There is a tree called the Whipping Tree in Savannah, Ga at the Laurel Grove South Cemetery. We learned about it first from the lady at the Welcome to Georgia visitor's center as we drove into Georgia from South Carolina. She told us that slaves were whipped there and that there were visible marks in the tree still.
I love history and grew up in the south, and being able to see something like that in person in the south was something I wanted to see as soon as she told us about it. We didn't read any information about it on any pamphlets there, although later we were told that it was part of one of the tours in Savannah.
We drove to Laurel Grove South cemetery so that we could find it and had no luck. We did see some amazing tombstones of some amazing people (Andrew Bryan and Henry Cunningham), but there were no directions or plaques anywhere in the cemetery about the tree. We looked for a while before deciding to drive into downtown Savannah again off of a tip we saw on the internet that there was a possibility in downtown that we could see the tree. We found a giant tree that was enclosed in a gate, but it was not it.
Back to Laurel Grove South to try one more time. We were on a time crunch to get to the airport but were determined in our quest.
We came into the cemetery a different way this time. My sister-in-law called the cemetery and they told us it was in section C. There are many roads in the cemetery and also a few sections. We also started paying attention to details in the pictures from people who had found it.
We finally stumbled upon a gravel "road" that looked like it matched one of the pictures on the internet and we FOUND it.
I made sure to take pictures so that others would be able to find it as well. It is important to remember our past.
This is the tree. During our time in the cemetery, there was a feeling of peacefulness. When we walked up to the tree though, it felt, sobering and almost like a reverence for the pain that had taken place there. I didn't quite feel right taking a selfie, but I did want a picture with someone in it to show the scale of the tree and the scale of the whip marks in the tree. It strikes a blow to your heart.
We were quiet while we were there pondering the tragic magnitude of the place.
I am glad we went on that walk. Words don't adequately express seeing something in person that you have read and heard about.
It brings it to life in a different way than just imagining it and reading about it in a book. If you ever stop by in Savannah, I recommend stopping by.