The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-08
FORT BEAUREGARD IN PEACE.
Car Lines New Casino at Thunder
bolt, savannah's Latest Attraction.

Car Lines New Casino at Thunder
bolt, savannah's Latest Attraction.
The Savannah, Thundernolt and Isle Of
Hope Railways improvements at Thun-
derbolt will add another to Savannahs
attractive places of resort. and supply a
much needed nearby place, where the peo-
pie can enjoy the salt air within fifteen
minutes ride of the city.
At the southern extremity of
Thunderbolt the land terminates in
high bluff, overlooking the broad
reach of Wilmington river as it
sweeps from Warsaw sound. The point
works. known in the days of the war be-
tween the states as Fort or Battery Beau
regard
From it's ramparts can be seen
on one side Wilmington Island and on
the other Isle of Hope and Skidaway
Island.
It's warlke Columbiads and 9TH
er big guns, which swept the approaches
to Thunderbolt, have long since disap-
peared but a mountain of earth still
stands a monument to Southern engineer
ing skill and the energy and labor of
Southern soldiers. This relic of the
brave" has been transformed into beau
tiful park and promenade. The restored
ramparts have been laid off in walks, and
what was once the parade ground is the
site of the Casino building and a large
lake.
Thunderbolt has from time immemorial
been popular resort, and on pleasant
days the two wei kept roads from the
city are lined with vehicles, while the
electric cars, in fair weather or foul, are
always filed to their capacity. 1t is
place of many moods; n mixture of pleas
ure-seekers, idlers, fishermen and workers
in the canning factories, for the blue
points" and other leading brands of oys-
tiers are here started on their way to the
palates Of those who live away from the
home to the oyster The fame of the
Thunderbolt oyster is no less than that
of his fellow denizens of the deep, the
crab, the shrimp and the terrapin. A fish
dinner at Thunderbolt is a never-forgotten
joy
Where the ominous name came from is
a matter of uncertainty. 1t seems
to have equal antiquity with that of the
colony of Georgia Whether it be one
of these understanding Indian names
which was Anglicized by our forefath-
ers into Thunderbolt, or it came, as ira
dition has it, from lightning striking the
bluff and causing spring of water TO
gush forth, II is not now provable, though
the spring is there, If any one wishes evil
dence as to the truth Of the story.
OF one thing there is no doubt; that the
curious, picturesque hamlet known in law
as the town of Warsaw, and by the pub
lie as Thunderbolt, has seen more fun
to the square inch than any other place
in the state. However, there was time
when it was vast military camp; when
batteries of guns brisued from every
point, and every man who didn't have
sword. had a musket. Fort Beauregard
was the principal attraction then, next
to headquarters, which were located at
the house now known as Bannons Lodge,
famed far and near FOR it's fish and oys-
ter suppers and incompatible rolls.
The garrison in early days of the war
was local company known as the
Phoenix Riflemen" In course of time
the company grew into the Sixteenth
Georgia, and that command continued to
increase until it became the ixty-third
Georgia Regiment, c. s. A. It's duty was
to protect all the coast within reach, and
it's pickets patroled the adjacent islands
and also the river. They frequently re-
turned with prisoners captured while 60
ing from Port Royal to Fort Pulaski and
other places garrisoned by the United
States forces.
Peace did not "reign in Warsaw" in
those days. The time came, however,
when the necessities of the sorely- pressed
Confederacy required all it's available
forces in the field, and the SiXty-thir1
Regiment, over a thousand strong, left
Battery Beauregard as a part of Mercer s
| Brigade, under the ate Brig. Gen. Hugh W.
Mercer of this city, to reinforce Bragg's
army in North Georgia. After its de-
| parture the battery was garrisoned by
| different commands, until it was evacu-
ated, the night before Sherman entered
| Savannah. Though thirty-five years and
| more have elapsed since that eventful
/ night the immense earthworks still rise
/ above the surrounding land.
The work of restoring Battery Beaure-
! guard and adapting it to peaceful pleas
ures is being done under the direction OF
| Capt Il. J. Thomas, engineer of the rail-
way company, an eX-Confederate trooper
who followed the fortunes of Gen. Joe
Wheeler, and who has since been doing
good work as a civil engineer to rebuild
1 the waste places in and around Savannah.
Thunderbolt will not lose any of it's oiG
| attractiveness, and with that of Fort
Beaureguard restored and it's casino adj
died. it may be safely predicted that
it will more than hold its owr
with any other on the coast. No one
can view the work going on, and look
around at what is possible in the develop
ment of the place without feeling that
there is a great future for the enterprise
/ A hotel, to be patronized by home people
in summer and Northern visitors in win
ter would doubtless be a paying invest.
ment, and Battery or Fort Beaureguard
would become as well known throughout
| the country as a resort as other spots
made sacred by American soldiery
Mr. George Parsons, president of the Sa-
vannah. Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope Rail
way, and Mr.. l.. II. McIntire, general
manager, the one for inauguratng the
work of Improvement and the other foi
the energy with which he has built the
railway to the new terminal, deserve the
thanks of the people of Savannah.
WAS ANOTHER COLD NIGHT.