Final answer:
John Wesley's individual experience in Savannah isn't directly documented within the information provided. Instead, historical context about Savannah's African American religious communities and their development during the 18th and 19th centuries, especially the First African Baptist Church, and events during the Civil War including Sherman's March to the Sea and the emancipation discussions that followed, are highlighted.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Wesley's experience in Savannah was complex and multifaceted, marked by his efforts to preach and organize religious communities among both settlers and enslaved Africans. However, the official record does not focus heavily on John Wesley's individual experiences, instead highlighting the religious and social developments in Savannah relating to African American communities. One key aspect of Savannah's religious history is the establishment of the First African Baptist Church towards the end of the 18th century. This church grew to a congregation of about 700 by 1800, a notable achievement during a time when religious and secular education for African Americans was severely restricted.
Andrew Bryan, a pivotal figure in Savannah's religious history, organized a church in 1782 that was recognized in the Baptist Annual Register in 1788 for its spiritual awakening among African parishioners. The church was influential, teaching its members the Bible and the Baptist Confession of Faith, and many of Bryan's 50 literate adult members helped establish the first black-led Sunday school for African Americans. Another figure, Garrison Frazier, played a significant role during Sherman's March to the Sea, which brought freedom to thousands of enslaved individuals by Union forces' advance. The meeting of Sherman with former slaves, including Frazier, in Savannah to discuss freedom illustrates a pivotal moment in the city's history.
Also of note is the role of Savannah in the broader tapestry of the American Civil War. General William T. Sherman's capture of Savannah in December 1864 led to a congregation of approximately 20,000 freedmen, who had joined the Union troops and refused to disperse. This moment underscored Savannah's importance as a center of emancipation and change.