Rita Elliott

This archaeology project encompasses part of an area known historically as the Railroad Ward, a community occupied partially by railroad workers and their families during the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as by other blue and white collar workers not associated with the Central of Georgia Railroad. The study area is located in the City of Savannah, in Chatham County, Georgia. It is situated downtown within the boundaries the Central of Georgia Railroad National Historic Landmark District. The people who lived in and around the study area were largely a transient group and not the most prominent citizens of Savannah. Consequently, these people have left only fragmentary glimpses of their lives in the archival record. As a group, they represent the working class, with occupations ranging from common laborer, to more skilled tradesmen. This project examines the lives of individual inhabitants as well as the underground economies, ethnicity, diversity, and evolving demographics on a neighborhood level during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Coastal Heritage Society (CHS) owned then leased the property for construction of a hotel that would extend onto an adjacent parcel not owned by CHS. In spite of the fact that there was no funding for archaeological investigation through the development project or through any city or state revenues, and archaeology was not required by any city ordinance, CHS made the responsible decision to undertake archaeology on its parcel. Unfortunately, neither the landowners, nor the developers, nor the City of Savannah attempted to save the archaeological information contained on the adjacent parcel, much of which is now destroyed.

Archeologists with Coastal Heritage Society received a National Park Service, American Battlefield Protection Program Grant in July 2007 for a one year study. The purpose of the project was to locate, identify, and determine the level of preservation of as many archeological sites as possible in the City of Savannah that are related to the October 9, 1779 Battle of Savannah. To achieve these goals archeologists conducted extensive primary document research at repositories in Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. This research examined text and map documents. The gathered map data was entered into a GIS computer program and then overlaid on a recent digital map of the city. Archeologists used the location of their recent (2005) discovery of the Spring Hill Redoubt as one of the points of alignment between the historic maps and the modern map. Archeologists then analyzed the GIS data to determine which battlefield components appear to fall into modern green spaces owned by the city, such as town squares. Archeologists selected as many of these locations to ground-truth as time and budget allowed. They used a combination of ground penetrating radar, shovel test survey, metal detector survey, and test unit excavation. Areas examined included Madison Square, Lafayette Square, Emmet Park, Colonial Park Cemetery, Cuyler Park, Dixon Park, and Myers Park.

The project was extremely successful. Archeologists located a defensive ditch (almost two meters deep) dug by the British in 1779, defended during the battle, and in-filled by the Americans in 1782. The ditch lies in what is now Madison Square. Brick fragments/rubble in the ditch was part of the brick from the barracks razed by the British less than two weeks before the battle. The brick was used in the defenses around the Central redoubts and was pushed into the British trenches following the British evacuation of the city in 1782. In nearby Lafayette Square, archeologists discovered artifacts that were likely discarded by British soldiers occupying the defensive lines near and in the Central Redoubts, and by civilians associated with the soldiers. Emmet Park revealed a deep (3.5 ft.) feature that may have been constructed as part of the river battery associated with nearby Fort Prevost. Not only did archeologists discover evidence of numerous unmarked graves in Colonial Park Cemetery, but also an anomaly that appears to be one of the ditches running toward a redoubt. Archeologists found no evidence of Revolutionary War activity in Cuyler, Dixon, and Myers parks. These locations were the most tenuous of the GIS data, since they were the farthest from the control points that were used to align the maps. This negative evidence will help reduce the search area for these sites during future investigations. The Savannah Under Fire project greatly expanded the battlefield resources, from one discovered in 2005 to four additional ones this year in areas that few people expected to contain Revolutionary War content. The project not only located and identified these resources, but revealed that they are in an excellent state of preservation. Additionally, the project served to share this exciting information with the public at large, including local residents, tourists, and city, county, and state officials. Numerous partners were involved in the project, with the most extensive in-kind and financial support provided by The LAMAR Institute of Savannah, Georgia. In addition to the promised in-kind match, The LAMAR Institute provided a $4,000 grant to extend fieldwork after the discovery of the extensive deposits in Madison Square.

Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Expanding the Boundaries represents the second phase (2009-2011) in the search for
the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah. The first phase, Savannah Under Fire, 1779: Identifying Savannah’s
Revolutionary War Battlefield was conducted between 2007-2009. Both projects were funded by the National Park
Service American Battlefield Protection Program with grants awarded to Coastal Heritage Society, Savannah, Georgia.
Each incorporated extensive primary document research, geographic information systems (GIS) mapping, shovel test excavation, ground penetrating radar (GPR), test unit excavation, and public outreach.

This report is an addendum to the first project report (Elliott and Elliott 2009) and the reader is referred to it for additional
historical context and results from the first phase of work. The first project’s success was rooted in major discoveries of intact battlefield features. The second project sought to locate additional tangible remains of the battle in order to expand the geographical boundary of the site and provide a foundation for its preservation. In addition, the second phase sought
to expand other boundaries by working with constituencies interested in and/or able to protect the battlefield site and its
many varied components.

The second phase project expanded the existing site boundary 400 yards farther south through the documentation of artifact
collections made several years ago during construction in a key area held by French Reserve Corps. These artifacts, in tandem with the project’s archeological study of the area, indicate that more portions of this part of the battlefield are likely to have survived at that location. This project also identified two key areas of buried A-horizons likely to represent the battlefield landscape. Investigation of twelve target areas in Savannah revealed promise for additional battlefield and period-related resources in two of those locations. The work also served to eliminate geographic areas of site potential, reducing the scope of future searches. The project also successfully shared information from both studies with the general public in a myriad of ways, and produced a 4th and 5th grade curriculum packet.

Both phases of the Savannah Under Fire projects have created an extensive body of information unknown previously. This historical and archeological information holds much promise; the promise of a new understanding of the southern colonies’ role in the American Revolution; of this momentous global event unfolding in the everyday lives of those finding themselves in Savannah in 1779; of the revelation to many today that history survives in our everyday world - one just needs to pick up his feet. But the promise of that history can only be fulfilled if it is protected and if its story is retold in a thousand different media and venues to a thousand different audiences. We are pleased to have produced a compendium
of information that can provide the content for such stories and urge the City of Savannah and its residents to protect
the resources (both newly discovered and those that await discovery) that contribute to these stories. This should be
just the beginning, not the end.