Fort Morris Historic Site Fort, located in Liberty County, Georgia, near Midway
Another great museum! Fort Morris Historic Site, located in Liberty County, Georgia, near Midway and the former town of Sunbury, is a significant historical site that played a key role in protecting southeast Georgia during multiple conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and to a lesser extent, the unCivil War. This 70-acre site is a Georgia State Historic Park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 13, 1970.
The Fort involved the following wars...
Revolutionary War: In 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the construction of Fort Morris to guard the strategic Medway River and Sunbury’s port. Named after Captain Thomas Morris, the fort was an earthwork structure with a parapet and moat, enclosing about an acre. On November 25, 1778, British Colonel L.V. Fuser, with 500 troops and naval support, demanded the fort’s surrender. Colonel John McIntosh, commanding approximately 200 Continental troops, militia, and local citizens, famously replied, “Come and take it!” The British, lacking sufficient forces, withdrew to Florida. However, on January 9, 1779, a larger British force under General Augustine Prevost returned, and after a brief but heavy bombardment, Major Joseph Lane surrendered the fort. The British renamed it Fort George and held it until 1782. American losses were minimal (around four killed, seven wounded), and the British captured 24 cannons and supplies.
War of 1812: The fort was rebuilt as Fort Defiance in 1814 to protect Sunbury’s harbor from British threats. Armed barges patrolled the area, but the fort was not completed before the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, and it was left unfinished.
War Between the States: Utilized by Confederate forces for defensive purposes early in the unCivil War. (although not well documented). Its strategic location near the Medway River and Saint Catherines Sound made it a potential lookout or minor defensive post to protect the coast and Sunbury’s harbor from Union naval incursions. Union forces under General William T. Sherman removed cannons in 1864 for use in Union-controlled coastal forts.
The Fort involved the following wars...
Revolutionary War: In 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the construction of Fort Morris to guard the strategic Medway River and Sunbury’s port. Named after Captain Thomas Morris, the fort was an earthwork structure with a parapet and moat, enclosing about an acre. On November 25, 1778, British Colonel L.V. Fuser, with 500 troops and naval support, demanded the fort’s surrender. Colonel John McIntosh, commanding approximately 200 Continental troops, militia, and local citizens, famously replied, “Come and take it!” The British, lacking sufficient forces, withdrew to Florida. However, on January 9, 1779, a larger British force under General Augustine Prevost returned, and after a brief but heavy bombardment, Major Joseph Lane surrendered the fort. The British renamed it Fort George and held it until 1782. American losses were minimal (around four killed, seven wounded), and the British captured 24 cannons and supplies.
War of 1812: The fort was rebuilt as Fort Defiance in 1814 to protect Sunbury’s harbor from British threats. Armed barges patrolled the area, but the fort was not completed before the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, and it was left unfinished.
War Between the States: Utilized by Confederate forces for defensive purposes early in the unCivil War. (although not well documented). Its strategic location near the Medway River and Saint Catherines Sound made it a potential lookout or minor defensive post to protect the coast and Sunbury’s harbor from Union naval incursions. Union forces under General William T. Sherman removed cannons in 1864 for use in Union-controlled coastal forts.
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