Washington's Southern Tour

Washington's Southern Tour. During his Southern tour of 1791, President George Washington visited Augusta--at that time Georgia's capital--from May 18-21. Washington met with Governor Edward Telfair and other "principal gentlemen of the place," including George Walton and John Twiggs; attended a ball at Richmond Academy "at which there were between 60 & 70 well-dressed ladies;" toured the remains of Fort Cornwallis near St. Paul's Church; and visited the falls on the Savannah River.

He described the city as "well laid out with wide & spacious streets. It bids fair to be a large town." Washington's return to Philadelphia began on May 21 when he departed for Columbia, S.C. 1999.21