Today, the Georgia State Quarter Coin tells of the early days when James Edward Oglethorpe arrived off the coast of South Carolina and traveled upriver to set up the colony of Savannah.
In the Historical Collections of Georgia published in 1855, George White included a description of Oglethorpe’s arrival.
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Account of the Progress of the first Colony sent to Georgia.
We set sail from Gravesend on the 17th of November, 1732, in the ship Anne, of 200 tons, John Thomas, Master, being about 130 persons, and arrived off the bar of Charlestown on the 13th day of January following.
Mr. Oglethorpe went on shore to wait on the Governor; was received with great marks of civility and
satisfaction; obtained an order for Mr. Middleton, the King’s pilot, to carry the ship into Port Royal; and for small craft to carry the Colony from thence to the river Savannah, with a promise of further assistance from the Province.
He returned on board the fourteenth day, and came to an anchor within the bar of Port Royal, at about sixteen miles distance from Beaufort.
On the 18th, he went on shore upon Trench’s Island, and left a guard of eight men upon John’s, being a point of that island which commands the channel, and is about half-way between Beaufort and the river Savannah: they had orders to prepare Huts, for the reception of the Colony, against they should lie there in their passage.
From thence he went to Beaufort town, where he arrived about one o’clock in the morning, and was saluted with a discharge of all the Artillery, and had the new Barracks fitted up: where the Colony landed on the 20th day, and were, in every respect, cheerfully assisted by Lieutenant Watts, Ensign Farrington, and the other officers of his Majesty’s independent company, as also by Mr. Delabarr, and other gentlemen of the neighborhood.
While the Colony refreshed themselves there, Mr. Oglethorpe went up the river, and chose a situation for a town, and entered into a treaty with Tomo Chachi, the Mico, or Chief of the only nation of Indians living near it.
He returned on the 24th day, and they celebrated the Sunday following as a day of Thanksgiving for their safe arrival; and a sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Jones, (the Rev. Dr. Herbert, who came with the Colony, preaching that day at Beaufort town.)
There was a great resort of the gentlemen of that neighborhood and their families; and a plentiful dinner provided for the Colony, and all that came, by Mr. Oglethorpe — being four fat hogs, eight turkeys, besides fowls, English beef, and other provisions, a hogshead of punch, a hogshead of beer, and a large quantity of wine; and all was disposed in so regular a manner, that no person was drunk, nor any disorder happened.
On the 30th, the Colony embarked on board a sloop of seventy tons, and five Periaugers, and made sail, but were forced by a storm to put in at a place called the Look-out, and to lie there all night.
The next day they arrived at John’s, where they found huts capable to contain them all, and a plentiful supper of venison.
They re-embarked the next day, and in the afternoon arrived at the place intended for the town.
Being arrived, on the 1st of February, at the intended town, before night they erected four large tents, sufficient to hold all the people, being one for each tything.
They landed their bedding and other little necessaries, and all the people lay on shore.
The ground they encamped upon is the edge of the river where the Key is intended to be.
Until the 7th was spent in making a Crane, and unlading the goods; which done, Mr. Oglethorpe divided the people; employing part in clearing the land for seed, part in beginning the palisade, and the remainder in felling of trees where the Town is to stand.
Colonel Bull arrived here, with a message from the General Assembly to Mr. Oglethorpe, and a letter from his Excellency Governor Johnson and the Council, acquainting him that the two Houses, upon a conference, had agreed to give the Colonists all the assistance in their power.
On the 9th day, Mr. Oglethorpe and Colonel Bull marked out the Square, the Streets, and forty Lots for houses of the town; and the first House (which was ordered to be made of clap-boards) was begun that day.
The town lies on the south side of the river Savannah, upon a flat on the top of a hill, and sixty yards of it is reserved between it and the Key.
The river washes the foot of the hill, which stretches along the side of it about a mile, and forms a terrace forty feet perpendicular above high water.
From the Key, looking eastward; you may discover the river as far as the islands in the sea; and westward, one may see it wind through the woods above six miles.
The river is one thousand feet wide; the water fresh, and deep enough for sloops of seventy tons to come up close to the side of the Key.
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The Georgia State Quarter Coin shows against a view of Savannah, circa 1900.
