| Ft. Pulaski is on Cockspur Island, East of the | | | | Davenport House c. 1820 was having a birthday |
| historic downtown Savannah. It was built by | | | | party with free tours. The house is now owned |
| orders of President Madison as the primary | | | | by the Savannah Foundation and was its first |
| defense for the Savannah River, Ft. Pulaski | | | | renovation project. General W. T. Sherman saved |
| (named after the Polish hero of the revolutionary | | | | the city from destruction, but it was almost |
| War, who lost his life at the Battle of Savannah), | | | | accomplished by developers one hundred years |
| was considered state of the art for military | | | | later. |
| defenses. Seven and half foot masonry walls | | | | Other houses of note are the Gordon-Low house, |
| were able to withstand anything the enemy could | | | | the home of Juliette Low, the founder of the Girl |
| throw at that time. Before the US Government | | | | Scouts of America, the Andrew Low house (her |
| could occupy the fort, Georgian militia moved in | | | | birthplace), Flannery O'Connor's childhood home, |
| and then handed the fort over to the | | | | and the Green-Meldrim House, where Sherman |
| Confederacy after Georgia seceded six months | | | | resided during his occupation. |
| later. The union had a new invention, the rifle | | | | Not to be missed is Bay Street, Factors Walk, |
| canon. It took only thirty hours to breach the | | | | and River Street. Along here are the old Cotton |
| walls using this new form of artillery. Canon balls | | | | Exchange, now a Masonic Lodge, City Hall and the |
| are still imbedded in the walls. The cannon balls | | | | old customs house. On River Street, a cobble |
| breached the walls. The next volley would have | | | | stoned street with a railroad track running down |
| hit the powder magazine. The commandant raised | | | | the center, are restaurants and souvenir shops. |
| the white flag. | | | | On the upper level, which fronts Bay Street are |
| The fort is an architectural marvel. The walls are | | | | various professional offices. |
| freestanding with masonry arches as the | | | | A restaurant of note, which serves very good |
| foundation and the roof. The attached pictures do | | | | food, without resorting to a high tab is B. |
| not do justice to the beauty of the fort. The | | | | Matthew's Bakery-Eatery at 325 E. Bay Street. |
| important lesson to be learned from visiting this | | | | Situated in an actual bakery, they offer soup, |
| magnificent fortress is that nothing built by man is | | | | sandwiches, quiches and various salads on an |
| indestructible. For every defense, a new offensive | | | | eat-in or take-out variety. We had soup, quiche, |
| weapon is developed to penetrate. This pertains, | | | | and an excellent Apple-Pecan Chicken Salad. The |
| not only to military matters, but also to matters | | | | bakery is across from Ermmet Park, which has a |
| of human nature. Just think the effect of love and | | | | Celtic Cross and the statue of the waving girl who |
| kindness has over the long haul against any | | | | welcomed every ship which came up the river. |
| psychological defense. Robert E. Lee designed the | | | | [Bay Street Factors Walk] |
| outlieing battleworks for the fort. | | | | Within the historical district is Colonial Park |
| Further East is Tybee Island. The island features | | | | Cemetery, where many Revolutionary War |
| the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. The | | | | heroes are interred. Historical markers dot many |
| island also has more parking meters per capita | | | | of the gravesites describing the lives of the |
| than anywhere else. If their primary industry is | | | | individuals. |
| tourism, they have a peculiar way of welcoming | | | | Historic Downtown takes more than one day to |
| them, even in stormy weather. | | | | explore. There are many places we want to visit |
| Walking around the fort and driving during a | | | | in great depth in the future. |
| rainstorm, stirs up the appetite. Where does one | | | | Visited Fort Jackson, another masonry fort |
| eat when on the Atlantic coast? At a crab shack, | | | | erected to protect Savannah. The city spires are |
| of course. We found one, aptly named the Crab | | | | visible from the fort. Established by Thomas |
| Shack, which was crowded. Our appetites | | | | Jefferson, it saw duty in the war of 1812 and the |
| overruled our desire to stay dry. When the rain | | | | Civil War. The walls were never breached. The fall |
| diminished a little, we slogged through the ankle | | | | of Savannah came from the West with |
| deep puddles to the restaurant. We had to wait | | | | Sherman's March to the Sea. The fort was |
| for a table. But the wait was well worth the time. | | | | evacuated and then fell into disuse. Just off shore, |
| The food was copious, tasty, and relatively | | | | in the middle of the river lies the remains of The |
| inexpensive. The atmosphere was akin to Jimmy | | | | SS Georgia, an ironclad vessel, which was scuttled |
| Buffet's Margarittaville. | | | | in order to keep out of the Union's hands. The |
| It was also the perfect time to visit historic | | | | Fort has frequent reenactments of the various |
| Savannah: the end of the Music Festival, the | | | | wars in which the fort participated. |
| beginning the St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and | | | | Drove around Forsyth Park on the West Side of |
| the fortieth anniversary of the restoration of the | | | | the Historical District. We were surprised to see |
| Davenport House. | | | | so many young people playing a form of Frisbee |
| CAT, the regional transportation authority, offers | | | | Football. We found out later that they were |
| a free shuttle service throughout the historical | | | | students of the Savannah College of Arts and |
| district. Trolleys operate every twenty minutes | | | | Design (SCADS), which has purchased most of |
| Mon-Sat and every forty minutes on Sunday. It is | | | | the large buildings of downtown Savannah. The |
| a great way to get an overview of the city. You | | | | college is a major presence in the city. |
| also get to meet a wide variety of tourists, | | | | Tried to find Bonaventure Cemetery, the old |
| homeless, and just regular folks. | | | | cemetery of the city. The maps misdirected us |
| The historic district is laid out around a system of | | | | and we were forced to ask for directions. Thank |
| squares and boulevards. Each square, 21 in totality, | | | | goodness for a young man waiting for a bus. He |
| (used to be 28 in the original plans) start a few | | | | knew where the cemetery was and told us |
| blocks from at the riverfront and are situated | | | | where to turn. The cemetery itself was |
| five abreast and five deep. The squares are | | | | interesting and included many graves of soldiers |
| surrounded by homes, public buildings, and | | | | who died in defense of Savannah. Unlike The |
| churches. Separating each group of squares is a | | | | Colonial Park Cemetery in the Historic District, this |
| tree lined boulevard with one way streets running | | | | one did not have historical markers. |
| in either direction. The traffic flows remarkable | | | | A short distance from there is the Chatham |
| well through this part of the city. The squares, | | | | County Garden Center and Botanical Gardens. |
| now parks, were originally pasture lands where | | | | Being early spring, not much was in bloom. |
| the livestock could feed. Today the visitor has a | | | | Perhaps during the summer or early fall more |
| feeling of open spaces in an urban environment. | | | | flowers will be visible. |
| Many of the houses have been restored recently. | | | | |
