Students Visit Historic Sites

Piedmont Academy’s middle school students went on a three-day educational field trip March 31 through April 2, filled with Georgia and American history.

The students and their sponsors departed from Piedmont early Tuesday morning and their first stop was Andersonville. The Andersonville National Historic Site preserves the former Camp Sumter, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War. They learned that in just 14 months over 13,000 soldiers died from illnesses, starvation and their attempt to escape.

Next, they stopped at Pinpoint Island, just south of Savannah. Here, they became knowledgeable about the Gullah and Geechee culture on the Sea Islands of Georgia who have retained their ethnic traditions from West Africa since the mid-1700s. They also learned the operations of an oyster and crab factory on the island.

They were taught how to shell oysters and some students made crab nets.

On Wednesday, the students and their chaperones hit the ground running. They started the day at the Massie Heritage Center in Savannah. This was the first public school for underprivileged white children in Georgia. They learned about discipline during the 1800s as well as architecture and the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

They went on a walking tour with their first stop being St. John’s Cathedral. Next, they walked the beautiful squares of Savannah and were told about the statues and fountain and what each square represented.

The students loaded the bus and headed to Wilmington Island. They did an eco-cruise where they saw dolphins, pelicans, ducks, learned about the marsh, and saw many beautiful homes as well as the home of famous chef and cooking show celebrity, Paula Dean.

After the cruise, the group toured Old Fort Jackson. When arriving at the fort, the students were treated like civil war soldiers. The students were able to experience giving and receiving military orders, dressing in soldier attire, trying the medications used during the war, and even a cannon blast.

Next, they went to Fort Pulaski. There they were able to get close to cannons and went under the mounds and learned how the enemy would try to attack.

That evening, they enjoyed dinner at the famous Mrs. Wilke’s Boarding House restaurant in downtown Savannah. The restaurant has been in business for over 70 years and is now run by Mrs. Wilkes’ grandson. It is all the country food you can eat with good ‘ole southern hospitality. The trolley picked them up after dinner and they went on a ghost tour around Savannah. They learned about the history and hauntings of downtown Savannah. The trolley was definitely a highlight for the students.

The last day began at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum where they learned about WWII. The students were able to see and touch a B-17G air craft. The aircraft was flown during the war on combat missions of German targets between the years of 1942-1945.

After leaving the museum, they strolled along River Street where they had a picnic lunch and did some shopping before heading back to Monticello.