Georgia’s Confiscated Tory Estates
The end of the Revolutionary War. In 1782, over one hundred Georgians purchased the confiscated land once belonging to the Tories. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Tories left from different locations, mainly to the Lawrence River in Canada and Quebec. It is reasonable to assume that some Tory families sailed to Barbados in the West Indies. […]
The Capture of Savannah by the British
On December 29, 1778, the British army attacked Savannah under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and held the city until the war’s end on September 3, 1783. General Anthony Wayne’s army was to clear the countryside and keep the British bottled up within the city. At the same time, Georgia and South Carolina militia companies attacked […]
Fort Frederica, a Ghost Town
Fort Frederica, A Ghost Town The Decline of Fort Frederica: When General Oglethorpe removed his regiments to England in 1742, the settlers began moving to other parts of Georgia, marking the beginning of the end for the once-thriving settlement. The lovely tabby homes made from oyster shells, sand, lime, and water and larger homes constructed […]
Fort Frederica and the Battle of Bloody Marsh
The Battle of Bloody Marsh occurred two years after General Oglethorpe’s failed attack on St. Augustine, Florida. Today, the famous fortress, Castillo de San Marcos, bears the failed ammunition impressions upon its cement walls. The attack was part of Great Britain’s war with Spain, known as “the War of Jenkin’s Ear.” While in Florida, Oglethorpe […]
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Ann Harris, Widow, Managed a Store with a Small Infant after the death of her husband at Fort Frederica
A marker of the store reveals the struggles of a widow and her baby, left to do the work of a man.Her husband, William Harris, was born in 1720 in England and died after 1742 at Fort Frederica on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. The couple came to Georgia in one of Oglethorpe’s early voyages. In […]
The Tragic Romance of John Wesley
Mrs. Wesley had seven sons. They were all in the ministry except for the two youngest boys, John and Charles. When James Edward Oglethorpe visited Mrs. Wesley in Epworth, England, to deliver a minister to the new colony of Georgia, she was all too anxious. So were John and Charles. On their voyage across the […]
Thomas Causton Blazed a Trail of Scandals
During one of the first voyages to the Georgia Colony, Thomas Causton was appointed the Chief Magistrate of Savannah. His office included overseeing the affairs of the colonists, such as administering estates. However, his actions had a profound impact, as he was accused of retaining personal items of the estates for himself. Over time, his […]
The Struggle for Georgia Lands by Indian Interpreter, Mary Musgrove
Mary Musgrove acted as an interpreter for James Edward Oglethorpe. Genealogists have traced Mary’s lineage to being the daughter of Edward Griffin, an English trader in Charleston, South Carolina, and a Muscogee Creek Indian. In my research, I have found that this type of union was frequent among English traders and Indian squaws. When Mary […]
Tomochichi: The Role Played by Yamacraw Indians in the Settlement of Savannah
Tomochichi, the leader of the Yamacraw Indians, could not speak English. His interpreter was Mary Musgrove, whose husband was a trader among white settlers and had learned the language in South Carolina. Charleston, founded about 1640, undoubtedly produced white traders amongst the Indians. The Yamacraws had some knowledge of the English language. One might reflect […]