Monteith Swamp was a small but important engagement during the Union conquest of Savannah, Ga. The Picket wrote in August about a non-profit archaeological group winning a federal grant to document the forgotten battlefield, which mostly sits on private land.
Daniel Elliott of the LAMAR Institute was on site in November and has provided updates on his personal blog.
Using ground-penetrating radar and other technologies, LAMAR has located two portions of the December 1864 battlefield along the Chatham and Effingham county lines.“One is in the northwest corner of Harrison’s Field and the other is further north in the swamp margin. Finds include grapeshot, bullets, a scabbard tip. Other finds may be related to the Civil War period, including cut lead, cut brass, many 19th century buttons, and various iron and brass hardware,” writes Elliott (above).
The search has also yielded a "fine specimen" of an earlier Union uniform button and fired brass percussion caps “that clued us into the battlefield landscape.”
“Since then we have been plugging along unearthing and mapping an assortment of battle and post-battle objects in Harrison’s Field,” writes Elliott.
Harrison's Field photo courtesy of Cindy Wallace
Hey Phil, I live right on the border of Effingham/Chatham Cos. Monteith Rd is maybe 2 miles from house. I am not sure where Harrisons field is though. I would love to see a map of the batle if one exists. My property sits right above a swampy area (one of many in the area). It would be really cool to think some of the troops may have encamped irght in our area. My 3rd great grandfather was actually wounded at monteith and later died in Sav. We are from NC and I guess Destiny brought me to this exact location, unknowingly. If you can send me any more info that would be great. Please use this email though fletcher_65@hotmail.com
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