Historic Chucktown

Above is Francis Marion, a.k.a the "Swamp Fox," a South Carolinian, American Revolutionary War general, upon whom Mel Gibson's "Patriot" character was loosely based.

A week ago I had a chance to go to downtown Charleston to the Old Exchange Building/Provost Dungeon. It was pretty interesting to stand in the same building:

• Where 49 pirates were imprisoned in 1719 before being hanged by the City of Charleston that same year.
• That was the last building built by the British in the Colonies before the American Revolution.
• Where 3 of the 4 South Carolinian signers of the Declaration of Independence were imprisoned by the British.
• Where South Carolina was the 8th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
• Where George Washington stayed for about a week when he visited South Carolina in 1791.

While I'd never peg myself as a "history buff," I do enjoy the stuff. It's just pretty bangin' to stand in the same room where Gen. George-daggum-Washington stood. Sort of overpowering in a sense.