A Guide-Book of Florida and the South for Tourists, Invalids and Emigrants. Daniel G. Brinton
in 1672, and for a long time had a struggling existence. Many of its early inhabitants were Huguenots, who fled thither to escape the persecutions which followed the revocation of the edict of Nantes. A church is still maintained in which their ancient worship is celebrated.
Of public buildings, the ancient church of St. Michael’s, built about 1750, has some claim to architectural beauty.
The fashionable quarter of the city is the Battery. *Magnolia cemetery, on the Cooper river, is well worth a visit. It is one of the most beautiful in the South. It was laid out in 1850, and contains some handsome monuments.
The Custom House is a fine building, of white marble.
Those who wish to visit Fort Sumter, and review the scenes of 1861, can be accommodated by a small sailing vessel, which leaves the wharf every morning at 10.30 o’clock.
In the church-yard of St. Philip’s is the tomb of John C. Calhoun. A slab, bearing the single word “Calhoun,” marks the spot.
The museum of the Medical College is considered one of the finest in the United States.
4. AIKEN, S. C., AND THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS.
Within the past ten years the advantages for invalids of a residence in the highlands of the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee have been repeatedly urged on the public. The climate in these localities is dry and mild, exceedingly well adapted, therefore, for such cases as find the severe cold of Minnesota irritating, and the moist warmth of Florida enervating. Aiken, S. C., Atlanta, Ga., Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, East Tennessee, and other localities offer good accommodations, and have almost equal advantages in point of climate. Like other resorts, they do not agree with all invalids, but they are suitable for a large class.
One of the best known and most eligible is
Atlanta.
From Aiken to Augusta, 16 miles, $1.00. From Augusta to Atlanta by the Georgia railway, 171 miles, $8.50; 11 hours.
Hotels.—The National, on Peach Tree Street, $4.00 per day; the United States and the American, opposite the depot, $3.00 per day.
Telegraph Office in Kimball’s Opera House. Post Office, corner of Alabama and Broad streets.
Bathing House on Alabama street, near U. S. Hotel.
Circulating Library at the Young Men’s Library Association on Broad street.
Atlanta has about 20,000 inhabitants. The water is pure, the air bracing, and the climate resembles that of Northern Italy. The Walton Springs are in the city, furnishing a strongly chalybeate water, much used, and with great success, as a tonic. The fall and spring months are peculiarly delightful, and the vicinity offers many pleasant excursions.
Communication by rail either to Chattanooga and East Tennessee, or south to Macon, etc., is convenient.
5.—FROM CHARLESTON TO SAVANNAH.
The tourist has the choice of the railway via Coosawhatchie, or via Augusta, Georgia, or the steamers. The first mentioned road was destroyed during the war, and is not yet in running order.
Steamboats also leave Charleston every Thursday and Saturday, direct for Fernandina, Jacksonville and Palatka, and should be chosen by those who do not suffer from seasickness. They are roomy, and the table well supplied.
Savannah.
Hotels.—*Screven House, Pulaski House, both $4.00 a day. *Marshall House, $3.00 per day, $15.00 per week, an excellent table. *Pavilion Hotel, Mr. Noe. Proprietor; a quiet, pleasant house for invalids, $3.00 per day.
Boarding Houses.—Mrs. McAlpin, South Broad street; Mrs. Kollock, South Broad street; Mrs. Savage, Barnard Street; all $3.00 per day, $14.00 per week.
Post Office and Telegraph Office on Bay street, near the Pulaski House.
Street Cars start from the post office to various parts of the city. Fare, 10 cents; 14 tickets for $1.00. Omnibuses meet the various trains, and steamboats will deliver passengers anywhere in the city for 75 cents each.
Livery Stables are connected with all the hotels.
Restaurants.—The best is the Restaurant Francais, in Whitaker Street, between Bay and Bryan Streets.
Newspapers.—Daily Savannah News, Daily Morning News.
Bookstores.—J. Schreiner & Co., near the Pulaski House. (Brinton’s Guide-Book, Historical Record of Savannah.)
Depots.—The Central Railroad depot is in the southwestern part of the city, corner of Liberty and E. Broad Streets. The railroad from Charleston has its terminus here. The Atlantic and Gulf Railroad is in the south-eastern part of the city, corner of Liberty and E. Broad Streets.
Savannah is situated in Chatham county, Ga., on a bluff, about forty feet high, seven miles above the mouth of the river of the same name, on its right bank. Its present population is estimated at 40,000.
The city was founded by Gov. James Oglethorpe, in 1733. It played a conspicuous part during the Revolution. With characteristic loyalty to the cause of freedom the Council of Safety passed a resolution in 1776 to burn the town rather than have it fall into the hands of the British. Nevertheless, two years afterwards the royal troops obtained possession of it by a strategic movement. In the autumn of 1779 the American forces under General Lincoln, and the distinguished Polish patriot, Count Casimir Pulaski, with their French allies under Count d’Estaing, made a desperate but fruitless attempt to regain it by assault. Both the foreign noblemen were wounded in a night assault on the works. Count Pulaski mortally. The spot where he fell is where the Central Railroad depot now stands.
The chief objects of interest are the monuments. The *finest is to the memory of Pulaski. It is in Chipewa square, and is a handsome shaft of marble, surmounted by a statue of Liberty, and supported on a base of granite. Its height is 55 feet; its date of erection 1853.
An older and plainer monument, some fifty feet high, without inscription, stands in Johnson square. It was erected in 1829, and is known as the Greene and Pulaski monument.
The city is beautifully laid out, diversified with numerous small squares, with wide and shady streets. Broad Street and Bay Street have each four rows of those popular southern shade trees known as the Pride of India, or China trees (Melia Azedarach).
A praiseworthy energy has supplied the city with excellent water from public water works; and, in Forsyth Park, at the head of Bull Street, is a fountain of quite elaborate workmanship.
Some of the public buildings are well worth visiting. The Georgia Historical Society has an excellent edifice, on Bryan Street, with a library of 7,500 volumes, among which are said to be a number of valuable manuscripts.
The *Museum, on the northeast corner of Bull and Taylor streets, contains a number of local curiosities.
The Custom House is a handsome fire-proof structure of Quincy granite.
The Exchange building, now used as the Mayor’s office, etc., offers, from its top, the best view of the city.
Excursions.—Several days can be passed extremely pleasantly in short excursions from the city. One of the most interesting of these will be to
*Bonaventure Cemetery.—This is situated 3 miles from the city, on the Warsaw river. A stately grove of live oaks, draped in the sombre weeds by the Spanish moss, cast an appropriate air of pensiveness around this resting place of past generations. A cab holding four persons to this locality costs $8.00.
Thunderbolt, a small town, (two hotels), 4½ miles south-east of the city, on a creek of the same name, is worth visiting, chiefly for the beautiful drive which leads to it. Cab fare for the trip,