Washington Guns

George Washington sent a pair of bronze six-pounder cannons to Savannah after he visited the city in 1791 as part of his so-called “Southern Tour” following his inauguration. Affectionately called “George” and “Martha” after the nation’s first president and his wife, the guns — one British and one French — were given to the Chatham Artillery. In 1825, there was a push to send the guns to Augusta, but they remained in Savannah. According to one account, the guns were buried in 1861 uncovered in 1872.