A July 4 ceremony honored the nation’s founding and the men who signed the Declaration of Independence 248 years ago.
“Regardless of our religion, political affiliations or careers, the fourth of July is indeed an occasion to commemorate the contribution of our founding fathers to the freedom we enjoy on a daily basis,” said Robert Durland, president of the Clarence H. Cohen Chapter 162 of the National Sojourners, which organized the 14th annual Signers Monument ceremony.
Held at the 50-foot-tall obelisk that marks the burial site of two of Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence, the ceremony featured remarks by Lewis Smith of the Thomson-McDuffie Museum, who highlighted the contributions of all of Georgia’s founding fathers but specifically Abraham Baldwin, a minister, politician and signer of the Constitution.
Georgia’s signers were George Walton and Lyman Hall, whose crypts are beneath the obelisk which was dedicated on July 4, 1848, and Button Gwinnett, who is believed to have been buried in Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery although the exact location is unknown.
During the ceremony, the names of the signers were read, and a child rang a bell each time a name was spoken.
Members of several groups brought floral tributes in honor of the event.
Former Augusta resident James R. Hanby Sr. started the event. The Delaware resident organized it for more than a decade before the National Sojourners took it over.
Members of the Summerville Brass Quintet played several patriotic selections during the ceremony.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
