page 2 of 3

Ft. Sumter is much changed from how it looked at the opening shot of the Civil War. The fort was largely reduced to rubble. After the war, some reconstruction was done but the third level was not replaced. A large battery was installed inside the fort prior to the Spanish-American War and that large, black hulk now dominates the inside of the fort. The fort no longer sits on an island as the channel on one side has largely been filled over the years by dredging from the harbor.

After another quiet night and wonderful breakfast, we were off to Middleton Place plantation. Middleton Place was started by Henry Middleton, president of the first Continental Congress. His son, Arthur, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Arthur's son, another Henry, was governor of SC. Middleton Place has the oldest gardens in the country. Ten years was spent creating them and they still look great today. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the plantation home. Most of it was destroyed by a regiment of Sherman's men who looted and burned most of the house in 1865 in retaliation for its then owner, Williams Middleton, having signed the Ordinance of Secession. What does remain of the house (the former gentlemen's guest quarters) has been restored and is well worth the tour.

After our tour of Middleton Place, we headed off for Savannah. Our destination was the Forsyth Park Inn, a large, well-appointed B&B on the edge of Forsyth Park where the Arts Festival was being held. We checked in and soon hooked up with everyone else. We had a quick BBQ dinner which included Chris and girlfriend Anna.

After breakfast on Saturday, we all walked down to the waterfront. Savannah has many beautiful squares (parks) and we were able to walk through quite a few. The parks are small but heavily treed and many have fine churches and homes built around them. At about noon, we headed for the Sidewalk Arts Festival.

page 2 of 3