Gold in Them There Hills! - Gold Mines of the North Georgia Mountains

Panning for Gold in Georgia
USFS Photo

America's first major gold rush took place not in California in 1849, but in Georgia twenty years earlier!
The great Georgia Gold Rush was sparked in 1829 (although some say the actual discovery was made the previous year) when news spread that gold had been found in the mountains about thirty miles north of Gainesville, Georgia. This is in the area of the present-day town of Dahlonega.

Men hoping to "strike it rich" flooded into North Georgia from all over the fledgling United States, much to the chagrin of the Cherokee Indians who owned much of the gold territory. The Cherokee, however, were forced west at bayonet point on the Trail of Tears in 1836-1838 and the entire gold country was opened to the whites once and for all.

Gold Stream in North Georgia

A Congressional report indicates that by the summer of 1829 - even before the forced removal of the Cherokee - as many as 3,000 men were prospecting for gold in the mountains. They primarily used pans or sluices to extract the precious yellow metal from stream and creek beds and the amount the found was impressive. By 1830, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold had been found (in 19th century dollars).

The wealth of the Georgia gold fields led towns such as Dahlonega and Auraria to spring up almost overnight. The U.S. Government even built a branch U.S. Mint in Dahlonega and turned out over $6,000,000 in coins there in just 23 years.

Old Lumpkin County Courthouse
Today's Dahlonega Gold Museum

The gold fever in Georgia was already wavering by 1849 when a new strike in California sent miners flooding west, but gold was still coming out of the hills. In an effort to encourage miners to stick it out and dig deeper, the assayer for the Dahlonega branch mint took to the steps of the old Lumpkin County courthouse, pointed to the surrounding ridges and exclaimed, "There's gold in them there hills!"  The phrase became an important part of American culture.

There was still gold in the hills and millions more would be extracted. People still find it there today, in fact, and the U.S. Forest Service even allows the public to pan for a little of their own in the Chattahoochee National Forest!

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

DeSoto Falls Recreation Area - Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia

DeSoto Falls in Summer

The mountains of North Georgia are known for their scenic vistas, mountain streams and beautiful waterfalls. You can find all three at DeSoto Falls Recreation area in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Actually a series of waterfalls along small streams that feed Frogtown Creek, DeSoto Falls gained their name after what was said to be a piece of Spanish armor was found there during the 1880s. The waterfalls were on the traditional route of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540 and it was logically assumed that the iron had been left behind by the Spanish conquistador.

While modern archaeologists don't put much stock in the claim, they also have never discredited it. In fact, no one really knows where the expedition crossed the mountains. A theory advanced during the 1980s by an anthropologist from the University of Georgia holds that the crossing took place far to the north in North Carolina. Recent archaeological discoveries in South Georgia, however, raise serious questions about his proposed route. Those discoveries have included 16th century Spanish artifacts like those found along known sections of the De Soto route, but far away from the path suggested in the 1980s.

In other words, Hernando de Soto might well have crossed west through Georgia and not hundreds of miles to the north. Or perhaps the crossing was somewhere in between.  No one knows.

The story of the armor aside, DeSoto Falls is an absolutely beautiful place.  Anglers fish for both native and stocked trout in Frogtown Creek as it flows through the recreation area and short hiking trails lead to observation platforms at two of the most picturesque falls.

To learn more about DeSoto Falls, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gadesotofalls.

Fantasy in Lights underway at Callaway Gardens



Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens
Photo Courtesy of Callaway Gardens

The South's premier festival of Christmas lights is now underway at Callaway Gardens.

Fantasy in Lights features more than 8 million lights. That's enough to light up 26,666 six-foot Christmas trees. Stretched end to end, the lights would reach from Callaway Gardens all the way to Baltimore, Maryland (731 miles).

The drive through the extravaganza is seven miles long and can be done either in your own vehicle or on special Jolley Trolleys which feature singing and other holiday fun.

Enchanted Forest Display
Photo Courtesy of Callaway Gardens

Many of the lighting displays are animated and two are operated by Broadway-like control systems. They feature music and quite spectacular light shows with themes that include March of the Toy Soldiers, Magical Christmas Gardens, Firefly Cove, Twelve Days of Christmas, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Santa's Workship and more.

In addition, an impressive 10-minute light show at Robin Lake Beach tells the Nativity Story with orchestrated lights and a moving narration.

The light tours begin and end at Callaway's special Christmas Village, a heated 22,000 square foot area of holiday cheer that offers shopping, food and entertainment.

This year's Fantasy in Lights opened on November 18th and will be open nightly through December 30th. Please click here to view pricing information, etc., for this year's event.

To learn more about Callaway Gardens and Fantasy in Lights, please visit their official website: http://www.callawaygardens.com/gardens/events/winter-fantasy-in-lights.aspx

Other points of interest in the area include:

• Warm Springs, Georgia
• Little White House Historic Site
• Dowdell's Knob
• Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
• Red Oak Covered Bridge

Halloween 2011: Ghost of the St. Simons Lighthouse

St. Simons Lighthouse

One of the most popular landmarks of the Golden Isles of the Georgia coast, the historic St. Simons Lighthouse stands on the waterfront and its light still shines out to warn ships of dangerous waters ahead.

Running the lighthouse was a serious and important job and, if the stories told about the historic old tower are true, at least one former keeper remains determined to keep the light shining....long after he passed from this earth.

Frederick Osborne was the keeper of the St. Simons light in 1880. His job was to keep the beacon operating 24-hours per day, seven days a week. He and his assistant, John Stephens, shared quarters in the adjacent lighthouse keeper's house. Osborne lived on the ground floor, while Stephens lived with his wife on the second floor.

Trouble began when Osborne supposedly spoke to Mrs. Stephens in an "inappropriate" manner. An argument broke out and John Stephens got a gun and shot the keeper. Osborne died from his wounds and Stephens was arrested and charged with murder. A jury, however, acquitted him of all charges after hearing the details of the case.
Since that time, however, a mysterious figure that some say is the ghost of Frederick Osborne has lurked in the darkness of the St. Simons Lighthouse.

Sightings of the ghost have been documented as far back as 1908 and some say they continue to this day! To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons2.

Ghost of Allatoona Pass - A Georgia Ghost Story

Railroad near Allatoona Pass

With October here and Halloween approaching, I thought you might enjoy an interesting little Georgia ghost story. It developed along the railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga in the latter half of the 19th century.
The story first surfaced in 1872, when Georgia newspapers wrote of a mysterious "rider" on trains making their way between Allatoona Pass (near Cartersville) and the crossing at Tilton (near Dalton). Employees on the Western & Atlantic (W&A) Railroad would look back along the tops of the trains and see a strange man sitting up there:

Deep Cut in the 19th Century

...This individual appears suddenly on top of the freight cars, takes a seat and remains there for many miles, then the unknown brakesman disappears. Conductors, seeing him, have often gone out to collect his fare, but on nearing him, he would vanish like mist. - Atlanta Journal, December 1872.

The spectre was often spotted as the train made its way through the "Deep Cut" at Allatoona Pass. Other times he would disappear when then trains reached that point.  This prompted some speculation that he was the ghost of a soldier killed there during the Civil War.

The Deep Cut Today

The "Deep Cut" was the scene of the Battle of Allatoona Pass, fought for control of the vital railroad choke point on October 5, 1864. Confederate forces under General Samuel G. French tried to storm the Union forts built to protect the pass. The Federal troops could not be dislodged, despite a bloody battle that left more than 1,600 men killed, wounded or captured.  The fight inspired the famed Christian hymn, "Hold the Fort."

The connection between the ghost and Allatoona Pass prompted much speculation that he might have been killed there during the battle.

So common did his appearance on the trains become for a time, that a bold engineer decided to get to the bottom of the mystery. To read what happened in his 19th century "Ghostbusting" effort, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoonaghost.

You can read more about the Battle of Allatoona Pass at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoonapass.

Amicalola Falls State Park - Dawsonville, Georgia

Amicalola Falls

One of the most spectacular sights in the nation, the tallest waterfall in the eastern United States plunges down a mountainside at Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville, Georgia.

From top to bottom, the waterfall measures 729 feet and is more than four times the height of Niagra Falls. The name "Amicalola" is thought to be a corruption of the Cherokee word for "tumbling waters." This is appropriate as the fall on Little Amicalola Creek was known to the Cherokee and their ancestors for hundreds if not thousands of years before the first European explorers pushed into their lands.

Amicalola Falls

The earliest known written description of the waterfall was penned by a Georgia surveyor in 1832 who wrote of its stunning beauty, but also noted - as have many modern visitors - that he was "completely exhausted by the time I reached half-way." He saw it before the Cherokee were forcefully removed from the area and marched west at bayonet point on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Their departure opened the area around Amicalola Falls to settlement and by the Civil War there was a small settlement there that included a water-powered mill and a Methodist campground.

The Crane family, owners of the mill, held the land surrounding the waterfall until 1940 when they sold it to the State of Georgia. It is now the centerpiece of Amicalola Falls State Park, a stunning park area that features hiking trails, overlooks, cabins, campgrounds a 56-room lodge and the southern jumping-off point for the Appalachian Trail.

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

Tallulah Gorge & Waterfalls - Tallulah Falls, Georgia

Tallulah Gorge from the North Rim

One of the most spectacular and historic sites in Georgia is the beautiful Tallulah Gorge in the mountains north of Atlanta.
Up to 1,000 feet deep in places, the gorge is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. Roughly two miles long, it has seven waterfalls at the bottom, several of which can be seen from the overlooks along the rim. Trails lead to the bottom from the visitor center at Tallulah Gorge State Park, the entrance to which is off U.S. 441 in Tallulah Falls.

An interesting footnote is that the trail system is named for Helen Dortch Longstreet, wife of Confederate General James Longstreet. She was a pioneer in the effort to preserve the canyon.

One of the more interesting legends surrounding the canyon is that it is haunted by the ghost of a Cherokee warrior. As early as 1876, stories of the apparition appeared in newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Herald:

Waterfall at Tallulah Gorge

...Suddenly I saw a man rise to his feet with a very serious look, presenting his deadly rifle at me. As I turned I shouted, 'take care of yourself, Joe!' I struck a bee line for the hotel. The sharp report of a pistol followed my good legs. I cried, I felt the ball hit; I felt the blood run down my back; but I had no time to tarry. I met Mr. Young in the yard, and after a hearty laugh he told me it was the ghost of the Indian that Bailey had killed, and I was not the first one that flown from there.

Other legends surround the canyon as well and it has a rich history, both natural and cultural. The area was one of the great resorts of the late 19th century, when trains brought visitors up from Atlanta.

If you would like to learn more about Tallulah Gorge, its waterfalls and its history, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tallulah.

Uncovering the Story of Georgia's Camp Lawton Civil War Prison

Stockade at Camp Lawton

Camp Lawton was a Confederate POW camp built in the late summer and early fall of 1864 to relieve the overcrowded Camp Sumter at Andersonville. The site today is part of Magnolia Springs State Park near Millen, Georgia.
Two summers of archaeological work at the site by Georgia Southern University have uncovered a wide array of new information about the short-lived prison camp. It was only used for six weeks before the approach of Sherman's army forced its evacuation, but the prisoners left behind a surprising number of artifacts that tell the story of their time there.

Monument at Camp Lawton Site

These include a unique ring, buckles and other items with military insignia that help identify the locations in the 42-acre stockade where men from various regiments lived, archaeological evidence of their furniture, shanties, cookfires and more. The researchers have also uncovered traces of the stockade itself and related structures.

Earthworks of Confederate Fort

Some of the artifacts are already on display at the museum at Georgia Southern in Statesboro. Key items from this summer's work will be added to the exhibits in October.

At the prison site itself, it is possible to see the area where the stockade stood, the spring that provided water for the prisoners, the well-preserved earthworks of Confederate forts that overlooked the POW camp. Interpretive panels and other signage help explain the significance of the site and its history.

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

Unknown Hero of Allatoona Pass - Bartow County, Georgia

Unknown Hero of Allatoona Pass

Just a few yards from the railroad tracks near the historic "Deep Cut" of Allatoona Pass in North Georgia can be found the simple grave of an unknown Confederate hero.

Usually labeled the Unknown Hero of Allatoona Pass, the soldier buried in the grave is thought to have been a Confederate killed in the battle that took place for control of the vital railroad cut on October 5, 1864. Please click here to learn more about the battle itself.

It took the Union soldiers who manned the forts of the pass nearly three weeks to bury the dead from the battle. Others died from their wounds in the days and weeks that followed and also had to be buried. It was in this process of caring for the dead that the story of the hero - or heroes - of Allatoona Pass developed.

There are, in fact, two graves of unknown heroes at Allatoona Pass. One is unmarked and near the southern entrance to the Deep Cut. The other was the individual originally buried at the north end of the cut, but whose grave was moved in 1950 to its current location by the tracks.

Truth be told, there may be many more than that, as numbers of Confederate soldiers likely rest in unmarked and forgotten graves near the places they fell on the slopes of the ridge. When the Southern forces withdrew from the battle, they left their dead and mortally wounded on the field. Union soldiers then buried them, either singly or in groups, near the spots where they fell. How many might still rest there, no one can really say.

The Solitary Grave by the Tracks

The most logical story behind the grave by the tracks is that the individual buried there fell near the tracks at the northern end of the cut during the 1864 battle and was buried where he was found. In around 1880, the grave was marked with a simple stone. The tracks of the Western & Atlantic Railroad still passed through the cut in those days and employees of the railroad took interest in the solitary grave they saw as their trains passed in and out of the cut. They began to care for the grave of a man they knew only as an unknown hero.

In 1950, the grave was moved from its location just a few feet from the tracks to its current site beyond the other end of the pass. It was enclosed with an ornamental iron fence and marked by a simple railroad sign that says only "Unknown Hero." The other unknown hero, who was found in a coffin on a train that pulled into Allatoona Station after the battle, still rests in his unmarked grave at the pass.

To learn more about this fascinating story and to read one theory as to the true identity of the unknown hero, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoona3.

The Battle of Allatoona Pass - Bartow County, Georgia

Star Fort at Allatoona Pass

Just outside Cartersville, a small parking lot serves as the trailhead for one of the most remarkable historic sites in Georgia - the Allatoona Pass Battlefield.

Developed by the Etowah Valley Historical Society and now maintained by Red Top Mountain State Park, the battlefield is open daily during daylight hours. It preserves the scene of the bloody fight for possession of the "Deep Cut" at Allatoona Pass during the opening days of the Franklin & Nashville Campaign.

Sherman had taken Atlanta after months of marching and fighting on September 2, 1864. Confederate General John Bell Hood, now commanding the Army of Tennesee, decided that instead of continuing to oppose Sherman's larger army around Atlanta he would turn west and then north to invade Tennessee and strike Nashville before Union reinforcements could be moved to the vital city.

Railroad Cut at Allatoona Pass

As the first step in this campaign, he sent General Samuel G. French to seize the Union forts at Allatoona Pass and fill the 175-foot deep railroad cut. French was then to fall back a short distance to the Etowah River and destroy the bridge there, before turning back to reunite with Hood's main army at New Hope Church. Unfortunately for French, Hood gave him only his own 3,276 man division and two days to accomplish this herculean task.

True to his orders, though, French marched immediately on Allatoona. Learning of his movement, General Sherman had messages sent to the post using signal flags waved from a tower on the top of Kennesaw Mountain.  These messages, which urged the Federal troops at Allatoona Pass to hold on until reinforcements could reach them, later inspired the Christian hymn "Hold the Fort."

Infantry Trench at Allatoona Pass

The Battle of Allatoona Pass opened on the morning of October 5, 1864, when French attached the strongly built Union defenses from the north and west. Although he was able to overrun an advanced position, at no point were his hard-fighting men able to break the Federal lines.  They charged the key Star Fort four times over open ground, but could not take the fiercely defended position. 

When the smoke cleared, the Confederate general had sustained higher than 30 percent casualties. The 2,000 or so Union soldiers defending the forts on the high ridge at Allatoona Pass were also badly bloodied. In fact, it would take nearly three weeks to locate and bury all of the dead from both sides.

To learn more about the battle and view a new online tour of the battlefield, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/allatoonapass.

Robert C. Tyler - Last General Killed in the Civil War

In the southwest corner of Pinewood Cemetery in West Point, Georgia, a small plot of ground has been set aside to provide a resting place for Confederate soldiers who died in the town.

Known as the Fort Tyler Cemetery, it notably contains the remains of Southern soldiers who fell in the defense of Fort Tyler on April 16, 1865. It was on that day, one week after General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, that Brigadier General Robert C. Tyler fell in action at the Battle of West Point, Georgia.

He was the last general officer of either side killed in action in the Civil War.

A remarkable individual who grew up in Tennessee and Maryland, Robert C. Tyler was part of William Walker's filibustering expedition to Nicaragua in 1856. He was among the men who returned to New York at the end of that armed incursion as a mere skeleton.

Grave of Gen. Robert C. Tyler

In 1861, then a resident of Memphis, Tyler enlisted as a private in Company D, 15th Tennessee Infantry. He quickly rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanded his regiment at the Battle of Belmont, Missouri, while fighting against the forces of General Ulysses S. Grant.

Tyler fought against Grant's men again at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. He had three horses killed from under him in that battle and was severely wounded. Due to his wounds he served in a staff capacity during Braxton Bragg's Kentucky Campaign, but was back in the field by 1863 when he fought at the brutal battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. He lost a leg in that campaign, but was also credited with heroism on the field.

Fort Tyler in West Point, Georgia

By early 1865, Tyler had been promoted to brigadier general and was commanding the small force posted to defend the Chattahoochee River railroad bridge at West Point, Georgia. When news reached the town that a large Union force was approaching, he assembled what men he could and took up a position in Fort Tyler. The earthwork redoubt overlooked both the bridge and the town, the approaches to which it commanded with its three pieces of artillery.

Local legend in West Point holds that General Tyler was presented with a flag by the ladies of the community prior to the battle. He supposedly remarked that he would stand beneath the flag with honor and either prove victorious or die in the attempt.

Despite the small size of his own force and the overwhelming size of the attacking Federal command, Tyler held out courageously in Fort Tyler. With Union soldiers moving on his defenses from all four sides and the battle clearly lost, Tyler is said to have recklessly exposed himself to enemy fire.

Along with his aide, Captain Celestine Gonzales of Florida, he was shot down in the final moments of the battle. The two men are buried side by side at Fort Tyler Cemetery.

To learn more about Tyler's grave, Fort Tyler and the Battle of West Point, please visit the following:

• Fort Tyler Cemetery
• Fort Tyler in West Point, Georgia
• Battle of West Point, Georgia

Old Governor's Mansion - Milledgeville, Georgia

Old Governor's Mansion

One of the finest examples of Greek revival architecture in the nation, Georgia's historic Old Governor's Mansion has been a landmark of Milledgeville for 175 years.

Built of brick faced with stucco, the magnificent old mansion was designed and constructed in the days when Milledgeville was still the "new" capital of Georgia. The Old Capitol Building stands just up the street and the landscape of the charming historic city is dotted with other reminders of its days as capital of the state.

The home was built in 1836-1839 and first occupied by Governor George Gilmer, who moved in as the mansion was completed in 1839.  Other occupants over the years included Governor (and later Confederate general) Howell Cobb and Georgia's noted Confederate governor, Joseph Brown.

Old Governor's Mansion

A less popular temporary resident - General William Tecumseh Sherman - occupied the house for a night during his infamous March to the Sea. Union troops camped in the yards after their occupation of Milledgeville.

The house remained the home of the state's governor until the Reconstruction era when the post-war legislature voted to relocate the capitol to Atlanta. It later served as a barracks for cadets of what is now the Georgia Military College and as the resident for the president of today's Georgia College and State University.

Now a museum, the Old Governor's Mansion has been beautifully restored. Learn more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gaoldmansion.

St. Stephens Episcopal Church - Milledgeville, Georgia

St. Stephens Episcopal Church

Built in 1843, Milledgeville's historic St. Stephens Episcopal Church is a unique landmark of General William Tecumseh Sherman's devastating March to the Sea.

A prominent feature of Statehouse Square, St. Stephens was built in the days when Milledgeville was still the capital city of Georgia. The church stands almost in the shadow of the state's beautiful Old Capitol building and its walls once sheltered the worship of some of Georgia's most prominent citizens.

Episcopal churches in the South were major centers of secession sentiment during the years leading up to the Civil War. From the highest level down to the parish churches, Episcopalians heard strong messages from their leaders urging them to support Southern independence.

A Survivor of the March to the Sea

For this reason, Northern troops often desecrated Episcopal churches as they marched through the Southern states. This was the case at St. Stephens.

As Sherman's troops marched into Milledgeville on November 11, 1864, they quickly took note of St. Stephens Church. The pews were burned for firewood. The sanctuary was used as a stable for horses. Molasses was even poured down the pipes of the organ. The greatest damage, however, came as the Federals marched out of Savannah to continue their March to the Sea. The Confederate armories were set fire and a massive explosion caused by the combination of fire and munitions rocked Statehouse Square. The roof of the church was demolished by the blast.

Like most other Southern churches, however, St. Stephens Episcopal Church survived the war, rebuilt the roof in a new style, and remains active today.

To learn more about this historic Georgia church, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ststephens.

Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia - A 19th Century Dream is Realized

Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia

When the planners of Savannah's antebellum city expansion conceived the idea of a large public park, the visualized it as a place around which neighborhoods would grow as well as culmination of color and beauty for the city's Bull Street Corridor.

More than 150 years later, their vision has been realized in the form of Forsyth Park. A magnificent 30-acre greenspace created in the years before the Civil War, the park is one of the most magnificent to be found in any city in the world. Its beautiful fountain, which can be seen as you approach along Bull Street from Monterey Square, has flowed since 1858 and is patterned after a similar feature in Paris. Shrouded by beautiful oak trees, it is one of the most photographed spots in the historic city.

Forsyth Park in Savannah

The history of this ground actually began long before the creation of the park by early city planners. General Oglethorpe himself reserved this ground when he created Savannah and its 24 magnificent squares. During the American Revolution, French troops camped here and their siege trenches began in what is now the northern end of the park.

By the time Sherman came in 1864, Forsyth Park was a developing reality. His men also camped here and thankfully spared Savannah from the flames they visited on Atlanta, Columbia and other locations they visited.

Today, Forsyth Park is everything its 19th century planners dreamed and more. A magnificent setting, it is popular with residents and visitors alike. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/forsythpark.

Savannah, Georgia - Capital City of the Coastal Empire

Forsyth Park in Savannah

The stunningly beautiful city of Savannah has been a jewel of the Coastal Empire region of Georgia since 1733.
Founded by General James Oglethorpe when he arrived from England to establish the new colony of Georgia, Savannah was built on the Yamacraw Bluff, the first high ground up from the mouth of the Savannah River. Envisioning a city that would one day rival in beauty any in Europe, Oglethorpe developed a plan for the new settlement to grow around a grid of 24 public squares.

Twenty-two of these squares remain today and offer such beauty and peace in the midst of the busy city that it is hard to imagine why more towns did not follow Savannah's example.

Sidewalk Scene in Savannah

A focal point for the popular guided tours of the city, the Savannah Historic District is one of the most beautiful in the world. Beautifully restored homes surround the squares, which are themselves beautifully landscaped with flowers, ancient oaks, benchs, walkways and monuments. General Nathaniel Greene, a famed patriot of the American Revolution, rests beneath a monument on one of the squares, while other monuments commemorate the heroes and critical moments of Savannah's history.

Gracefully dominating the Bull Street Corridor is the city's famed Forsyth Park. The fountain, which provides a stunning vista as you move along Bull Street from Monterey Square, was placed back in 1858 and has been admired by residents and visitors alike for more than 150 years. French soldiers camped on this ground during the Revolutionary War's bloody Siege of Savannah. Sherman's soldiers also camped here after arriving in Savannah at the end of his devastating March to the Sea.

These are but a few of the attractions of Savannah, which is graced by hundreds of historic homes, structures and points of interest. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/savannah.

Flannery O'Connor Farm & Grave - Milledgeville, Georgia

Grave of Flannery O'Connor

The famed Southern writer and novelist Flannery O'Connor was born as Mary Flannery O'Connor in Savannah on March 25, 1925 and lived much of her sadly brief life in Milledgeville.

The daughter of devout Cathlolic parents (and a devout Catholic herself), O'Connor moved with her family from Savannah to Milledgeville when she was thirteen. She went on to graduate from what is now Georgia College & State University (then the Georgia State College for Women) in Milledgeville before obtaining admission to the exclusive Iowa Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa. She had God given talent as a writer, which was nurtured and encouraged by such noted literary figures as Robert Penn Warren.

The often deadly disease of Lupus, however, was hereditary in her family and in 1951, when she was only 26 years old and living with Robert and Sallie Fitzgerald in Connecticut, O'Connor suffered a life-threatening attack from the disease. She decided to move home to Milledgeville where she could enjoy the comfort and support of family and friends, as well as the peaceful lifestyle of her family's Andalusia farm on the northern outskirts of town.

Flannery O'Connor lived out the rest of her life in Milledgeville and it was there that she completed some of her finest work, including her novels Wise Blood and The Violent Bear it Away. She also wrote many short stories while in Milledgeville, compiling some of her finest into a collection titled A Good Man is Hard to Find. Tragically, she died from from Lupus related complications on August 3, 1964. She was only 39 years old.

To learn more about Flannery O'Connor and the sites associated with her in Milledgeville, including Andalusia Farm and her grave at Memory Hill Cemetery, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/flannery.

Historic Old Capitol Building - Milledgeville, Georgia

Old Capitol Building in Milledgeville

Removed from the crowded streets of Atlanta by 100 miles and a century of time, the Gothic revival architecture of Georgia's Old Capitol Building in Milledgeville is as historic as it is beautiful.

Founded in 1803 and designed using a plan inspired by both Savannah and Washington, D.C., Milledgeville was a planned city intentionally located near what was then the geographic center of the expanding state. The community was only one year old when the Georgia Legislature voted on December 11, 1804, to designate Milledgeville as the permanent state capital of the state.

Old Capitol Building

In 1805 the legislature appropriated $60,000 for the construction of a magnificent new capitol building and work began that same year. The main part of the building was still not finished two years later when military troops escorted a train of wagons from the former capitol in Louisville to the new capitol. Milledgeville would remain the capital city of Georgia for the next 61 years.

The building was expanded in the 1820s and 1830s and given its fascinating Gothic revival design. It is the oldest public structure in the United States of the Gothic revival style and has survived despite several fires, its occupation by Union troops during Sherman's March to the Sea and the movement of the state government to Atlanta in 1868. Sherman's men even held a mock legislative session in the building, "repealing" the state's ordinance of secession and doing thousands of dollars in damage.

The Old Capitol Building is now a treasured landmark located on the campus of Georgia Military College. The ground floor is home to the Old Capital Museum and the beautiful park-like setting is open to the public daily. To read more of the history of this remarkable historic building, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gaoldcapitol.

Grave of Gen. Alfred H. Colquitt - Macon, Georgia

Grave of Gen. Alfred H. Colquitt

Near the northern edge of Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, a historical marker points out the final resting place of one of Georgia's greatest heroes of the Civil War.

General Alfred H. Colquitt was born in Walton County, Georgia, on April 20, 1824, and went on to graduate from Princeton College before achieving distinction as a staff officer during the Mexican War. Rising to the rank of major by the time the war ended, he returned home to Georgia and continued his law career until the outbreak of the War Between the States in 1861.

Gen. Alfred H. Colquitt

Colquitt served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives prior to the war, but did not seek reelection, opting instead to serve in the Georgia State Legislature until 1861 when he became a delegate to the state's Secession Convention.

Entering the Confederate service, he rose rapidly in rank due to courage under fire and became a brigadier general in 1862 after performing noteworthy service during the Peninsula Campaign. On February 20, 1864, he commanded the main battle line at the Battle of Olustee, Florida, which ended in a dramatic Confederate victory and achieved note as the bloodiest battle of the war for the Union (based on the number of men engaged). Georgians still remember him as the "Hero of Olustee."

A fierce opponent of the North's Reconstruction policies after the war, he was elected Governor of Georgia in 1876. He went on to serve in the United States Senate until his death in 1894 at the age of 69.

To learn more about Colquitt's remarkable life, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/colquittgrave.