Sailors' Burial Ground

In this burial ground, hallowed to the "men who go down to the sea in ships and occupy their business in great waters," are interred ship captains and seamen from many lands -- America, Norway, Sweden, England, Scotland, Ireland and Germany. The lot was purchased in 1860 by John Cunningham, a public-spirited citizen of Savannah, as a burial place for seafarers "who may die in this Port." It was presented by Major Cunningham in 1897 to the Savannah Port Society which was incorporated by the Georgia Legislature in 1843 for the purpose of promoting the welfare of "Seamen frequenting the Port of Savannah." A commemorative service for the officers and men of the merchant marine whose mortal remains lie here is held annually at this site on the Sunday nearest National Maritime Day, May 22nd, which is the anniversary of the departure of the Steamship "Savannah" from this Port on her epoch-making voyage across the Atlantic in 1819.