This county was formed from the parishes of St. John, St. Andrew, and St. James, in 1777. The eastern part is intersected by many large swamps. The surface is level. Hinesville, named for Charlton Hines, Esq., is the county town, 180 miles from Milledgeville. Walthourville is in the northwest part of the county. Dorchester is five miles from Sunbury. Riceborough is on North Newport River. Sunbury is on the south side of Medway River, on a bold bluff eight miles E.S.E. of Riceborough. It was laid out in 1758 by Mark Carr. Proposals were afterwards made to him to make a deed of trust for this tract of land, and accordingly he executed a deed to James Maxwell, Kenith Baillie, John Elliott, and John Stevens. This town was taken by the British in the war of the Revolution. Immediately after the war it was quite a flourishing seaport, having about forty families residing in it, and twelve or fifteen square-rigged vessels have been seen in its harbour at one time. The remains of the old fort, from which Colonel McIntosh sent to the British commander the gallant reply, "Come and take it," are still to be seen. Sunbury is now almost deserted, being inhabited by not more than six or eight families.

Extract from the Census of 1850 - Dwellings, 360; families, 362; white males, 1,021; white females, 981; free colored males, 6; free coloured females, 10. Total free population, 2,118; slaves, 5,908. Deaths, 116. Farms, 244; manufacturing establishments, 4. Value of real estate, $514,436; value of personal estate, $2,532,235.

Source:
White, George, Rev. Historical Collections of Georgia, Pudney & Russell, New York, 1854, pp. 513-514

Submitted by Bob Franks