Johnny Mercer Plot, Boneventure Cem, Savannah

Songwriter and performer Johnny Mercer's Family Plot 

Click on the pictures to make them bigger and readable and you can see some of Johnny's lyrics.

Tales From This Crypt*

*Heh heh. Boys and Ghouls, actually it is not tales from this crypt, it is a tale about the resident of that crypt – in a manner of speaking, heh heh, heh, ha ha Ha Ha HAW HAW.

The above is the eternal home of the body remains of James Habersham (c1712-1775), in the Colonel Cemetery in Savannah. He was a person wanting independence and did much for the independence movement , but died before the actual Declaration of Independence was, well, declared.

The other day while indexing pictures I came across some pictures I had taken in Savannah. The Ole’ Pink House and the Habersham’s crypt brought back some memories. But I did not take the picture of Habersham’s portrait, I found it on Google.

In February of 2005 Anna went to a business meeting in Savannah and I tagged along. The five day meeting was to convene on something like the 15th. We arrived a day before and toured Savannah. We ate at Paula Dean’s “The Lady and Sons” that morning and took a tour of the city.


On the tour The Ole Pink House Restaurant was pointed out as being the home of James Habersham in Colonial Days. The tour guide added that the house was rumored to be haunted by old James himself. We made a mental note to maybe eat there while we were in Savannah.



Somehow, either that night or the next night almost all the people at the meeting decided to have dinner at The Ole’ Pink House.

When we arrived a the restaurant we were taken up to the second level and about 8 of us were seated at a big round table with a portrait of James Habersham looking down on us.



I told this part a couple years ago, so stop me if you already heard it:

We were all sitting around, waiting for our food and making small talk and the seasoned ones were bringing past funny moments that happened at their meetings. One guy, T, brought up a handicapped person that worked for him one and he imitated the poor guy.

M said, “Lets give T a hand!”

Then, without warning: WHAM! The noise came from T’s plate. A rubber hand was lying in his plate. We were all shocked.

M, one of the quieter members at the table reached over and retrieved his artificial hand and reattached it. First there were silence, then everybody laughed, nervously of course.

I didn’t realize M had a prosthetic hand, and I doubt if many more did either.

I looked up at the portrait of James Habersham and his features seemed a little strainer and his eyes looked a little wider than they were a few minutes ago.

It appeared James was shocked too.

Then after people got over the shock and started talking again, people were making one-liners about M giving T “the back of his hand” or “M shot T the finger – five of them!” …. And wait! Everybody had more!

I looked up at James' portrait again. The look of shock had left his eyes and again they were glinting and his smile looked as if he had a few hand jokes he wanted to throw in too.

Savannah - Clarys Cafe postcard

You may recognize the figure in the stained-glass which is on a window at Clary’s Café in Savannah. It is of course the lady of justice holding equal weighted pans – or wait! Maybe she is holding two equal sized birth baths.

I believe she, as a statue, was out in Boneventure Cemetery at the Johnny Mercer family plot when she was mentioned in the book. But souvenir collectors kept stealing her.

She is just about a icon for the book and movie “The Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil” And so is Clary’s Café – in the book and movie, that is where all the kooks and/or eccentric people gathered to have breakfast every morning. It is sort of a watering hole for nuts.

Maybe that is why we went there.

Fort Pulaski - again. postcard

This is Fort Pulaski, near Savannah, again. This time we are looking down.

Lets pretend it is the Civil War, around December 1864, and Sherman has been reported in the area shopping for Lincoln a Christmas present and we have just left the fort via helicopter and we are going to scout out the area……..

I remember I was impressed with the moat.

Bonadventure Cemetery, Savannah postcard

If you go to Savannah – go to Bonadventure Cemetery. It is amazing. It looks like it is a true place for the meeting of the dead. It is ghostly looking with the Spanish moss hanging from the swooping limbs and eccentric are memorials all around.

Hmmpphhh! It gives me the shudders just thinking about it.

The card does not do justice of all the sights there to see. In the picture, the top left photo is the Mercer plot.

It is a huge cemetery that overlooks a waterway River just a few miles from downtown. I saw dolphins playing in the river when I was there.

About three years ago I spent just about a full day in the cemetery while Anna was at a business meeting. And after the meeting week was over before we went home I took her and showed her my discoveries, like the Johnny Mercer family plot, the Jewish section, Tyson relatives, and much others.

It is a cemetery worth visiting.

Isle of Hope - Savannah postcard

I think Paula Dean probably lives in the area of the Isle of Hope.

I wonder if there is an "Isle of Despair" in the area?

Beautiful Reynolds Park - Savannah postcard

The back of this card says the same as the front: Beautiful Reynolds Park - Savannah.

Is Beautiful part of the name? I mean, if I was looking for Reynolds Park on the map, in the index would look under the Bs?

And another thing - this square is suppose to be haunted which they say causes photographs to be blurry. Then, how come this postcard is so clear?

One of Savannah, Georgia's 24 beautiful squares, Reynolds Square is located on Abercorn Street, between Bryan and Congress. It was named for a Georgia Royal Governor, James Reynolds.

I did a little Google surfing and found this from website Reynolds Square, Savannah,Ga:


As a local legend goes, one of the buildings just off the property was used as a hospital for malaria patients, and a there was a makeshift crematorium in the center of what is now Reynolds square. Bodies were gathered not only from the hospital, but from local homes as well. Victims of the disease were wrapped in a bedsheet and their bodies were burned to prevent the spread of the terrible disease. There is some question, however, as to the thoroughness of the attendants; most of the bodies were certainly dead, but a few had probably only lapsed into a coma-like state from the disease. These people were literally burned alive in the center of the square.
That was long ago, however, and in 1969 the Methodists of Georgia erected a statue of Reverend John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination. He is said to have lived nearby, and the statue shows him in a preaching pose. It is a well-photographed attraction in Savannah, but often the photographs show strange colors or hazy patterns, if the photos turn out at all. Many people blame the photographic anomalies on the spirits of those poor souls who were burned alive in Reynolds Square.

"The Waving Girl" Savannah postcard

Because Savannah is having a big party today, it is only appropriate to have a postcard from Savannah.

On the back:
This monument was made by Felix de Weldon erected in 1971 by the Altrusa Club of Savannah and is dedicated to Florence Martus, who for 44 years waved a welcome to each incoming ship and goodbye to every out-going one passing to and from the Savannah Harbor. She died on February 8, 1943.

I wonder how many shipboard personnel thought she was saying, “Hey Sailor!! Looking for a good time?”

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

And a top of the morning to ya! I say as I toast you with my green coffee.

In this part of the U.S. Savannah has a big Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration. I never been there on March the 17th, but I hear they put something in the Savannah River that makes it green and everybody has a drinking good time with a huge parade.

I remember my late friend Bubba Johnson, after he reach adulthood used to go by train to Savannah every year for the celebration. The party started as soon as the train pulled away from, well, whatever a train pulls away from.

I am going to do my part for the cause and have a corn beef sandwich and maybe potato chips for lunch.

Go find yourself a 4-Leaf Clover and have some good luck. Maybe it is a good day for to play the lottery - maybe we will all win!!

Fort Pulaski postcard

Fort Pulaski is on an island on the waterways between Savannah and Tybee Island.

The back of the card says the Fort surrendered to U.S. Forces on April 11, 1862.

Rocky mailed us this card 165 years later when he visited the fort. On it he said something like “Hello to every postal employee between Savannah and Atlanta (I know you are reading).” Now, where did he get the idea that postal employees like to read post cards and share them with one another? Hmmm!

Anyway, Fort Pulaski is a nice interesting place to visit. I spent several hours there a few years ago while Anna was in Savannah at a business meeting.

Oh-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum Mate!! Aarree!

I snapped this at the Colonel Cemetery in Savannah. Unfortunately, the wall is lined with markers that they have yet matched with the underground remains since some vandals did damage of 20 years ago, when the last time we were there.

A Graceful Lady or Angel

Another picture from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.

I think it is an angel, although she doesn't have wings. Maybe she is meant to be lady morning.

Whichever, I think she is very candidly graceful. I say candid because she has a certain non-pretentious way about her.... otherwise, she would either cover her feet or have them her toes charmingly arched and pointed.

There is beauty in basics.

Dog Memorial in Bonadventure Cemetery

See the dog statue on the right? I'm sure the statue represents a certain dog that was part of the Smart family. I wonder if the dog lies underneath his/her memorial?

And if that is the case, I remember that in Egypt slaves and pets were sometimes entombed alive with their late master to be with them in the afterlife. Hmmmmm.

Gracie

This is Gracie. She is buried at Bonaventure Cemetery. Gracie died of a childhood disease. Her father was either manager or owner of a restaurant and hotel in Savannah.

Some people say that her ghost still roams the halls of the building of her father's establishment trying to locate children her size to play with.

More Angels at Bonaventure Cemetery - Savannah

Angel, one of many at Bonaventure Cemetery

An angel hanging out at Boneventure Cemetery, Savannah.

Gate to the Unknown

Here is an interesting concept. A gate, but no fence. Do you have to go through the gate?
A cemetery plot at Boneventure Cemetery, Savannah, Ga.

Savannah, a Ghost, and the Unattached hand

I went with Anna this past February to Savannah. She had four days of business meetings to attend.

The first or second evening we met the others of the working staff along and had dinner at The Olde Pink House in the historic district.

The Olde Pink House was first owned by James Habersham. James Habersham was a Georgia representative and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Now, it is said The Olde Pink House is haunted by Habersham’s ghost. The travel channel did a bit about Hancock’s ghost there and so did PBS. The waiters claim that he would walk around in his clothing of the period and socialize with the guests and sometimes evening playing a trick on them like hiding one’s fork before he or she reached for it, and the list is endless.

We had reservations. Two big tables held ten of us. Our table was round and was in a corner of the a room. Anna-s co-staffers table were within arm’s reach. One of the men sitting across from me I will call Tony. Behind Tony, high up on the wall, was a portrait of James Habersham, the original owner and maybe part-time ghost.

As we made polite conversation Tony, who struck me as a loud mouth braggart, with lack of anything else to say, brought up the subject of somebody that worked in his office, a handicapped person, a person that was challenged in controlling his body movements and his face movements. Tony said if he got excited talking he would lose control of his facial muscles and spit all over all you as he talked. Tony said he learned long ago to keep his distance or step aside when this guy was about to tell something.

Then…

One quiet person, lets call him John, between 55 and 60 years of age said, “Tony I think you deserve a hand for that”

WHAM!!! A big unattached hand landed onto Tony’s empty plate.

Everything got deathly quiet. John reached over and picked up his rubber artificial hand and re-attached it. Everybody at the table broke into laughter and some even were having hysterical laughter. I looked up at the portrait of James Habersham and he seemed to be frowning and not amused at all.

The rest of the evening Tony was mostly quiet. The hand was an inspiration to many to use some one-ones… like, “John can’t keep his hand to himself-“ and more.