McIntosh County, Georgia

McIntosh County, Georgia
McIntosh County Courthouse in Darien
Location in the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1793
Seat	Darien
Largest city	Darien
Area
• Total	574 sq mi (1,487 km2)
• Land	424 sq mi (1,098 km2)
• Water	150 sq mi (388 km2), 26.1%
Population
• (2010)	14,333
• Density	34/sq mi (13/km²)
Congressional district	1st
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.mcintoshcountyga.com

McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,333. The county seat is Darien.

McIntosh County is included in the Brunswick, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The area which was formerly named McIntosh County was originally settled by the British in 1721 with the construction of Fort King George, which was part of a set of forts built as a buffer between the British colonies to the north and Spanish Florida to the south, under the direction of General James Oglethorpe. New Inverness (later named Darien) was founded in 1736 by Scottish Highlanders who were enticed to move to Georgia by General Oglethorpe. In 1760 the British built Fort Barrington on the north side of the Altamaha River about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of present-day Darien. It was used for decades and a transportation and communication center up and down coastal Georgia. The County split off from Liberty County in 1793. The new county was named McIntosh for its most famous family, which included Lachlan McIntosh, who was a general in the Continental Army. The McIntosh clan in Darien dates back to 1736.

Few Georgia counties suffered during the Civil War as much as McIntosh County. The agricultural loss of the planters and plantations was devastating. Even the lumber industry was destroyed, along with the once-thriving seaport town of Darien, which was the result of the "total war" tactics of James Montgomery in June 1863.