History & Genealogy

Purpose This page presents summaries of research done by the Georgia Commissioner and members of Clan Moncreiffe. It is presented as our informed opinion of the way things were, but should not be construed as a definitive record prepared by a qualified professional. James Moncrief – the First Georgia Moncreiffe The earliest records of Moncreiffes in Georgia suggest James Moncrief was the first of our family to leave his mark on this colony/state. James was born in 1744 and died in 1793. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1762 and by 1765 was in British East Florida, serving as a military engineer responsible for fortifying Saint Augustine for the British Army. The colony had been acquired by Britain from the Spanish in 1763. Records show James settling on land along the Saint Johns River. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, James’ duties as a military engineer called for service beyond East Florida. In 1778, James was in Savannah, Georgia preparing the city defenses against eminent attack from French and American forces. At the current site of the Desoto Hotel stands an historical marker paying tribute to Captain James Moncrief. Near this site originally stood brick barracks, which were dismantled under James direction to construct “hornworks” to thwart the siege. Other fortifications constructed in Savannah by Capt. Moncrief during that period are receiving considerable attention today. The Spring Hill Redoubt was discovered in August 2005 during the development of Battlefield Park. 200 to 300 slaves working almost around the clock under Capt. Moncrief hastily constructed this earthwork fortification. Their efforts proved amazingly successful during the siege of Savannah in October 1779, when an estimated 800 French and American soldiers were killed or wounded assaulting the structure. The redoubt has been faithfully reproduced at Battlefield Park as a memorial to those killed. With British defeat in the Revolution and the return of Spanish rule to East Florida in 1784, James Moncrief elected to leave America with most of his fellow British citizens, after almost 20 years of residency. Archives The following are available to active members of Clan Moncreiffe. Please submit your request to Mark Smith at GaMoncreiffe@numail.org. Genealogy: GEDCOM files Family Tree Maker (.ftw) files Adobe (.pdf) files of family trees Please specify the individuals and time frames of interest. History: John Moncrief (1650 - 1712) James Moncrief – the First Georgia Moncreiffe

Revolutionary War Barracks and Fortification State Historical Marker Located next to elevator of the indoors parking garage of the DeSoto Hilton Plaza, Bull and Liberty Streets, Savannah 32°04.443, 081°05.588 Courtesy of GeorgiaInfo Spring Hill Redoubt, Battlefield Park Savannah, Georgia Courtesy of the Coastal Heritage Society Fortification Plans for Savannah (ca. 1782) showing Ft. Prevost to the left, hornworks at the top, and two redoubts to the right of the city. Courtesy of the Savannah Images Project, Armstrong Atlantic State University