“The Greatest Event that has Happened the Whole War:” Archaeological Discovery of the 1779 Spring Hill Redoubt Savannah, Georgia

In the summer of 2005 Coastal Heritage Society plans were well underway to develop a derelict property into Battlefield Park in downtown Savannah, Georgia (Figure I). This would be the culmination of a movement to memorialize the fallen of the 1779 Battle of Savannah. The movement began in the late 18th century and ebbed and flowed through the centuries under the direction of various individuals and organizations championing the cause. This more than 200-year old movement saw fruition in 2006 with the completion of Battlefield Park. The 21st century vision created an interpretive green space memorial park honoring the October 9, 1779 Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah and those who fought and those who died as a result. A CHS archaeological crew conducted archaeological investigations employing trenching with heavy machinery, shovel shaving, and hand excavation of features. This investigation located portions of the original Spring Hill Redoubt.