In fact, Sunbury was colonial Georgia's second-biggest shipping center in its heyday, before war, natural disaster, and a changing economy emptied it. Today, much of the old town site is a coastal landscape of live oaks and salt marshes on the tidal Medway River, just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Sunbury is about 45 minutes south of Savannah, making for a convenient day trip to explore a trail through its historic fort site or stop for a plate of fresh steamed crabs. The British Army captured Fort Morris in 1779, and the town never fully recovered. A few final blows snuffed out any chance of Sunbury's persistence: A hurricane struck the town in 1804, and it faced economic decline.