During my recent trip to Fort Morris, the experience was brief yet full of insight. This historic site is one of the few surviving earthen fortifications from the American Revolution. Positioned between Savannah and what was then British-controlled Florida, it was built to protect the thriving port town of Sunbury from enemy forces. In the autumn of 1778, the fort successfully turned back a British assault, but in January 1779, it fell after a heavier attack. This loss made Fort Morris the final patriot stronghold in Georgia to be captured, returning the colony to British control until the end of the war. The fort saw additional fortifications during both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, though it never again faced major combat.
The Town Of Sunbury
Sunbury’s story begins in 1747, when settlers first arrived along Georgia’s coast. A little over a decade later, in 1758, the town was officially granted its charter. By 1764, Sunbury was already a busy port community, complete with a customs house, a few merchant shops, and a sturdy log fort meant to guard against privateers and local tribes. Its harbor soon became one of the most important in the colony—second only to Savannah—sending out ships loaded with lumber, rice, indigo, corn, and other goods.
When the naturalist William Bartram stopped through in 1773, he painted a picture of a lively place with around a hundred well-built wooden homes, each with breezy piazzas, and a community made up of well-to-do planters and merchants. Among Sunbury’s residents were two men who would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence: Button Gwinnett and Lyman Hall.
But with the Revolution came change. To defend the town, Fort Morris was built, standing watch over its port. The British assault that followed nearly wiped Sunbury out, and though it survived, the town never reclaimed the prosperity it had before the war.
Fort Morris
Fort Morris stands today as one of the few surviving earthwork defenses from the Revolutionary era. Positioned strategically between Savannah and British-held Florida, the fort was initially constructed to shield the thriving port town of Sunbury from enemy advances. In the fall of 1778, its defenders successfully turned back a British attack—but their victory was short-lived. By January 1779, under the weight of a much stronger assault, Fort Morris was overtaken. Its fall marked the loss of the last Patriot stronghold in Georgia, returning the colony to royal control for the remainder of the war.
Though the fort was later strengthened during both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, it never again played a decisive role in battle. Instead, it stands as a quiet reminder of the struggles that once shook Georgia’s coast.
Come And Take It
In November of 1778, British troops, Loyalists, and allied Native forces closed in on Sunbury and Fort Morris from both land and sea. British Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Fuser demanded the fort’s surrender, but American Colonel John McIntosh gave a bold reply: “We, Sir, are fighting the battle of America… As to surrendering the fort, receive this short answer—Come and take it!”
Fuser’s men pulled back, but not without ravaging the countryside around Sunbury. The victory, however, was fleeting. Just a month later, after British forces seized Savannah, Major General Augustine Prevost set his sights on Fort Morris. Once again, the Americans refused to yield, this time under Major Joseph Lane. Prevost answered with artillery, unleashing a relentless bombardment that forced the garrison to capitulate on January 9, 1779.
American officers were taken prisoner in Sunbury, while the British occupied the battered fort until the following September, leaving it in ruins when they finally withdrew.
Documentay
I’ve finally made the decision to begin creating videos that document my visits to these incredible places. For a long time, I’ve been exploring and researching them on my own, but now I want to take the next step and share those experiences with the world. Through these videos, I’ll be able to bring others along with me, showing not only the sites themselves but also the history, stories, and hidden details that make them so fascinating. My goal is to give viewers a chance to see these places through my eyes, to feel the atmosphere, and to connect with the deeper meaning behind them. If you’d like to follow along with my journey, I’ll be sharing everything on my Rumble channel, rebirthoftheword.
Rumble Channel
Here is a video from my visit there. rebirthoftheword on Rumble.
Until Next time, Knowledge Is Power
