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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 147
been one of incessant activity and solicitude. But for Ms energy,
intelligence, watchfulness, and self-sacrifice, the enterprise must have
languished. As we look back upon this period of trial, uncertainty,
and poverty, our admiration for his achievements increases the more
closely we scan his limited resources and opportunities, the more intelli
gently we appreciate the difficulties he was called upon to surmount.
Always present whenever duty called or danger threatened, he never
expected others to press on where he himself did not lead.
"The only home he ever owned or claimed in Georgia was on
St. Simon's Island. The only hours of leisure he enjoyed were spent
in sight and sound of his military works along the southern frontier,
upon whose safe tenure depended the salvation of the colony. Just
where the military road connecting Fort St. Simon with Frederica,
after having traversed the beautiful prairie constituting the common
pasture land of the village, entered the woods, General Oglethorpe
established his cottage. Adjacent to it were a garden, and an orchard
of oranges, figs, and grapes. Magnificent oaks threw their protecting
shadows above and around his quiet, pleasant abode, fanned by deli
cious sea-breezes, fragrant with the perfume of flowers, and vocal with
the melody of song-birds. To the westward, and in full view, were the
fortifications and the white houses of Frederica. Behind rose a dense
forest of oaks. 'This cottage and fifty acres of land attached to it,'
says the Honorable Thomas Spalding in his 'Sketch of the Life of
General James Oglethorpe,' 'was all the landed domain General Ogle
thorpe reserved to himself, and after the General went to England it
became the property of my father. . . . After the Revolutionary
war, the buildings being destroyed, my father sold this little, property.
But the oaks were only cut down within 1 four or five years past, and
the elder people of St. Simon's yet feel as if it were a sacrilege, and
mourn their fall.' Here the defenses of St. Simon's Island were under
his immediate supervision. His troops were around him, and he was
prepared, upon the first note of warning, to concentrate the forces of
the colony for active operations. In the neighborhood several of his
officers established their homes. Among them, 'Harrington Hall,' the
country seat of the wealthy Huguenot, Captain Raymond Demere,
inclosed with hedges of cassina, was conspicuous for its beauty and
comfort."
To note briefly some of the elements of strength presented by
Georgia's southern frontier at this time, the town of Frederiea, guarded
by a secure fort built of tabby, was a town of probably 1,000 inhab
itants, most of whom were soldiers. On the south point of the island,
at the village of St. Simon, was erected a watch-toAver, from which
the movements of vessels at sea might "be conveniently observed and to
apprise Oglethorpe of any information gathered from this point of
observation there were signal guns mounted to give the alarm and a
horseman ready to convey dispatches to headquarters. Vigils were
also kept by a party of rangers at Bachelor's Redoubt and by a cor
poral's guard at Pike's Bluff. There was also a canal built to facili
tate communication with Darien. On Jekyll Island, where Captain
Hortdn owned a plantation, defensive works were erected. . There was
also established here a brewery to supply the troops with beer. On