Fort King George
State Historic Site
GA.
N200.P2 Sl K5 2014/Mar.
The Oldest English Fort on Georgia's Coast _.
Fort King George
State Historic Site-
The Lower Bluff
This bluff is one of the most historic on the Georgia Coast. It has seen a great deal of human activity over the centuries.
The Guale Indians occupied this bluff before Europeans arrived in the late 1500s. They were an agricultural people who planted crops of pole bean and squash. They lived in wattle and daub round structures and, like many other tribes found throughout the Southeast, spoke a Muskogee language.
In the 1570s, the Spanish arrived and set up a mission among the Guale at this site. The Spanish aimed to Christianize the natives and to teach them European customs and agriculture. This mission system operated until 1661 when it was destroyed and burned by the Westo Indians, allies to the British. A few years later, in 1670, the British colonized Carolina Over the next few decades the feud intensified among the British and the Spanish over which nation held a just claim to the area between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, a territory that came to be called "The Debatable Land."
In July of 1721, Colonel John Barnwell brought a group of scouts and slaves to this site to build Fort King George. Initially he aimed to curb potential French expansion into the Altamaha, as it appeared they were encroaching eastward from their base in Louisiana. Barnwell's ultimate aim was to promote eventual British settlement into the area thus expanding the colony's southern borders from the Savannah River to the Altamaha River. As the fort developed, the Spanish became the main adversary and presented heated protests to the British over Fort King George's existence.
The fort was garrisoned by an invalid regiment known as His Majesty's Independent Company of South Carolina. The ensuing years brought many hardships to the fort including disease, malnutrition, heat, enemy threats, and a destructive fire in 1725. In all, 140 soldiers and officers died, including Colonel Barnwell. Not a single death was the result of a battle wound. The fort was abandoned in 1727, however not before it had established British dominion in the land that was to become Georgia in 1733.
In 1736, General James Oglethorpe brought over 177 Scottish Highlanders by this bluff to settle the town of Darien one mile west of here. These Scots went on to build a thriving port city over the next few decades. They were also instrumental in defeating the Spanish at the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. Simons Island in July of 1742. ' One of the greatest contributions of these Scots was their development of a lumber industry here. By the late eighteenth century, second generation Scots had established a tidal powered sawmill at this site.
North Branch of the Altamaha River - In the colonial period, controlling
an area's river systems was para~ount in building an empire. The Altamaha River and its tributaries, the Oconee and _Ocmulgee, make up the third largest river .system east of the Mississippi , flowing far north near modern day Atlanta. The only navigable portion inland during this
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time period was the north br~nch of the Altamaha Delta. By putting Fort King George along this branch, Colonel John Barnwell believed he could close off enemy access up-river. Therefore, Great Britain could control the entire territory the river flowed through , as well as a vast swath of land , trade paths, and resources.
Exterior Features - These were
designed to make the fort as impenetrable as possible. They consist of a moat, a palisade fence, earthworks covered by fascines to prevent erosion , firing walls , and firing steps.
Loading and Firing Steps -
In the event of battle, soldiers would stand to and load their muskets on the lower step. The firing wall shielded them from incoming rounds. When ordered , they would about face and present arms, thus stepping up to the firing step to fire their volleys over the wall down-range at the enemy.
Blockhouse -This was the main
defense structure. The men could fight from the second and third flo.ors by firing cannons through gun ports and muskets
0 The Guardhouse -The soldiers rotated sentry duty. When on duty, the sentries were required to stay in this building .
0 Enlisted Soldiers' Barracks -This building was designed to accommodate the fort's garrison of one hundred soldiers. Dirt floors were typical in the colonies.
0 House of Office - Situated along the river to be flushed by tides twice each day, this building served as the privy or outhouse.
0 Indigenous Huts -These pole sheds with bark siding were initially temporary housing for the scouts, sawyers, and slaves who helped build the fort during the summer of 1721. Later they were probably used as storage facilities .
Lf"!tt Blacksmith Shop - Ironware for the
~ fort structures were fashioned in this building.
through loopholes. The first floor housed the fort's powder magazine, weapons, tools, and storage of six months worth of provisions. Notice the overhang of the second floor. Architecturally known as "machicolation," this allowed for loopholes to be cut in the overhang so that soldiers inside could fire downward at enemies trying to scale or approach the walls of this structure. The balcony above the third floor is known as the cat walk. This is where sentries were stationed to alert troops of any suspicious activity in the distance.
Officers' Ba~racks - The fort
originally had eight offi9ers, including
Colonel John Barnwell. By the time of the
fort's evacuation in 1727, all had perished ,
most likely from illness. This structure
served as their lodging.
..
Here, fresh bread was baked weekly. Beer was brewed as well, most likely from molasses, a cheap source of sugar that could be obtained from the Caribbean Islands.
~ Sentry Boxes
~ -A good system
of observation was essential. In addition to the lookout windows atop the blockhouse, four mobile sentry boxes were strategically placed on each corner of the fort.
1!\ Swivel Guns \5I This small cannon
could be swiveled around 360 degrees and fired in any direction. Swivel cannons were usually loaded with grapeshot, metal balls clustered in a sack, and used primarily to guard the gates. Upon firing, the grapeshot would spread out much like rounds 'in a shot gun do.
d \ Cannon Battery- Since the river ' I l l was the most likely approach by an
enemy, the most vulnerable side of the fort was the south-side firing wall.
Guarding the rive,r was paramount to the fort's survival. Therefore, nine cannon emplacements were positioned along the firing wall here. Most were six-pounders that fired six-pound cast iron balls in addition to other types of rounds. However, at least one was a coehorn mortar, small cannons that fired exploding grenades designed to send a deadly shower of debris over enemy heads.
~ The King's Colors- This was
'Iii the national flag of Great Britain .
Incorporating St. George's cross and St. Andrew's Cross, it was officially sanctioned by the Act of Union in 1707 wh ich united England and Scotland into Great Britain.
~ Wattle-&-Daub ~ Building- This
structure, found on the island hammock beh ind the museum , shows how the early colonists used _ ~..- _ _ _ _ _ __, Native American technology to cover their house's framework. It was done by weaving vines1together and covering this "wattle" with a type of mud (daub).
Saw Milling on the Bluff
In 1819, a steam powered gang sawmill was built here on site, thus bringing the Industrial Revolution to Georgia. Throughout the nineteenth century, this mill sawed several million board feet of cypress and yellow pine lumber that was gathered from virgin stands up-river. This industry brought great wealth to the town of Darien. Remnants of this mill can still be seen by the tidal pond in front of the fort.
By the early 1900s, all large reserves of cypress and yellow pine upriver had been depleted. The larger mill was dismantled and converted into the smaller circular sawmill known as the Savannah River Lumber Company. It operated until 1923 when, due to economic problems, it was forced to close.
Fort King George
State Historic Site ~
PO Box 711, Darien, GA 31305 " " ' Phone: 912.437.4770 Fax: 912.437.7606 GeorgiaStateParks.org/FortKingGeorge
LOCATION
Located 3 miles east of 1-95 off Hwy. 251 (Exit 49) Turn right on Hwy 17 and follow the signs to the site.
HOURS 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I Tuesday- Sunday
Closed Monday except for federal holidays. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
Georgia
State Park~ f1 Historic Sites"'J"
Division Headquarters 2600 Highway 155 SW, Suite C Stockbridge, GA 30281 404-656-2770 (TDD 770-389-7404) GeorgiaStateParks.org
Please keep this brochure as a souvenir or return it to the Visitor Center so another guest may use it. Thank you for visiting!
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March 2014 20M I $1838