Wormsloe State Historic Site

Wormsloe State Historic Site A breathtaking avenue sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe. of Natural Resources.

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MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 20TH 1776GEORGIA BREAKS THE STALEMATE IN PHILADELPHIAThe morning of May 20, 1776, brought a heav...
05/20/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 20TH 1776
GEORGIA BREAKS THE STALEMATE IN PHILADELPHIA

The morning of May 20, 1776, brought a heavy, unrelenting rain to Philadelphia, but inside the Pennsylvania State House, the atmosphere was charged with a different kind of storm. For Dr. Lyman Hall, walking into the chamber that Monday morning was a moment of profound vindication.

For months, Hall had sat in the Second Continental Congress in a state of political limbo. He had been sent to Philadelphia early on to represent only the radical citizens of St. John’s Parish, rather than the colony of Georgia as a whole. He had been a delegate with a voice, but without the full weight of his province behind him.

This morning, everything changed. Standing alongside Button Gwinnett, Hall presented the official credentials issued by the Provincial Congress of Georgia. The document did not merely recognize them as official representatives of the entire colony, it granted them what John Adams would admiringly call "unlimited powers."

While delegates from the middle colonies remained paralyzed by cautious instructions from home to avoid any talk of separation, Hall and Gwinnett were now entirely unshackled.

As Hall took his official seat, he could feel the immediate shift in the room's political gravity. By bringing Georgia fully into the fold, he and Gwinnett had helped solidify a unified southern bloc. They had effectively broken the long-standing congressional stalemate, aligning the South perfectly with the revolutionary fervor of New England.

Looking around the chamber, Hall could see the immediate reactions to their arrival. To one side, John Adams was already preparing letters celebrating the event, noting that independence was now "rolling in like a torrent." On the other side of the room, anxious moderate delegates like Maryland's Thomas Stone would later write that the arrival of the empowered Georgians meant the "dye was cast" and the chance for reconciliation with the Crown was officially dead.

For Lyman Hall, the rainy May morning was the culmination of a lonely, uphill diplomatic battle. He was no longer just an observer from a fractured frontier parish, he was now the fully authorized representative of a unified colony, stepping into the current of history that would lead him, just months later, to sign his name to the Declaration of Independence.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 18THTHE BIO OF JOHN BAKERThis is the story of Colonel John Baker, a man whose name you might not...
05/18/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 18TH
THE BIO OF JOHN BAKER

This is the story of Colonel John Baker, a man whose name you might not know, but whose fierce unyielding devotion helped shape the very ground we walk on today.

Behind the military title was a man of intense conviction, a dedicated father, and a resilient leader who refused to break, even when the tides of war turned completely against him.

John Baker was a husband to Mary Jones and a father to six children. Living on the edge of the volatile southern frontier meant that family life was anything but peaceful. With British and Loyalist raiders constantly targeting the coastal settlements, Mary and the children faced the terrifying reality of sudden evacuations, forced to flee into the woods at a moment's notice.

For Baker, defending his neighbors and protecting his household wasn't just a duty, it was the driving force behind his willingness to repeatedly take the field.

Baker was never a cautious moderate. From the earliest days, he threw his social and physical safety entirely behind the radical Whig cause. He balanced the commanding presence of a wealthy planter with the resilience required to survive on a war-torn border.

When his military operations ended in absolute disaster, Baker didn't retreat to nurse his wounds. He possessed perseverance, continually stepping back into command to reorganize broken militia forces and shield the Georgia coast.

Baker was an avid horseman who specialized in breeding and training quality mounts. This passion directly fueled his service, as he raised, financed, and commanded the volunteer cavalry units known as the Georgia Light Horse.

When the fighting finally ceased, Baker shifted from wartime defense to reconstruction. He returned to Spring Plantation. Like most planters of his era, his agricultural success and status were built upon the labor of enslaved individuals.

In his quiet years, Baker served as a revered elder statesman in the Georgia House of Representatives, helping draft foundational laws before his passing in June 1792.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 17TH, 1777THE BATTLE OF THOMAS CREEKLieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown’s scouts, a mix of Loyalist ...
05/17/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 17TH, 1777
THE BATTLE OF THOMAS CREEK

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown’s scouts, a mix of Loyalist Rangers and Creek warriors, had been tracking Colonel John Baker’s horse militia for days. Hoping to gather intelligence, Brown sent a small detachment of fifteen Indians to slip into the American camp under the cover of night to steal Baker's horses.

But, Baker’s guards were alert and the Americans gave chase. In the chaotic shootout that followed, a prominent warrior from the Chiaha town of the Creek Nation was killed.

The retreat turned bitter when the Americans reportedly mutilated the fallen warrior's body. In Creek culture, the desecration of a soldier's body was a violation that demanded atali, a blood oath of revenge. This personal loss completely transformed the British-allied forces. When Governor Patrick Tonyn later wrote his official report, he noted that this specific event "greatly exasperated the Savages," setting a dark tone for the main battle.

When Colonel Baker moved his men west to wait for Commodore Bowen’s Navy, he chose a position along the banks of Thomas Creek, believing the dense wetlands would protect his flank. He did not realize that Thomas Brown’s scouts had already mapped his exact position and had set the classic “hammer and anvil” trap.

At 9:00 AM Brown’s men unleashed their surprise attack, a deafening volley of gunfire from the front and side. The American militia riders instinctively pulled on their reins, spinning their panicked horses around to retreat the way they came.

This was exactly what Prevost anticipated. By turning back, the disorganized militia rode directly into the bayonets of the three British regular columns closing in from the rear. The Americans were squeezed between the "anvil" of Brown's hidden line and the oncoming "hammer" of Prevost's regular infantry.

Panicked men abandoned the fight entirely, throwing themselves off their mounts to flee into the deep Florida swamps. The desperation was so high that one fleeing soldier even stole Colonel Baker’s horse, forcing the commander to wade into the treacherous wetlands on foot to survive.

Eight Americans were killed in the skirmish with over 30 Americans taken prisoner, many of whom would be subjected to the Creek warriors right to atali. Driven by the loss of the Chiaha warrior, they executed over half of the American captives.

MONUMENTAL MOMETNS: MAY 16, 1777THE FATAL RIVALRY OF GWINNET AND MCINTOSHOn this anniversary of one of Georgia’s most in...
05/16/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMETNS: MAY 16, 1777
THE FATAL RIVALRY OF GWINNET AND MCINTOSH
On this anniversary of one of Georgia’s most infamous encounters, we look back at the morning of May 16, 1777, when political rivalry turned fatal just outside the Savannah town limits.

At sunrise, two of Georgia’s most powerful leaders, Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Lachlan McIntosh, a high-ranking Continental officer, met at Sir James Wright’s pasture.

Standing only 12 feet apart, both men fired simultaneously. Both were struck in the thigh. While McIntosh would eventually recover, Gwinnett’s wound turned gangrenous, leading to his death just three days later.

The shot heard 'round Savannah was the result of months of escalating tension. As acting President of Georgia, Gwinnett had arrested McIntosh’s brother on suspicion of treason, a move McIntosh saw as a personal vendetta.

After Gwinnett bypassed McIntosh to lead a disastrous expedition into British Florida, the two traded public blame for the defeat. The Breaking Point came during a meeting of the Georgia Assembly, McIntosh called Gwinnett a "scoundrel and a lying rascal." Under the code duello of the 18th century, Gwinnett felt his honor left him no choice but to issue a formal challenge.

This duel didn't just end a life, it nearly derailed the Revolutionary movement in Georgia. The loss of a signer and the temporary exile of a General left the young state’s leadership in a fragile position during the height of the war.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 13TH 1780PRISONERS OF WARBy May 13, the reality of occupation had fully set in for the soldiers ...
05/13/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 13TH 1780
PRISONERS OF WAR

By May 13, the reality of occupation had fully set in for the soldiers of the Georgia Line and the families who had sought refuge within the city walls of Charleston.
The ceremony of surrender began at 11:00 AM on May 12th as the gates of the Hornwork at Marion Square swung open. Under the watchful eyes of British Regulars and Hessian Jägers, nearly 5,500 men filed out to ground their arms.

Because the "Honors of War" had been denied, the Continental troops were forced to march with their colors cased and furled in black leather. The spoils collected by the British were staggering, representing the total disarming of the Southern department:
• Over 5,000 muskets
• 391 pieces of ordnance
• Over 33,000 rounds
• 8,000 pounds of black powder

By the morning of the 13th, the British began the grim task of processing their prisoners. The Enlisted Men, approximately 2,500 Continental soldiers were marched toward the Cooper River. They were crowded onto disease-ridden prison ships, where nearly a third of them would eventually perish from smallpox and yellow fever.

The Officers and Exiles, including Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh and Colonel Samuel Elbert were spared the ships due to their rank. Instead, they were required to sign Parole of Honor documents. Noble Wymberly Jones and his fourteen-year-old son, George, were among the Georgia exiles forced to sign documents of parole as well.

Fourteen-year-old George was no longer a mere observer of the war; by signing his parole, he became a legally bound prisoner of the Crown. While this status protected him from the horrors of the prison ships for a time, it also placed him on a British ledger of "dangerous rebels," a list that would lead to his eventual arrest and incarceration.

As the British Union Jack flew over the city for its first full day, the men of the Georgia, along with their Continental and Militia brethren, began their long journey as prisoners of war, their flags furled and their future uncertain.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 11TH 1780HONORS OF WAR For the soldiers of the Georgia Line, May 11th 1780 was defined not by th...
05/12/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 11TH 1780
HONORS OF WAR

For the soldiers of the Georgia Line, May 11th 1780 was defined not by the sound of cannons, but by the agonizing stillness of a diplomatic stalemate.

Flags of truce passed steadily between the lines, crossing the narrow no-man's-land that separated the British third parallel from the American hornwork. General Benjamin Lincoln was no longer negotiating for the city, that was already lost, but for the honors of war.

He sought the right for his Continentals to march out with colors flying and drums beating a defiant American tune, a traditional mark of respect for a brave but defeated garrison.

Sir Henry Clinton, however, remained cold and unyielding. Embittered by the Americans' long resistance, he issued a calculated insult, he denied the honors. Clinton demanded the Americans march out with their colors cased and their drums playing a British or Turkish march, a formal military sign of a disgraced foe.

Inside the city, Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh sat in a somber council of officers. The civilian authorities, haunted by the memory of the falling "meteors," pleaded with the military to yield rather than face another night of fire.

McIntosh could see from the ramparts that the British saps had reached the very edge of the American canal at Marion Square. There was no ground left to retreat to, and no time left to bargain.

By late afternoon, the decision was finalized. To save the city from total destruction, the Americans would accept the humiliation. On this night, two centuries ago, the men of the Georgia Line sat in the shadows of their works, furling the flags they had carried since the fall of Savannah, preparing for the heartbreak of the following morning's surrender.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 10TH 1780THE FLAG OF TRUCEBy the morning of May 10, 1780, the atmospheric tension in Charleston ...
05/10/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 10TH 1780
THE FLAG OF TRUCE
By the morning of May 10, 1780, the atmospheric tension in Charleston had shifted from the terror of bombardment to the heavy silence of the inevitable. The "Night of Meteors" had left the city scarred and smoking. From his position with the Continental command, Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh looked out upon a landscape transformed by the brutal geometry of siege warfare.

The previous night had been a scene of unparalleled fury. British batteries positioned on Hampstead Hill had maintained a relentless cannonade, launching 469 rounds of solid shot and 345 explosive shells into the American works and the city streets. McIntosh recorded that the barrage had caused significant damage to houses and claimed the lives of several women and children.

At the center of the American defense stood the Hornwork, located at what is now Marion Square. By daybreak, it was clear that the British parallels, those methodical trenches, had reached a point of total dominance. The British were now so close that further resistance offered no tactical advantage, only the certainty of more fire.

General Benjamin Lincoln convened a council of officers early that morning to face the reality of their position. McIntosh, ever the pragmatic soldier of the Georgia Line, was the first to speak in favor of an immediate surrender. He argued that the army was "penned up" and entirely cut off from resources. To delay, in his view, was to uselessly sacrifice the lives of his men and the remaining residents of the city.
The council agreed. A flag of truce was sent to Sir Henry Clinton to negotiate the final terms. For the men of the Georgia Line and the Charleston defenders, May 10th was the day the realization took hold, the wealthiest city in the South was lost, and the largest American army of the southern theater was about to become prisoners.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 9TH 1780THE NIGHT OF METEORSAfter the stalemate at Monmouth, Britain pivoted south, betting the ...
05/09/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 9TH 1780
THE NIGHT OF METEORS
After the stalemate at Monmouth, Britain pivoted south, betting the Crown’s future on a supposedly loyalist backcountry. Georgia’s delegates had shouted the warning, Savannah was the perfect gateway, a strategic point between the Caribbean and the Carolinas. But the Continental Congress, broke and exhausted, left the back door wide open.

In December 1778, Archibald Campbell’s 3,100 troops smashed into Savannah. The survivors, the remnants of a government in exile, fled toward Charleston, watching as their predictions of a Southern domino effect began to manifest. By 1780, the British turned their sights on Charleston, the wealthiest jewel in the American colonies.

The city’s geography was a double-edged sword; a peninsula nestled between the Ashley and Cooper rivers that could either be a fortress or a cage. Sir Henry Clinton ensured it was the latter. He arrived with a massive force of 8,700, a multinational expeditionary force of British Regulars, Hessian mercenaries, and Loyalists, supported by a hundred-ship blockade, including 5 ships of the line.

As the Royal Navy choked the harbor, the British army began the sapping process, digging methodical parallel trenches that inched closer every hour. Trapped behind the Hornwork at Marion Square, General Benjamin Lincoln and the weary Georgia Line waited for a relief force that would never come.

On May 9th 1780, the "Night of Meteors," the sky finally fell.
In the darkness, over 200 heavy artillery pieces and mortars opened fire simultaneously. The bombardment was not merely a barrage of iron, it was a psychological terror campaign designed to burn the city into submission.

General William Moultrie, watching from the American lines, described the sky as:
"...a glorious sight, to see them like meteors crossing each other, and bursting in the air; it appeared as if the stars were tumbling down."

While the sight was awe-inspiring, the reality was horrific. The British began firing hot shot cannonballs heated in furnaces until they glowed, specifically aimed at the wooden rooftops of the wealthy historic district.

As the meteors rained down, ammunition chests and temporary magazines within the city began to explode, the concussions shaking the very ground of Marion Square.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 3CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 3: IRAQ AND APHGANISTANThe history of the 118th Fi...
05/03/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 3
CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 3: IRAQ AND APHGANISTAN

The history of the 118th Field Artillery Regiment is a testament to the versatility of the volunteer soldier. Since the turn of the 21st century, the unit has undergone significant transformations, adapting its mission to meet the demands of modern warfare and global security while maintaining its deep-rooted commitment to the state of Georgia.

In 2005, the regiment deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operating initially out of Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, the unit provided critical fire support for infantry operations against insurgent forces. As the operational landscape shifted, the 118th demonstrated its flexibility by transitioning to convoy security. In this role, the unit became a lifeline for coalition forces, protecting vital supply chains from the constant threats of ambushes and improvised explosive devices.

The regiment’s global reach expanded in 2009 and 2018 with deployments to Afghanistan. These missions focused on the critical task of training and mentoring the Afghan National Army and Police Force. Parallel to these security efforts, the unit participated in Operation Outreach, a humanitarian initiative that delivered thousands of blankets and essential aid to local Afghan villages, bridging the gap between military presence and community support.

The years 2023 and 2024 marked a pivotal shift in the unit’s technical focus. Returning to Iraq, the regiment moved beyond traditional field artillery. Instead of firing Howitzers, the soldiers manned sophisticated systems to defend the skies against emerging threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles and su***de drones. Their performance under the immense pressure of this new high-tech frontier was exceptional. For their technical proficiency and bravery, the unit was awarded the Milton A. Reckord Trophy, a distinction reserved for the most outstanding National Guard units in the United States.

While the unit’s federal mission has taken it across the globe, its importance to the Georgia coastline remains unwavering. Operating under the historic designation of the Chatham Artillery, these soldiers serve a vital humanitarian role at home. When hurricanes and severe weather threaten the region, the artillerists mobilize to conduct search and rescue operations, clear wreckage, and restore stability to communities in crisis.

Today, the 118th Field Artillery Regiment stands as a sophisticated force that blends cutting-edge technology with a profound reverence for its historical past. Whether standing guard in a foreign theater or providing aid during a state emergency, the regiment continues to prove that while the methods of defense may change, the heart of the volunteer soldier remains constant.

Wormsloe State Historic Site thanks the men and women of the 118th for their enduring service to our community and our country.

In case you were wondering I intentionally did not mention Chatham Artillery Punch as its the least interesting thing about this unit. If you are unfamiliar with this local concoction, it's basically every kind of liquor available to modern man, mixed together, with a fine mist of tea sprayed over the top.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 2ND CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 2: WORLD WARSAs the decades unfolded, the Chath...
05/02/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 2ND
CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 2: WORLD WARS

As the decades unfolded, the Chatham Artillery stood firm through the trials that defined the American experience. They were first called into federal service and manned the coastal batteries during the War of 1812 to ward off the British Navy.

When the world was plunged into the global conflicts of the 20th century, the unit transitioned into the modern era as part of the Georgia National Guard, trading horse-drawn carriages for machine power while maintaining the same spirit that drove their 18th-century predecessors.

Following the National Defense Act of 1916 the Chatham Artillery was reorganized as 118th Field Artillery, part of the legendary 30th Infantry Division. That same year the unit was sent to help Guard the Mexican border against raids led by Pancho Villa, the famous Mexican Revolutionary. A few months later they began to training in preparation for deployment as American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

During WWII they landed on Omaha Beach just after D-day. The 118th didn’t waste a second, they immediately set to their mission spearheading Operation Cobra, the attack that broke the German lines in Normandy.

In August 1944 the Germans launched a surprise night attack and surrounded 700 American Soldiers on top of Hill 314, in Normandy. Positioned about 10 miles away the 118th rained a “ring of fire” down on the Germans with their Howitzers. Every time a German tried to climb the slopes, the 118th crushed them.

The Americans trapped on the hill began to run out of supplies, so the 118th took their “propaganda shells,” meant to shoot leaflets, emptied their contents and packed them with invaluable medical supplies. A few months later the unit fought in the Battle of the Bulge, rushing back into Belgium the 118th held the line in freezing conditions. By the time the Bulge was over, the unit had fired 20,000 rounds in 6 days. They say that their guns hissed and literally glowed red in the falling snow.

For their exemplary actions at the Battle of Mortain, the unit received the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award that can be given to a unit. The Belgian government awarded them the Belgian Fourragere, a special braided cord for bravery in liberating Belgium and holding the line at the Battle of the Bulge. This bright cord that loops around the shoulder is still worn on their dress uniform in remembrance and is one of only a few foreign awards U.S. soldiers are permitted to wear.

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 1, 1786THE CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 1 OF 3HAPPY 240TH BIRTHDAY!Today we hono...
05/01/2026

MONUMENTAL MOMENTS: MAY 1, 1786
THE CHATHAM ARTILLERY/118TH FIELD ARTILLERY PART 1 OF 3

HAPPY 240TH BIRTHDAY!

Today we honor generations of brave souls who have answered the call to protect our homes and uphold our shared liberties. Among the most storied of these guardians is a unit whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of Savannah, the Chatham Artillery.

Though many of its founding members were seasoned veterans of the struggle for independence, the unit officially took its place in history on May 1, 1786. Organized under the leadership of Edward Lloyd, a man who had already sacrificed his arm in the defense of the city during the Siege of Savannah.

After the Revolution ended the United States did not maintain a large army. Militias raised from local volunteers were organized to protect against the British return and local conflicts that might arise.

On June 19th , 1786 Savannah lost one of its most beloved heroes, General Nathanael Greene. He was laid to rest the following day in the Colonial Park Cemetery. The first official act of the Chatham artillery was to provide military honors as tribute to the late General. The unit led the funeral procession to the gravesite and fired a thirteen-gun salute for this beloved national hero (today Greene is laid to rest beneath his monument in Johnson Square).

In 1791, Washington arrived in Savannah during his Southern Tour and was so moved by the precision and dedication of these volunteer soldiers that he sought to leave them a lasting mark of his respect. He gifted the unit two six-pounder bronze cannons, known ever since as the Washington Guns. These cannons were trophies of the Revolution, having been captured from the British at Yorktown. Today, these bronze icons remain under the unit's guard, standing in silent vigil as a living echo of the birth of a nation. While they no longer roar in salute, their presence on Bay Street in the heart of the city serves as a permanent, hallowed connection to our founding era.

Over the next few days we will follow these Guardsman through centuries of war and conflict.

PART 2 - WORLD WARS
PART THREE - IRAQ AND APHGANISTAN

Address

7601 Skidaway Road
Savannah, GA
31406

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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+19123533023

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