Ms. Edith Smoak: National Teacher of the Year Tour: Day 7

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Ms. Edith Smoak: National Teacher of the Year Tour

Description: One of Prof. Deal's former high school teachers, Ms. Edith Smoak, who was a national teacher of the year in the 1970's, gave us a tour on St. Simons Island, both the north and south end of the island. The tour took place while the group was on Dr. Deal’s home church bus. Ms. Smoak took us to Christ Church, Fort Frederica, and Sea Island just to name a few. However, while those three sites were fascinating, I was most fascinated by the site of the battle of Bloody Marsh. We drove to where the battle took place and saw the marsh through the bus windows. The marsh looks like any other salt marsh in the state of Georgia.

Reflection: When I saw the marsh, I understood why James Oglethorpe, along with his men in the 42^nd Regiment, local Native Americans and with help from Scottish Highlanders that resided in the English colony of Georgia defeated the Spanish militia from Florida. Oglethorpe wanted to ambush the oncoming Spanish who wanted to take Fort Frederica. Oglethorpe’s men ambushed the Spanish militia and after about an hour of musket fire by both sides through a cloud of smoke, the Spanish retreated and they never bothered Georgia or its residents again.  If I was a solider fighting for the Georgia cause knowing that my commander, James Oglethorpe left me along with my peers, I do not think I would have been able to fight. Some of the soldiers did run but one of Oglethorpe’s lieutenants took command and led the Georgians to victory. I could never have been as brave as the soldiers that stayed and fought for freedom but I am really glad that those soldiers were that brave because if they weren't, we might be speaking Spanish in Georgia instead of English.

Analysis: Without the courage and superb fighting ability of the 42^nd Regiment, local Native Americans around Fort Frederica, and the Scottish Highlanders just to the North, Georgia might have been taken over by the Spanish. If the Spanish would have successfully taken over Georgia, Georgians would be Spanish and not English. The marsh is called Bloody Marsh because the colonial soldiers said that the marsh waters ran red with Spanish blood. Now, historians say that might be a myth because only twelve Spaniards and one of Oglethorpe’s men died during the battle while many others were wounded. Since there was minimal blood lost during the battle, not enough blood would have been spilled, literally, to cover the salt marsh read with blood. Overall, the battle site of Bloody Marsh is key to not only to the now state of Georgia, but also to the early United States of America because it allowed Georgia and its citizens to fight for the colonists warring against the British in the Revolutionary War.