The old town of Sunbury, eleven miles east on this road, was a leading port said to rival Savannah in commercial importance and was the first seat of justice of Liberty County. Sunbury Academy, established in 1788, was in its time the most famous school in South Georgia, and the Rev. Dr. William McWhir, friend of Georgia Washington, was principal of the academy for 30 years. Fort Morris, about 350 yards south of Sunbury, was an important post during the Revolution, and it was here that Col. John McIntosh sent his famous reply, “Come and take it,” to the British order to surrender the fort.