distinguished clergyman afterwards Bishop of the State of Pennsylva- nia. The Historical Society was organized for the three- fold purpose of gathering, preserving, and publishing important historical data pertaining to Georgia and in the late fall of 1839 it was legally incorporated. In 1893 the Historical Society made a formal loan of both its rare collection of books and its handsome building to the City of Savannah for public library purposes, while the society itself continued the specific work for which it was designed.

of Art.

Savannah's Palace But Hodgson Hall is not the only monument to the munificence of the Telfair family of Savannah. On March 3, 1886, a century after Governor Telfair's induc-

* Frederika Bremer, who enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Tefft's home in 1850, styles him "the greatest autograph collector in the world." Says the famous Swedish writer: "His collection of autographs is the first which I have ever been able to examine with interest and respect, not because it occupies many folios and could not be fully examined in less than six months, but because a portrait is appended to the handwriting of each distinguished person, usually an excellent copper-plate engraving, together with some letter or interesting document."

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tion into office as Georgia's Chief-Magistrate, the his- toric old Telfair home became the afterwards equally noted Telfair Academy and was at this time formally opened with impressive ceremonies. Miss Mary Telfair, the Governor's last surviving daughter, bequeathed in trust to the Georgia Historical Society at the time of her death, the fine old family homestead, together with her books, pictures and art treasures, to be preserved as a memorial to her distinguished father; and though the will was contested, the bequest stood in law.

Wm. W. Gordon: One of the most beautiful monuments Monument to the in the city of Savannah is the hand- Railway Pioneer. some structure of marble, in Court House square, commemorating the useful life of the great pioneer of railway development in Georgia : William Washington Gordon. He died at the early age of forty-six. But he gave the most lasting impetus to the material upbuilding of his native State and accomplished a work of constructive value which was destined to live after him. As the first president of Georgia's earliest railway enterprise, his genius was initiative. He was not only a pathfinder but a builder of splendid highways. Much of the subsequent history of railroads in Georgia has been only the ultimate out- growth of his pioneer activities; and if Georgia owes much to railroads then her debt of obligation to the man who inaugurated the era of railway enterprise in this State is beyond computation. It was not an unmerited compliment to Mr. Gordon that a county, soon after his death, should have been named in his honor.

The Gordon monument in Savannah is unique. Rest- ing upon a solid pedestal of granite, it consists of four handsome columns of Scotch marble. These enclose at the base an urn of artistic workmanship and support at the top a globe of great weight. The symbolism is beauti-

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Wm. W. Gordon: One of the most beautiful monuments

Monument to the in the city of Savannah is the hand- Railway Pioneer. some structure of marble, in Court House square, commemorating the useful life of the great pioneer of railway development in Georgia : William Washington Gordon. He died at the early age of forty-six. But he gave the most lasting impetus to the material upbuilding of his native State and accomplished a work of constructive value which was destined to live after him. As the first president of Georgia's earliest railway enterprise, his genius was initiative. He was not only a pathfinder but a builder of splendid highways. Much of the subsequent history of railroads in Georgia has been only the ultimate out- growth of his pioneer activities; and if Georgia owes much to railroads then her debt of obligation to the man who inaugurated the era of railway enterprise in this State is beyond computation. It was not an unmerited compliment to Mr. Gordon that a county, soon after his death, should have been named in his honor.

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fully in keeping with the career of usefulness which it thus commemorates. On the east side of the monument is portrayed a trestle over which a locomotive is drawing a train of cars. On the south side, an inscription reads thus :

"William Washington Gordon. Born January 17, 1796. Died March 20, 1842. The Pioneer of Works of Internal Improvement in his native State and the first President of the Central Railroad and Banking Com- pany of Georgia, to which he gave his time, his talents and finally his life."

On the west side is inscribed the following:

"Erected A. D. 1882 by the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia in Honor of a Brave Man, a Faithful and Devoted Officer, and to Preserve his Name in the Grateful Remembrances of his Fellow Citizens. "

Forsyth Park: Con- Within the corporate limits, the federate and Other Monuments. chief pleasure-ground of Savannah is Forsyth Park, named in honor of the distinguished diplomat and statesman, John Forsyth. The principal approach by which the park is reached is Bull street. In fact, the park is simply an expansion of this handsome thoroughfare, which may not inaptly be called the rosary on which are strung the monumental beads of Savannah. Ornamented with plants and flowers, it is quite a beauty spot. There is no lack of foliage; serpentine walks wind in every direction through the umbrageous expanse; fountains here and there vault gaily into the air from hidden springs of crystal, and seats in abundance are provided for the weary pedestrain. On an artificial mound, in the center of the park, stands the Confederate monument, a handsome structure of brown stone, and one of the earliest memorials in Georgia dedicated to the heroes of the Lost Cause. To the north of this handsome pile, is

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a column, perhaps five feet in height, on which rests a marble bust of Major-General Lafayette MeLaws; while to the south is a similar tribute to Brigadier-General Francis S. Bartow. On account of the sub-tropical inten- sity of the sun's heat at times in Savannah, a park in the center of the bustling metropolis is most refreshing. Old Colonial Cemetery has recently been made a park also, nor is the laughter of childhood among the tombs an offence to the memory of the dead.

Chatham's Distin- During the first one hundred years, guished Residents. the history of Georgia and the his- tory of Savannah were almost synonymous; and to enumerate the distinguished resi- dents of Savannah in anything like exhaustive detail would be an endless task equivolent almost to calling the roster of Georgia's illustrious dead since the earliest Colonial times. However it is not a difficult matter to find a name with which to head the list; for in the affec- tions of this State there will never be a rival to the true English gentleman in whose great soul the Colony of Georgia originated-James Edward Oglethorpe.

In close touch with the illustrious founder of the Province stands a group including: Jonathan Bryan, Noble Jones, John Milledge, James Habersham and a host of others.

John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism -though at this time ministers of the Established Church -here began to preach the doctrines which afterwards made them famous throughout Christendom; and here the great Whitefield founded Bethesda.

From the establishment of the Colony until the time of the Revolution, Savannah was the seat of govern- ment; and, during this time Georgia's Chief-Magistrates

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were as follows: James Oglethorpe, William Stephens and Henry Parker, Governors of the Colony; John Reynolds, Henry Ellis and Sir James Wright, Governors of the Province; James Habersham, who was Governor ad interim while Sir James Wright was absent in Eng- land, on the eve of the Revolution; Archibald Bulloch and Button Gwinnett, Presidents of the Executive-Coun- cil, or Provisional Governors; and John A. Treutlen, the first Governor of the State, under the Constitution.

Since Georgia has been a Commonwealth, the office of Chief Magistrate has been occupied by the following distinguished citizens of Savannah : John Houstoun, John Wereat, George Walton, Richard Howley, John Martin, George Handley, Lyman Hall, Saumel Elbert, James Jackson, Josiah Tattnall, John Milledge, David B. Mit- chell and George M. Troup.

Altogether Savannah has given the State twenty- three Governors-Colonial, Provincial, Provisional and Constitutional.

Richard Howley and Lyman Hall came to Savannah after the Revolution.

Twenty-four counties of Georgia bear the names of distinguished residents of Chatham: Abraham Baldwin, Francis S. Bartow, John MacPherson Berrien, Jonathan Bryan, Archibald Bulloch, Robert M. Charlton, Duncan L. Clinch, Samuel Elbert, William W. Gordon, Nathanael Greene, Button Gwinnett, Joseph Habersham, Charles Harris, John Houstoun, James Jackson, James Jones, David B. Mitchell, James Edward Oglethorpe, Josiah Tattnall, Edward Telfair, George M. Troup, George Walton, Anthony Wayne, and George Whitefield.

If Pulaski and Jasper, both of whom were killed at the siege of Savannah, be added to this list the number is increased to twenty-six.

Subsequent to the Revolution tlie McIntosh and Sereven families became identified with Savannah. Some of the famous exploits of Colonel John White occurred in this neighborhood; and Sergeant Newton was associa-

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ted with Jasper in the celebrated capture of British officers which was made at Jasper Spring near Savan- nah. These will add four more.

James Habersham, who accompanied Whitefield to Georgia, in 1736, established the first commercial house in Savannah. He succeeded Whitefield in the care of the orphanage at Bethesda, became President of the King's Council, and acted as Governor. His devotion to the Crown never once wavered, despite the turbulent charac- ter of the times. He died in New Jersey, on the eve of the Revolution; but was a stout loyalist to the last. His sons, however, were fiery Whigs.

Jonathan Bryan was Georgia's first political martyr. Though a man of large means and a member of the King's Council, he identified himself with the patriotic cause from the start, and in consequence of his devotion to liberty was deposed from office. The name of this sturdy old patriot is associated with the earliest events of Georgia's history ; for he met Oglethorpe at Beaufort, S. C. and accompanied him to Savannah, where he helped to plant the settlement. He afterwards established his country seat at Brampton, on the Savannah River, and a part of this handsome old estate is today included within the city limits of Savannah.

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Georgia's landmarks, memorials and legends, Volume I, Part 29

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933 Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1148