David's Blog from the Creative Coast & Carolina Low Country!

Daufuskie Island, a pivotal point of the Revolutionary War in the South

The Revolutionary War broke out in New England in 1775, but after four years of war, the British focused their strategy on the Southern colonies, Georgia and South Carolina. Savannah was captured by the British on December 29, 1778, a force of 3,000; including British Regulars, German Hessians and New York Loyalists surprised an American force of 900.

With the American victory at Saratoga in October 1777, the French and Spanish governments recognized the rebelling American colonies. They pledged their support; troops, weapons, uniforms, monies and the use of their navies. It took almost a year, before the French support arrived.

It was decided by the French and American military to recapture Savannah, this operation commenced in August of 1779. The French fleet was available for operations in the area because of hurricane season in the Caribbean. The fleet took up a position between Daufuskie and Tybee Islands in effort to cut off British access to the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, American guerrilla raids in the South Carolina Low Country, cut off of British supplies and outposts.

The British high command decided to consolidate all of their forces, for a American and French army numbering of about 7,000 landed east of Savannah on September 1, 1779. The British force in Savannah numbered around 2,500. British troops in South Carolina, numbering 800, from Johns and Edisto Islands were ordered to join the force in Savannah.

This force traveled with their equipment in long boats towards Savannah, they were caught in the high surf at Tybee Roads, located between Tybee and Daufuskie Islands, plus the French fleet that was moving up to intercept. The British force retired to Calibogue Sound while battling tides, wind and the French fleet. The British troops were forced to abandon their equipment near the present day site of the Bloody Point Cemetery on Daufuskie Island. These troops armed with their muskets made their way to Savannah by rowing and marching along the many creeks towards Screven's Ferry, on the South Carolina side of the present day Talmadge Bridge. This was regarded as the greatest forced march of the American Revolution. These troops were able to join the defenders in Savannah.

The Americans and French, surrounded Savannah on three sides and were not able to completely cut them off after 40 days of siege. The Allies attacked the British on October 9, 1779 with heavy losses and were unable to recapture Savannah. Savannah was retained by the British until 1782 and is considered to be one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolution.

Daufuskie would see more action in 1781, Philip Martinangel, a Daufuskie Island loyalist, burned a plantation and ambushed a rebel force on Hilton Head Island. The site of the ambush is near my Hilton Head Real Estate office, the intersection of Matthews Drive and US 278. Loyalist and rebels had been fighting amongst each other in South Carolina since the Revolution began. The motion picture, The Patriot, scratches the surface of this civil war that tested the loyalties of the South Carolina colonists during the war.

The Patriots from Hilton Head vowed revenge, they formed the Bloody Legion. This unit soon landed on Daufuskie Island and burned loyalist plantations. They soon captured and executed Martinangel. This final action  was one the last battles of the American Revolution.

Debut Auction of Works of Local Artist May 3rd

           

Bull Street Auctions to Auction Works of Local Artist: Augustus I Riedel

Bull Street Auctions is Proud to announced that is has been commissioned to conduct
the first public sale of the works of Savannah Artist: Augustus I Riedel.In all 7 of
Mr. Riedel's original paintings will be sold to the highest bidder on Sunday, May 3, 2009.

The items will be part of Bull Street Auctions regularly scheduled auction. The auction begins promptly at 1pm. Preview times for the May 3rd auction are Saturday, May 2nd 11am-3pm and Sunday, May 3rd 11am-2pm. Bull Street Auctions is located at 2819 Bull street; behind Maggies' Antique Mall. Photos of the paintings to be sold can be viewed at www.bullstreetauctions.com. Known as

“Gus” to his friends, Mr. Riedel served as the Paint Shop Foreman for he Central Georgia Railroad during the first part of the 20th century..He was responsible for the creation of the color scheme for the logos for the trains: Nancy Hanks II and Man of War..During his spare time he was a painter and furniture maker...His paintings were part of an exhibit at the Telfair Art Museum during the in 1921. Mr. Riedel continued his painting through the 1950s. Mr. Riedel primarily painted using water colors or pen and ink. He skills in silk screening were also well documented. His primary subject matter included: coastal scenes, scenes of old downtown Savannah, trains and paintings of African Americans.

Upon his death his works stayed in the family and were never sold until only a few years ago. A collection of his works were sold to 3 separate art dealers. We are pleased to offer to the public the first opportunity to own a true part of: Savannah, Georgia and American Art History.

The paintings to be sold at auction include:
“Broughton Street”: 1921
“School Days”: “Valona by the Sea”: A wonderful study of shrimp boats mored in river and marsh
“Midway Church": a great depiction of a historically famous church
“Sunlight and Green: A study of light and color
“Marble Yard on West Broad”:Interpretation of Marble engraving Shop
“Garage Such As It Is”: A depiction of a private garage/Pen and Ink

“Gus” Began his love affair with painting while serving as an apprentice in the Paint Shop of the Central Georgia Railroad. He By 1916 he was promoted to Assistant paint Shop Foreman, and served in that position until 1945. During a 3 year period, Riedel Earned a degree from the School of Applied Arts located in Battle Creek Michigan. In addition to his contributions related to the Nancy Hanks II and man of War, he was responsible the painting of landscape scenes used for the murals inside the Railroad's
passenger cars.

His Estate included 140 paintings that he had painted from the 1920s through the 1960s. As a member of the Savannah Art Club, a showing of his works and those of fellow artists were conducted at the Telfair Museum from March 15-29 in 1921.

For further information regarding the sale of Mr. Riedel's Artwork or any questions regarding
Consignments or Estate Liquidations call Craig or Lisa Arcos 443-9353

Savannah Garden Exposition this Weekend!

This weekend is the famous Savannah Garden Exposition. Although my company was invited to be an Exhibitor, I have never attended the event, but it's intrigue is great. It is hosted at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum (http://www.chsgeorgia.org/roundhouse/home.htm), a totally cool venue in itself, showcasing Savannah train history.

For this event, my company, Erin P. Salzer Landscape Design, (www.ErinPSalzer.com), was invited with 7 other companies, to create a 10'x 10' exhibition garden. This garden was to be based on'“Our Square Roots” in honor of Savannah’s distinctive city planning and garden designs.'

Our concept was to create a garden showcasing Savannah as a jewel of the Southeast Coast. Features in the garden are inspired by the city’s past, present, and future. For example, the gold bed walls pay homage to the gold dome of City Hall, and architectural elements used in the garden are seen throughout the city. The usage of the square as the basis of the garden refers to the perfect Oglethorpe plan for the city, a plan known throughout the world for its unique ingenuity. The plantings chosen are lush and elegant, pairing and grouping together for an appealing juxtaposition that is also indicative of the city. Southern and tropical plants evoke the sultriness of our subtropical climate, which lets such different plants mesh together.

Further interest is gained by the usage of plants of varying texture and foliage, not just flowers, which is a low maintenance technique for the home garden. The color splashes seen in the recycled tumbled glass aggregate add a vibrant jewel tone to the garden. The glass is a clean, modern, eco-friendly alternative groundcover.  Depending on the application of recycled glass, an architect or client may claim LEED credits or “green points.”

The Expo begins Friday, April 17th and will run through Sunday, April 19th, 2009, rain or shine, at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum at 601 W. Harris Street.  Hours are 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Sunday. Hope to see you all there!

Savannah Sand Gnats, Opening Day Baseball, April 9th!

  This Thursday, baseball returns to Savannah with a 6:30 game against the Augusta Green Jackets. The Sand Gnats just signed a two year extension as the affiliate of the New York Mets in the South Atlantic League. The Green Jackets are Single-A for the San Francisco Giants.

The April 9th game will feature a South Atlantic League tradition, 'Thirsty Thursday,' two for one Budweiser beers and Cokes. There will also be plenty of mischief between innings and it will be caped off with a fire works celebration after the game. I have not missed an Opening Day in Savannah, since 1995, when I took a road trip to Atlanta to see the Braves host the San Francisco Giants for their Opening Day ceremonies.

Last year, the Gnats missed the playoffs with a record of 61-76. This year they will have 72 games at Grayson Stadium. Last year, I was able to attend 15 games, mostly with friends from Hilton Head Island.

This year's team should be competitive, they have two 17 year olds anchoring the left-side of the infield. One of them, Wilmer Flores, is regarded as one of the best prospects in the Mets organization. He played extremely well at shortstop for the Kingsport Mets. The other hot prospect, Jefry Marte, hit .325 in the Gulf Coast League. There are four additional prospects that were taken in the first ten rounds of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.

For the complete 2009 schedule, please click the link below; http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t543

Vidalia Onion Salad, a sign of Spring in the LowCountry

  We have are just days away from outside parties and dining. Why not add one of Georgia's great resources, the Vidalia Onion, to your menu. My first experience with Vidalia Onions in the LowCountry was slicing them thin for a garnish on a burger or for buttermilk onion rings. When I first moved to the LowCountry in 1992, a man was selling them out of the back of a old school bus, just before the Sea Pines Circle on Hilton Head Island. People also stopped at that location for Rock's Bar-B-Que and the video poker machines.

I was requested to bring back Vidalia Onions to Central New York for the Holidays, friends and family were looking forward to them.

Times have changed, the town of Hilton Head closed Rock's and the bus is gone. You can still find the onions at the major grocery stores, but what fun is that. My suggestion is to hit one of the stands in nearby Bluffton or at Polk's in downtown Savannah.

I stumbled on this recipe a few summers ago, so I thought this might be a great way to start of the Spring 2009 Recipe Blogs, Vidalia Onion Salad.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups of diced ripe tomatoes                               1/3 cup of chopped Vidalia Onions

15 fresh Basil leaves                                                   1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 fresh medium ears of corn, cooked & cooled              1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar

pinch of salt                                                                salt & pepper to taste

STEPS

1. In medium bowl, combine tomatoes and onion. Scrape corn and juice off cobs, add to mixture. Shred Basil leaves, add to mixture.

2. In another medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar & salt, cover and shake. Add mixture, toss to coat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and Chill. Enjoy.