History Geek: Fort King George

   

 

 Support your state parks! I am lucky to live in an area that has such great state parks. Quite a few in this area have some kind of historical significance, and being the history geek that I am, this suits me just fine. Stroll around in nature, learn some history, take lots of photos of Spanish moss,....yes, please! The Lowcountry has a lot to offer in the history department. 

I did not chase this person, I followed them very fast.

 Fort King George  is in Darien, in McIntosh County, Georgia. Much like the name of the county suggests, Darien was first settled by Scottish Highlanders in 1736. This settlement was part of Oglethorpe's plan to protect the Carolina's from the Spanish in Florida. Before Darien and Oglethorpe, there was Fort King George and Colonel John Barnwell. The wooden fort was built in 1721, and was also meant to protect the southern edges of the Carolina colony from the Floridians Spanish. The fort was abandoned in 1727, well before Savannah and Darien were settled. Those pesky Spanish had been attacking up the (now) Georgia coast, and this, along with disease, a generally crappy existence, and a couple of suspicious fires helped the higher ups decide that the British no longer needed to be there. 

 

The fort was generally forgotten about, just a sort of local myth, until the 1930s, when Bessie Lewis, a local history teacher and history buff dug through some archives in Charleston, and did every history geek dreams they could do. SHE FOUND THE FORT!!!! Maybe I shouldn't speak for other history buffs, but I know I have often dreamed of finding something old and historically relevant. Like an 18th century frigate. 

 Speaking of frigates, I had the pleasure of visiting Fort King George for their Autumn Encampment this weekend. The day I went, the Royal British Navy was there! Not really, but there were reenactors from different groups doing some living history things. They shot some muskets, they cooked sausages, (made me hungry), and apparently they shot a cannon, but I missed that because I was too busy geeking out about 18th century Royal British Navy things with some of the reenactors. A lot of these groups had brought items from their own collections. The enlisted soldier's barracks had been turned into The Crown and Anchor Tavern. Here they talked about 18th century tavern food, as well as sailor's rations. The blockhouse had a collection of muskets and everything you would need to disable and capture an enemy ship. (Pro tip: shoot down their masts and tear up their rigging. They won't be able to go anywhere. You're welcome.) The Highlander Cottage had the different medicines they would have used, as well as some neat old books. 

 Reenactors and reenacting is going to be it's own post, so I won't get too much into that here. I have to say that I was on the fence about going, but the reenactors were actually the deciding factor. They put so much time and effort into what they wear. I asked almost all of them if they made their own outfits. One guy made his entire kit, everyone else was about half bought and half sewn by themselves. The ladies knew about American Duchess (sigh), and JP Ryan and everyone knew about the Townsends! And, being Royal Navy people, almost all had read Patrick O'Brien. My people!

The guy on the left made his entire outfit

 So, heed my advice, and hit up a state park. I promise, it will be fun. 😀