Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-20

control, he was prevented from being pres
ent. In his place, Major Jordan Z. Brooks
responded by reading the following letter
from Colonel Charles II. OlmstSad:
sAvANEAH, January 18th, 1881.
MAJOR Jordan r. Brooks, Chairman Commit.
tee OglethoTpe Light Infantry:
DEAR STR beg to acknowledge receipt
of an invitation to be present at the banquet
to be given to celebrate the twenty fifth an.
niversary of the corps. 1t would give me
| great pleasure to accept, but circumstances
will prevent my attendance, and can only
send this expression OF regret that shall
be debarred from taking part In the festivi-
ties on so interesting an occasion.
My most hearty sympathy will be with
| you, however, and every wish for the con.
| tinued prosperity of the noble corps that a
warm affection for its members and a sin.
cere admiration for their heroic record could
suggest.
bow well remember the first parade OF
| the company. How wildly memory brings
! before me the long line of brave young
faces-the eyes beaming with joyous pride
and high ambition-,eYess, alas! so many of
| which were soon to be closed forever
Some saw the light of day last on the
plains of Manassas, some on the slopes OF
! Gettysburg, others In the tangled thickets
| of the Wilderness, on the sands of Morris
Island, on the soil of their own beloved
| Georgia, and on the cedar clad hills of fair
| Tennessee.
But wherever they sleep they sleep in
honor. Peace to their ashes. Let us cherish
their memory as precious legacy; let us
teach to our children the lesson taught 10
us by our comrades, that he ends life well
who ends it in the faithful discharge OF
| duty. Honor Duty 1t Is because these
| grand words were from the very first the
watchwords Of the Oglethorpe Light Infant
! rY that their history became what It is. Devo-
| ton to the interests of the corps was the
habit of mind OF each member. A forget
| fulness Of self, and keen sense of what
was due to the State, because the ruling
| principle of the command,
Non sibi, sed aliis,''
was not only inscribed upon their colors,
but 1t was the uuwritten law of their hearts.
Under the teachings of Francis s. Barlow
it was impossible for any to forget 1t, and
| so when the rude shock of war came II
found them ready to meet it, ready to dare
to do and to suffer.
For long period, Company B, Of the o.
L. l., was under my immediate command.
In that time their service involved every
phase of military life; the monotonoue
| duties of the garrison, the dangers and pri.
vations of beleaguered force, the soul.
wearing days Of Imprisonment, the harass.
ing and constant diminishing of the picket
line, the deadly glory of the battlefield, the
eXhausting labor of the trenches, the mid.
night march, the depressing influences OF
final defeat. | saw them in each and all, and
gladly bear testimony that they ever bore
! themselves as men of whom their native
city and State had Just cause to be proud.
Never did they fail TO give a willing
brave response to every call upon theil
manhood or their patriotism.
In conclusion, dear sir, permit me to hope
that the future Of the glorious old company
may be as bright and honorable as its past
has been. May new generation spring W
to bear its motto and to live by tt-then
shall that future be not simply hope, but
fixed assurance. With warm regard, respect
fully yours, CHAs. H. OLMsTEAD.
Music. "Sohd Men to the Front"
SECOND TOAST.
"THE STATE OF GEoRGIA.-From the hour
of supreme peril arose her loftlest
! glory in the dauntless valor of her Volun-
! teers.'
To this Colonel Clifford w. Anderson re.
| sponded. We regret that we are unable
to reproduce his remarks at length, for they
were eloquent, full Of feeling and graceful
Music, "DIxie."
THIRD TOAST.
"THE CITY OF SAvANNAH-The seaport and
pride Of every true Georgian. May health
>and prosperity remain her benefcent por
tion."
Capt. H. G. Cunningham. of the Savan
nah Volunteer Guards, was to have respond
ed to this sentiment, but he also was pre-
vented from being present.
Music-"Clear the Track"
FOURTH TOAST
"FRANcIs s. BARTow-Scholar, orator, iur
let and statesman! He crowned distin
guished life by hero's death in defense
of the land he loved so we'll"
To this sentiment General A. r. Lawtor
was expected to respond. Captain Falli-
giant announced, however, that the General
had been suddenly and imperatiyely called
Off to Atlanta on business, and in response
recited with great expression the beautiful
poem: "Come to the Bridal Chamber
| Death.n
Mueic-'Let the Dad and Brave Rest.
FIFTH TOAST.
'OUR HoNoRED DEAD'-
On Fame's eternal camping ground
| Their silent tents are spread:
! And Glory guards, with solemn round
! The bivouac of the deAd!''
Responded to by Captain Falligant as fol
| lows:
Fellow Soldiers, the tender, exquisite
| pathos of this sentiment rises from the
whole stanza like delicate perfume from g
! full blown flower.
The mufled drums sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo,
No more on life parade shall meet
| The brave and honored few:
On Fame 8 eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
! And Glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the deadi'
SO perfect the eulogium, a single addi-
| tional word would mar the hues of heaven
hot hlozOp hafr
| It seem less spiritual. These occasions sum-
mon invisible guests; Call the roll OF
heroic spirits, and Memory, like the veteran
| Sergeant OF the Old Guard, answers to each
name
| dead upon the field Of honor"
To the PATRIOTS God, the humblest sol
| der who fills an unknown grave is great as
any whose name and fame belongs to the
universe.
When the cultured Greeks had deifed all
the attributes Of man and nature, adjoining
their beautiful land with classic temples in
honor of their gods, from the deep of their
immortal souls instinctively arose the con
seriousness of divine existence higher than
august Jove on the mysterious cloud-capped
| Olympus. Statues and temples gave ex.
preston to each beautiful and sublime
idea, and Phidias crowned their highest ART
with the splendid frieze of the Parthenon.
| Oub ING uuuCuuCu COuflCGlOu udu no lQEHT-
prefer; so, upon Mars hill they erected a
simple altar and dedicated it
ITO the Unknown God"
We may tell over the deeds of high EN-.
| prise our famous heroes have achieved
comparing them proudly with the greatest
names OF every land and every age, and
worshiping the glories that exalted them
and US; but, ali the while, rises the con-
viction of something greater, patriotism
deeper and purer.
Those, however lofty their love of coun-
try, felt the exultant rapture of fame, and
Tread their history in the nations eyes,"
| but these whom we should most truly honor,
| sleeping, many of them in unmarked graves,
| left home and wife and children and every
! tender tie to take from the gauut and with
cred hand of despair and death the haDless
| guerdon of oblivion. Like the heroes of
the first revolution, footsore and weary,
through the chill SHOWS of winter, over
frozen ground, you could track them
sometimes in their blood. God alone
knows Whist they endured. Yet they
never faltered, conscious that q sol
| dier's duty was to die. Often,
after battle, as they cheerfully took their
pitiful meal, and the glare of the camp fire
made more visible the new and CHASTITY
gaps in their tattered and decimated ranks,
| some one would say with a smile, 'tWell,
| boys, whose turn next ~ But none 6lanched
| to meet the issue,
On the red hillo of Georgia, upon the
| plains of the great West, in the sweet
valleys of Virginia and on her mountain
| slopes, countless host,
geThaxy al