Tour time!

This is an awesome series! This book is a part of the Touring the Backroads series by Blair Publishing. There are several different titles available for both Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Each book is divided into several tours based by area, and can be easily driven. the only downside is that the road names in the books can often differ from what actual signs say. For instance, the book may list road numbers, while local signs only have names. This can be remedied by a little advance research on an internet map site, but on the road it can be a challenge. The descriptions of the locations are usually good, with plenty of detail. The books are also quite nice in that they usually cover both major and minor sites, rather than just one or the other. This particular example has a specific disadvantage of only covering Revolutionary War sites, while other books cover other topics. Great for a topic specific study, but if you are just driving through and want to see many different things, you may have issues. Each book is written by a local expert, often someone with several other books to their name. Overall, these are the best books I have found for finding historic places easily. I highly reccomend them for anyone living in an area covered by one of them. The one above can be found on Amazon here and most of the others can be found here.

Touring South Carolina's Revolutionary War Sites

Daniel Barefoot

Touring the Backroads Series

338 pages

1999 John F. Blair Publishing

The locals

So this is the cemetery near the Dungeness mansion ruins.

This is the cemetery's most famous (former) resident, General Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee. General Lee fought in the Revolution, distuinguishing himself at Camden, Guilford Couthouse, and Eutaw Springs. He is also known as the father of Henry Lee IV, who wrote speeches for John C. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson, and as the father of the much more famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Robert Lee visited the grave her in 1829 and 1870, acommpanied the latter time by Phineas Miller Nightingale. As for "Lighthorse Harry", he was in the area when he fell ill and sought out General Greene's daughter Louisa at Dungeness. He passed away there on March 25, 1818. Several Navy gunboats were nearby and lowered their flags to half mast at news of his passing. At the funeral, Commodore Henly gave the final respects, and his pallbearers were Captains Elton, Finch, and Madison, Lieutenants Fitzhugh and Richie, and Mr. Lyman of the Army. Marines from the USS John Adams and Brig Aranac formed the guard.

On May 28, 1913, General Henry Lee's body was removed from its place here on Cumberland and transported to the Washington and Lee University Chapel in Virginia, to rest beside his famous son Robert.

"In memory of Catharine Miller (widow of the late Major General Nathaniel Greene Commander in Chief of the American Revolutionary army in the Southern department in 1783) who died Sept 2nd, 1814 aged 59 years. She possessed great talents and exalted virtues."

Here are Louisa Greene Shaw, youngest daughter of Nathanael and Caty, and eventual owner of the original Dungeness Plantation.

"Sacred to pure [unknown], This simple stone covers the remains of James Shaw. [unknown] are not to be learned from perishable marble, but when the [unknown] of Heaven shall be unfolded, it is believed they will be found written there in characters as durable as the volume of eternity. Died January 6, 1820. Aged 55 years."

"Relict of James Shaw and youngest daughter of Major General Nathaniel Greene of the Army of the Revolution, died at Dungeness Georgia, April 24th, 1831, aged 45 years"

Marker commemorating Thomas Carnegie, who began the second Dungeness mansion here, but is not actually buried here.

Charles Jackson, who was a family friend of the Greene's, and died at Dungeness.
"In memory of Charles Jackson Esg. Who was born at Newton, Massechusetts on the 23rd of April, 1767. He was educated at Harvard College and was a Commisioned Officer in the American Revolutionary War, and for several years a Counsellor at Law. Who died on the 25th of Oct 1801 at the mansion of Phineas Miller Esg. Cumberland Island"

This person is difficult to find info on, but based on names and dates, I believe that the Dungeness property passed to a Phineas Miller Nightingale, and this is his daughter.

"Martha Greene Nightingale, Daughter of P.M. and M.K. Nightingale, Born on 13th December 1841, died 16th March 1844"
"In memory of Catherine Rikart born in Mulhouse, Alsace, France, July 26, 1831. Died In Dungeness May 12, 1911. Erected by the family of Thomas M. Carnegie in affectionate memory of faithful and loyal service during many years."
View from the cemetery

It's Ruined!

Ok, ok, here is the Carnegie post I keep promising! More specifically, this focuses on the Dungeness mansion of the Carnegies that, as you can see, is now, um, ruins.
Our story begins with Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene (he seems to keep popping up a lot!) In honor of his services during the War, South Carolina and Georgia both donated lands to him, and his family settled at Mulberry Grove on the Savannah River. General Greene died on June 19, 1786, and his wife Caty married his former secretary and their childrens' tutor, Phineas Miller in 1796. In 1800 they moved to Cumberland Island and built a large four story mansion out of tabby, giving it the name Dungeness. The name is believed to have come from a hunting camp established nearby by General Oglethorpe, who named it after the county seat in England. The mansion was 76 feet tall, had six foot thick walls and several outbuildings, including the one seen above. When Caty died in 1814, her daughter Loisa took charge of Dungeness and created a thriving Sea Cotton plantation, as well as growing olives, oranges, figs, dates, limes, and pomegranates. Dungeness itself burned down around 1867, and sometime after 1880 the remaining walls were demolished. The building above was a slave cabin that held two families. It is the oldest standing structure on the island, and was used later by the Carnegies as a records house.

In 1881, Thomas Morrison Carnegie, brother of famous financier Andrew Carnegie, bought the Dungeness property from former Confederate General W.G.M. Davis. He unfortunetly died in 1886, and did not much get to enjoy the property he built up, but instead passed it on to his wife Lucy.

Lucy made many additions to the mansion, which was designed by Andrew Peebles in the Queen Anne style. At its peak it towered over 100 feet and covered 6,720 square feet.

The mansion was vacated in 1925, and on June 24, 1959, was burned down by an arsonist.

Between 1977 and 1981, a group of Georgia students working with the Youth Conservation Corps conducted historic preservation of the mansion, grounds and buildings, including stabilizing the mansion's ruins.

Garden Pergola, built by Lucy Carnegie

As usual, the wife finds her own way to enjoy history...

Remains of the Pool/Recreation house near the mansion. This building was originally designed by John Ingle and also built in the Queen Anne style. It featured a heated indoor pool, steam room, baths, recreation room, gunroom and squash court. It also featured guest room son the second floor.

This building was the carriage house, originally for horses and carriages, becoming the garage for "electric carriages" around 1900. It is now the maintenance facility used by the National Park Service.

These old cars are located near the old garage. There is no explanation given for them. Did they belong to the Carnegies? Their workers? Later residents of the island?

On this day

My fellow Americans, Regardless of how you see it, today is a significantly historic day. We children of the 80's have seen (and many remember) pehaps a record number of historic events in our lifetime, including: The Challenger explosion and America's return to space, the healing of a divided nation (Germany), the world rising up to defend a helpless nation (Gulf War), the fall of one of the mightiest empires the world has ever known (The Soviet Union), the second ever President to be impeached (Bill CLinton), the worst domestic terrorism in our history (Oklahoma City), A frontline US Warship attacked and nearly sunk by an enemy in peacetime (USS Cole), the turning of a new milenium, the worst terrorist attack in history (9/11), and the fall of one of historie's worst dictators (Sadaam Hussein). We have also seen the rise in technology and popularity of CD's, DVD's, the Internet, cell phones, Global Positioning, home computers, SUV's, and countless other major inovations. Right now we are fighting at least two wars, have the worst financial crisis since the 1930's, are hated the world over, have sky high unemployment, are divided on several major political issues, have an astronomical national debt, most of our production is done overseas, and now the President is a Democrat for the first time in eight years. Oh, and by the way, he's also a black man. I know the internet now is full of articles and opinions about everything for and against concerning everything about our new President. Not the least of what is covered is his race. People have compared him to Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and a host of others. I couldn't care less what his race is. I can think of plenty of Black people that I would rather have as President than a large number of white people I can think of. But this is not my reason for writing today. Regardless of what happens in the next four years, today is monumental. And the next four years are gauranteed to be just as eventful as the last several have been. That is why more than ever, all of us as Americans must look at our history. We must look at who we are, and what we trully believe. For the last couple decades the government, both Democrat and Republican, has run rampant with all kinds of powers and abuses that have the Founding Fathers rolling in their graves so fast they could light a fire. Why are they important, do you ask? Didn't they live over 200 years ago? I ask you this: How many peole follow the Ten Commandments? Those were written many, many years before there was even an England, let alone United States. Look at what the founding fathers wrote:
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among those are LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. That to secure these rights, GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED."

Does this sound like something important to you? Do you feel that all should be treated equal? Do you value your rights and freedoms as an American? Should the government work solely to protect and defend your rights from being infringed? These word come from the Declaration of Independence, the basis of the Revolution and the govenment formed afterwords. Let's read on:

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT, and to institute new government."

Does this sound familiar? I'm not making it up. It comes right after the previous section quoted. This was written and agreed upon by men with everything to lose. They had homes, families, businesses, all of which could be snuffed out in a moment by the momentous act of signing the Declaration. Why did they do it? What was so important to these men that they would RISK EVERYTHING INCLUDING THEIR LIVES to protect it? What has driven over 200 years of America's young men and women to fight and die to defend a flag that represents what these men did so long ago? Not long after the Revolution, the Constitution was written to "Form a more perfect Union" and establish the government that would carry the legacy of the Declaration. But it would not suffice without a Bill of Rights, designed to protect The People from the exact injustices they suffered under the British. So to understand why these men signed the Declaration, let's look at these rights:

1st) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This is what America is. This is freedom right here. You can choose your religion, say your opinion, read what you want, and meet with who you want to. Imagine living under a government where you could not do those things.

2nd) A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

What is this? Oh yeah, the Revolution was fought by CITIZENS, with their OWN GUNS. The Founding Fathers realized that the other rights could not long survive without this all too important right to defend them. They even went so far as to say:

"No Free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -Thomas Jefferson

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms." -Richard Henry Lee

"What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty.... Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins." -Elbridge Gerry

"If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" -Patrick Henry

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence." -George Washington

That was the Father of our Country, as well as four other important Founding Fathers defending the Second Amendment. So, who still doubts its importance?

3rd) No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

This is pretty straight forward. The British kept troops in America against the wishes of the people, and even had them stay in peoples private homes. Proabably something you want protection against.

4th) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That's right people. No one (not even the police) can search you, your home, your car, or any of your personal possesions unless a specific warrant is issued to do so.

5th) No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

This is perhaps the most quoted of the Bill of Rights, and yet many people have never even read it. Simply put, you do not have to answer for anything. No one can make you confess to anything, or take away your basic rights to make you confess.

6th) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

7th) In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

These both ensure a trial by jury, to be judged by your peers, to not be set up in a no win situation. This is what protects you from being falsely accused and convicted of crimes.

8th) Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

This ensures humanitarian treatment for ALL Americans, no matter what.

9th) The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Simply put: The Government cannont violate your rights. That's it.

10th) The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

This is perhaps the most abused of the ten ammendments. Read it again. See what that says? The powers given to the Federal Government by the Constitution are the ONLY powers it may have. All others are reserved for the States or the People. When was the last time this system was actually followed?

So there you have it folks. These ten ammendments spell out why these men risked everything they had to separate from their government. And they certainly did not think themselves the exception to the rule. Thomas Jefferson, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was the forefront of the Revolutionary movement, and oh by the way, third President of the US, has a famous quote that "The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants." But he also had a much less famous, but I think even more important quote: "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." Say that again??? You mean to say I SHOULD question my government? I should NOT allow it to do what it wants? That's right folks, this is the spirit our country was founded on. This is the spirit in which Patrick Henry said "Give me Liberty or give me death!" This is when Nathan Hale said "I only regret that I have but one life to give my country." This is the time when ordinary farmers and shopkeepers took up arms and said enough! The citizens took a stand against the armies of the world's mightiest empire and won! They defended their rights! What is more, they defended them, from THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. These were British subjects. Not until the Treaty of Paris in 1783 were they truly free as Americans. Many despaired in the meantime that their cause would be lost. George Washington himself at the Battle of New York cried "Good God! Have I got such troops as these?" But the citizens, the people, pulled through. At Trenton, Saratoga, King's Mountain, Cowpens, and finally Yorktown, the fighting spirit of the free men prevailed.

Why is all of this so important now, you ask? Read those rights again. How many violations can you think of, of those rights, in just the last few years? How about the last twenty years? How much is enough? When do you stand and say "today, I fight for my rights?" Today, I am a military man, fighting to preserve the freedoms that so many have already given The Last Full Measure of Devotion to defend. I will now give you the oath of enlistment in the US Military: "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." I will defend... against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. This is where all of this is important. I am not defending a government, I am defending the Constitution itself. When people ask, I am not defending my country, I am defending MY FREEDOMS. To me, this is regardless of who, what, or where the enemy is. I fight in the spirit of Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Nathan Hale, William Jasper, William Moultire, Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens, and the countless others who bravely fought and often gave everything, even their own life, so that their families and children may live free. I continue the spirit of Oliver Hazard Perry, Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, George Dewey, John Pershing, Chester Nimitz, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas Macarthur, and so many, many others to this day, continuing this legacy. But this legacy only matters if we remember why we are fighting. So come on America. No matter what happens in the next four years, let's make 'em count!

"Stand your ground. Do not fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, LET IT BEGIN HERE." -Captain John Parker at the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775

Hero of the Hornet's Nest

Ok, so this is Elijah Clarke State Park, north of Washington, Georgia, and on the GA/SC border. Seen above and below are a reconstruction of Clarke's first home in GA. During the summer months, it is open and has artifacts from his life inside.

Elijah Clarke was born in North Carolina in 1733 and moved to Georgia in 1774, when he joined the Revolutionary effort. He served in several battles throughout Georgia and South Carolina including Aligator Creek, Kettle Creek, Musgrove's Mill, Blackstocks, and two sieges of Augusta. After the war he served in the State Assembly from 1781 to 1790. In 1793 he joined the French Army and participated in efforts against the Spanish in Florida. In 1794, he established the Trans-Oconee Republic in the area of modern day Northern Georgia. This was viewed by the Government as a violtaion of treaties with the Natives, and after failed diplomatic attempts to end the Republic, a group of soldiers and local militia surrounded the settlement and Clarke surrendered.

Erected to the memory of Gen. Elijah Clarke 1736-1799

Revolutionary Soldier and Patriot

And his Wife Hannah Arrington 1737-1827

By the Elijah Clarke Chapter, Athens, Georgia

And the Hannah Clarke Chapter, Quitman, Georgia

Daughters of the American Revolution, 1924

Clarke was originally buried at his home, which is now under Clark's Hill/Strom Thurmond Lake (the name depends on which side of the state line you're on.)
John Dooly was another Patriot leader, most noted for his actions and Kettle Creek. His home was located here, where he was killed by Loyalists, and he is buried somewhere nearby.

Yes this area is still plagued by low water levels, as these pictures of Clark's Hill/Strom Thurmond Lake show. Ya see, this is a fishing pier, and is supposed to be IN the water...

The Severest Check

Ok, here is the Kettle Creek Battlefield, just north of Crawfordville. During the Revolution, Georgia had an estimated 25,000 residents, located mostly along the Savannah River from Savannah to Augusta. Most of them were Tories, loyal to the British Crown. Earli in 1779, Col Boyd, the British Commander, left Augusta with 800 men to unite with Col McGrith's 500 men near present day Washington, GA. A group of American Patriots led by Andrew Pickens with 250 South Carolina militia. He was joined by John Dooley and Elijah Clarke with around 100 Georgia militia. On Sunday, Feb 14, 1779, the British troops were camped on a hill near Kettle Creek, GA. The American forces, outnumbered more than two to one, attacked the surprised British. Their right was commanded by Dooly, the center by Pickens, and the left by Clarke. As the surprise wore off, the fighting became intense as the attacking Patriots had trouble advancing through the dense canebrakes and high water of the creek. The British appeared to be winning when Clarke slipped with 50 men around the
British rear, and when Col Boyd fell, the Loyalists were finally routed. The final tally was 40 Loyalists killed, and 70 captured, 9 Patriots killed and 23 wounded. Five of the Loyalists were hung for treason.

Unfortunetly, the Patriot success was undone by a British victory at Brier Creek just two weeks later.

These are from a monument on the battlefield listing all the Patriots who fought at Kettle Creek.

Cemetery where some of those who fell are buried.

Chasing the Redcoats

Ok, so this is a book I picked up at Ninety-Six as a substitute for another tour book I no longer had. This book certainly covers more battlefields than other tour books, though aside from the graves of Francis Marion and William Washington, it does not cover other war related sites. Each site location is accompanied by a short description of the battle that took place, though the descriptions are not nearly comprehensive. Perhaps the best idea would be to familiarize yourself with the battles before, then use this guide to travel. Its best property is probably its small size, just a small paperback compared to some of the larger tour books. It is also a cheap buy at just $12. All things considered, I highly reccomend it for any history chaser living or traveling in the Palmetto State. The book can be bought on Amazon here.

South Carolina's Revolutionary War Battlefields: A tour guide

R.L. Barbour

2002 Pelican Publishing

119 pages

Double Feature

Ok, so today's Dog Eared Saturday is a double, two books that go together, by the same author, so I am doing them together. One is Another Such Victory, and the other is The Monuments at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, both by Thomas Baker. Baker worked as a guide at Guilford, when in 1980, he agreed to write a book about the battle in time for its 1981 bicentennial. With a strict deadline to meet, he created Another Such Victory, which turned out to be an amazing success. But it wasn't good enough for him. Until his death in 1999 he continued to research obscure sources of information to put together the most complete account of the battle. Fortunetly, all this information now belongs to the Park Service which uses it to help translate the battlefield to visitors. But the book that Baker truly wanted to write never took form, and thus, Another Such Victory is, twenty years later, still the authorative source on the battle. Baker's other book, The Monuments at Guilford Courthouse, is exactly that. It is an easy to follow guide with pictures to all of the monuments at the battlefield, including inscriptions, changes to monuments, and the stories behind them. This book is a must for anyone who visits the park so they can know what they are looking at. Another Such Victory is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the battle or the Revolution. Both are excellent and highly recommended. They are also small, and ASV is $7 while Monuments is $1.50 so they are cheap too. ASV can be bought on Amazon here and Monuments can be bought here.
Another Such Victory
Thomas E. Baker
1981 Eastern National, Fort Washington
91 pages

The Monuments at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Thomas E. Baker
Eastern National
80 pages