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238 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
tin, naval officer, and Francis Lee, searcher. The growth of the town
was rapid. Schemes for public improvement were projected on quite
an impressive scale, and it was proposed, among other things, to con
struct a canal through the marshes to Colonel's Island. But the dream
dissolved into thin air with the outbreak of hostilities; and, after the
struggle for independence was over, Sunbury seems to have declined in
commercial importance and to have become more of an educational
center—in which respect it continued for years to enjoy an undisputed
leadership.
According to tradition, the first Masonic lodge ever organized in
Georgia was instituted under an old oak tree at Sunbury by Oglethorpe
himself. It was more than twenty years before the town was located
at this point, and when the founder of the colony was reconnoitering
along the southern coast. The Society of St. George, now the Union
Society, of Savannah, is said to have held a meeting under the same
tree, by virtue of which its charter was saved, and the incident caused
the old landmark to be designated in after years as the Charter Oak.
It was during the troublous days of the Revolution; and, among the
prisoners of war brought to Sunbury were Mordecai Sheftall, John
Martin, John Stirk and Josiah Powell, all of whom were members.
The charter of the organization provided for its own forfeiture, in the
event meetings were not held annually; and here, under the walls of
Port Morris, in order to save the charter from extinction, these prison
ers of war met and elected officers, and thus one of the noblest organiza
tions of the state was spared for future usefulness. Today, the Union
Society is the legatee and guardian of "Whitefield's Orphan Home, at
Bethesda. In the family of the Sheftalls a piece of the old oak is still
preserved.
It was at Sunbury that some of the most noted men in the colony of
Georgia resided. Here lived Dr. Lyman Hall, a signer of the Declara
tion of Independence from Georgia, a governor of the state, and a
patriot who, single and alone, represented the Parish of St. John in the
Continental Congress, at Philadelphia, before the province at large
could be induced to join the federation. Here Button Gwinnett, an
other patriot whose name is on the immortal scroll of freedom, spent
most of his time officially, while a justice of the peace for St. John's
Parish, though he resided on St. Catharine's Island. Here George
Walton, the last member of the illustrious trio who represented.Georgia,
was brought a prisoner of war, upon the fall of Savannah; and here he
remained for months until the wound which he received in defence of
the city was healed and his exchange was negotiated. Both Walton
and Gwinnett were also chief magistrates of the commonwealth.
There also lived here Richard Howley and Nathan Brownson, both
governors; John Elliott and Alfred Cuthbert, both United States sena
tors, and John A. Cuthbert, a member of Congress. Here also was the
home of Maj. John Jones, who was killed by a cannon ball at the siege
of Savannah; and here John E. "Ward, the first minister to China, was
born. Commodore Mclntosh, his sister, Maria J. Mclntosh, the famous
novelist, Judge William E. Law and many others of note, were also