When my daughter and I planned our trip to Colonial Georgia, I’d never heard of Midway before. The town of just 2,100 people lies about 40 miles south of Savannah. Despite its small size, Midway boasts a rich history dating back to 1752 when Puritans settled the area to grow rice and indigo.
Fort Morris, built during the Revolutionary War, sits on 66 acres along the Medway River, just south of the ghost town of Sunbury. In its prime, Sunbury rivaled Savannah as a commerical port.
Sunbury
Before touring Fort Morris’ earthworks, we watched a short film at the visitor center. The film focused primarily on Sunbury, founded in 1758. Believe it or not, the town boasted 1,000 residents during the Revolutionary War, making it Georgia’s second-largest city.
The town was laid out with close to 500 plots, five wharves, and, much like Savannah, three squares: Church, King, and Meeting. Famous residents included Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett, both signers of the Declaration of Independence. Hall also represented Georgia at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Fort Morris
It was at the Continental Congress in 1776 that the Colonists decided to build Fort Morris. The new fort replaced a log fort established by the British around 1760, just 350 yards from Sunbury.
We wandered outside to see what little remains of Fort Morris today. A moat with sharp palisades surrounded the rectangular-shaped fort. Historians believe the one-acre parade at the center of the fort housed a two-story barracks. Walking closer to the river, we stood where guards would have looked out at St. Catherine’s Sound in the distance.
During the Revolutionary War, at least 200 soldiers guarded Fort Morris. In late 1778, the British surrounded the fort. In a heated exchange, Colonel Josh McIntosh (US) told British Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Fuser, “As to surrendering the fort, receive this laconic reply: Come and Take It!”
The British backed off temporarily. However, in January 1779, they returned and conquered the fort after much artillery fire. This brought all of Georgia under British rule for the rest of the war.
During the War of 1812, the US Military returned to Fort Morris, reinforcing it and renaming it Fort Defiance. However, no battles took place in the area, and it was soon abandoned. Today, nature trails surround the area, offering visitors plenty of bird watching opportunities.
Museum
The visitor center also has a small museum. We learned a bit more about Sunbury and saw artifacts uncovered during archaeological digs. During the Revolutionary War, the British burned most of Sunbury. The town never rebounded as a port city, despite the opening of the prominent Sunbury Academy in 1888.
The area is also home to the Midway Museum, about 11 miles away. Because we had to be in Savannah for a timed tour, we didn’t have time to visit. However, the museum offers tours of a replica 18th-century plantation and provides more details about the area’s prominence.
Conclusion
You have to use your imagination when walking around the earthworks at Fort Morris. Unlike Fort Frederica, which boasts some ruins, Fort Morris consists primarily of the earthworks. Still, the site contains important history and is worth a short visit.
For more information about Fort Morris, visit the Georgia State Parks website here.