Midway in Liberty County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Susie King Taylor
(1848-1912)
Educator, nurse, and author Susannah "Susie" Baker King Taylor was born into an enslaved Geechee family on the Grest Plantation in Liberty County, Georgia. Educated as a child in secret schools in Savannah, she escaped slavery in 1862 during the Civil War. In 1863 she married Sgt. Edward King of the first all-black U.S. Army regiment, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers/33rd U.S. Colored Troops. Moving with his regiment, she served as nurse, laundress, and teacher. After the war, she opened schools for African Americans in Savannah and Midway. In 1874, King moved to Boston, returning to Midway in 1879 to marry Russell Taylor at the Medway Chapel and School located here. In 1902, she published her memoir, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd United States Colored Troops. Susie King Taylor is buried in Massachusetts.
and the Susie King Taylor Women's Institute & Ecology Center
2019.3 • 89-1
Erected 2019 by Georgia Historical Society, Waters Foundation, Inc., and the Susie King Taylor Women's Institute & Ecology Center. (Marker Number 89-1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • War, US Civil • Women. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list.
Location. 31° 48.534′ N, 81° 25.827′ W. Marker is in Midway, Georgia, in Liberty County. Marker is on U.S. 17, 0.1 miles south of Medway Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the Midway First Presbyterian Cemetery grounds, across the highway to the southeast of the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 672 North Coastal Highway, Midway GA 31320, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Midway First Presbyterian Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Midway Museum (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); In Memory of Button Gwinnett and Dr. Lyman Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Midway Congregational Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Rev. Mr. John Osgood (approx. 0.2 miles away); Brigadier General James Screven (approx. 0.2 miles away); James Screven and Daniel Stewart (approx. 0.2 miles away); Midway Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Midway.
Also see . . .
1. Georgia Historical Society dedicates a historical marker to Susie King Taylor. WSAV3 News website entry:
This link includes a professional news video of the marker dedication ceremony. (Submitted on April 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Susie King Taylor (1848-1912). New Georgia Encyclopedia website entry:
Susie Baker King Taylor was the first African American to teach openly in a school for former slaves in Georgia. As the author of Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers, she was the only African American woman to publish a memoir of her wartime experiences. (Submitted on April 28, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 594 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on April 2, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.