Savannah, GA

Atlanta has been my city of pride and love in previous columns. Now I will go southeast to another city of my heart. When I was in the sixth grade, I was issued a small textbook with a blue cover and the title The History of Georgia. I learned the story of General James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia. At that time, the king of Britain had a problem of controlling the prison for debtors. The prisons were filled, with always more coming in and none being released since there was no way for a prisoner to earn money to pay his debt. The king also wanted to provide a buffer of English people between the Carolinas and Spanish Florida. General Oglethorpe offered a solution to the king. The debtor’s prison was not filled by criminals. Those held there only owed money that they would never be able to accumulate while they were locked in prison. The prisoners could be released and become colonists to the British owned land in North America. The prisoners were willing to take this opportunity to start a new life for their families. The king agreed and General Oglethorpe set sail with the new colonists. After many days on the sea, they arrived at a river that took them to a good place to dock. They were welcomed by the native Indians who were instrumental in helping the new arrivals settle into a place to make their homes. The city squares in Savannah were what kept them safe and secure. The Indian chief, Tomochici, is honored for his friendship, with a huge rock bearing his name in middle of the city. As a proud Georgian, I think of the bravery of the fathers and mothers who took their families to an unknown land and were willing to bear hardship for this opportunity. “Thank you, General Oglethorpe and Tomochici and thanks to the little blue book and my sixth-grade teacher who gave me this story of my heritage. Some ancestors of these brave settlers could now be living in Emanuel County possibly in Garfield, Summit or Swainsboro. Write to Shirley at [email protected].