Image credit: Mike Stroud
This week’s #MarkerMonday examines the Fort Morris Cannon historical marker in Liberty County. The cannon, used at Fort Morris during the Revolutionary War and excavated at the site in 1940, was placed outside the Liberty County Courthouse as a reminder of the county’s role in the Revolutionary War and the struggle to achieve independence.
Fort Morris was constructed in 1776 to protect the town of Sunbury from the British during the American Revolutionary War. If taken, Sunbury and Fort Morris would provide the British Military the resources and fortifications needed to capture Savannah. In November 1778, Colonel Fuser of the 60th Regiment from Florida delivered an ultimatum to the American commander, Colonel John McIntosh: McIntosh could surrender the fort or Fuser and his men would begin burning the town of Sunbury in retaliation. McIntosh’s response of “COME AND TAKE IT” stunned the opposition into abandoning their siege. However, the British returned a few months later and successfully captured the fort in January 1779.
An inventory of the fort after its capture identified a mortar, the second-most used artillery weapon during the Revolutionary War after the cannon. The inventory also identified 24 cannons, but there may have been as many as 30 cannons at Fort Morris at one time during the war. The cannons ranged from 3-pounder cannons, cast to fire 3-pound cannon balls, to 18-pounder cannons.
The 6-pounder cannon found near this marker was cast in Scotland and is believed to have been originally mounted on a ship before being stationed at Fort Morris. It was restored in 2019 by the Liberty County Historical Society, the Liberty County Board of Commissioners, and Fort Morris Historic Site. The cannon was pressure washed, sealed, and painted.
Explore the links below to learn more:
Related Marker Text – Fort Morris
Fort Morris State Historic Site
Coastal Courier - Historic Fort Morris cannon gets make-over
Archaeological Investigations at Fort Morris State Historic Site, Liberty County, Georgia
ExploreSouthernHistory.com – Fort Morris State Historic Site
Go South! Savannah – Fort Morris Historic Site