Cumberland Island, Georgia

We visited Georgia’s southernmost barrier island, Cumberland Island 5/19/05. The eighteen mile long island has a maritime forest, salt marsh and miles of beaches. There are about 200 wild horses on the island, turkeys and deer. We also saw an alligator and manatee. We did some serious beach walking and shelling.

Timucan Indians occupied the island for 3000 years leaving behind a carpet of clam shells. Spanish missionaries arrived in the 1500’s. In 1736 the English, led by General James Oglethorpe, took possession of the island. Nathanael Green, revolutionary war general, built a home here in l786. Interestingly a friend visiting, “Lighthorse Harry” Lee, revolutionary war general and father of Robert E. Lee, died and was buried here. Robert E. Lee, civil war general, visited his father’s grave here several times.

On the same site in the late 1880’s a new mansion was built on the site by Thomas and Lucy Carnegie during the Gilded Age. The home named “Dungeness” was supported by a staff of 200 workers, and hosted the social and political notables of the day. Members of the family continued to live on the island until the 1920’s. There was a fire in the mansion in 1956 and today only a ruin of Dungeness remains.