Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-20
rHE rIRsr REGIMENT,s ARMoRY.


The Proposed Site on AbercOrn and
Huntingdon Streets-Its Valuation by
the City Council.
The action Of the City Council on
Wednesday night in placing a nominal
valuation upon the two city lots on the
corner Of Abercorn and Huntington
streets. which will be sold at auction to
the highest bidder above the valuation,
viii, without a doubt, secure TO the First
Regiment site for its proposed armory.
| The matter Of erecting an armory has
been under consideration Tor some time
| by the officers Of the regiment. The first
/ step was 10 secure site. The property
| on the southwest corner Of AbercOrn and
/ Huntington streets, adjoining the Mill
/ tary Academy, was selected as
/ a desirable location Upon inyesti-
CATION it was found that the TWO
/ lots, which would form the site,
! belonged to the city. A committee was
/ anDOinted 10 confer with the City COun-
| ell. and il was through the efforts OF the
| committee that the action on Wednesday
/ was taken. At the meeting preceding the
| last meeting Of the Council a petition was
| presented by the committee, asking
| valuation to be placed upon the property
| selected for a site. The matter was re-
| ferred TO the Committee on Public Sales
| and CITY Lots, and was reported upon at
| the last meeting, with the result an
nOunced in the MORNING NEWS yester-
day.
The following officers commanding the
| companies Of the regiment submitted the
memorial to the Council upon which the
report Of Alderman O'COnnOr was based;
Capt. G.. A. Mercer, Republican Blues;
| John FIannery, Irish Jasper Greens;
I D..
fantry; Fl. NJ. Branch, Savannah Cadets;
Lieut.. Henry Kuck, German Volunteers.
The memorial was as follows:
The gentlemen appointed on behalf OF the
| First Volunteer Regiment Of Georgia 70 memo
/ rialize your honorable bOdy.ln discharge 81
| theirdutv appeal 10 you as follows: BY careful
| estimate il has been ascertained that the i've
| companies now composing the First Olunteer
/ Regiment Of Georgia are subjected 10 an an
nual expense Of about 81 800 IN order TO main
tain their several armOries. These armOrles
are essential TO the drill, discipline and
/ efficiency Of the several corps. and the heavy
outlay incident thereto has been unavoidable.
For some time past the necessity OF single
armOry, located In some central portion OF the
| city. whereby the cohesion. discipline and
esprit De c0rBs Of the entire regiment can be
| better secured. and the present heavy tax
| upon the individual companies be diminished
| has been obvious, and At last resulted IN the
| appointment of a committee TO ascer-
| tain whether suitable site could bt
% | procured. This committee, after dillgent IN
l uuiFV. has reported that lots NUMBERS blALl
. | and sixty-one. Forsyth ward. located at the
70 | corner Of AbercOrn and Huntington streets
% | belong 70 the city. and present site anu sur
70 | r0undings admirably adapted TO the purpose
q contemplated. The committee has been I'M
. | able TO discover any other site either suitable
70 or prOcurable. The report Of said committed
70 has received the earnest concurrence OF TN
To- officers Of the regiment. and there Is a genera
| acduiescence in the advantage OF the lOcauon
We have, therefore, been aP- pointed
to memorabilia your honorable Doly
rrafHr at
z procurement Of said lots for the purpose IN
r dicated. We are aware that II IL not WITHIN
the power OF the City Council to grant an al
. solute donation OF said lots, but we subnl
u that 10 Is entirely within your power 10 e1
c pose the same for sale, and to place such nom
inal assessment or valuation upon them a
n will enable the First Regiment 10 aoq uire th'
7 IL is not our mission to recount tbs
/ history Of the First Volunteer Regimen
Z OF Georgia. OF 10 report ITS honorable service
' and achievements. IL has existed IN YOU
! | midst for many years; 10 Is composed OF th'
7 bone and sinew Of your people, OF all nation
alities and crecds, and must continue 10 re
r main. as % has been in the past, sturdy ele-
7, / ment Of public confidence ana reliance II
I, periods of municipal disorder, tumult or DTS
y turhance. The value OF disciplined ana EN-
cicut military force. as an aid to the constab
r ulary power Of city, cannot now be ques'
2 toned.
The fact OF its presence exerts strons
' moral influence, and actual experience IN ou
a own CITY. Of no remote date, demonstrates IN
utility Of such organizations. our Peopl'
l. have always manifested acommenddbie pIi9'
| and interest in our volunteer sOldiery, and II
I their honorable record, and have Away
{. Welded them their moral support.
e We respectfully submit that when an oppor
| tunitv offers 10 render them some practlca
and efficient aid il should not be discarded
: Your memOrialists further submit that thu
y state OF Georgia at present does nothing L
e | foster. encourage or assist the volunteer or
r | carnations Of the state. Other states OF IN
N / Union annually devote large sums OF none,
4 | To the equipment, drill and discipline OF thel
\ volunteers. 10 has come to the knowledge o
u vour memorialists that the city Of Richmond
e | Va. has not only donated a site IN that CIT.
for an armory for the First NirSinii
Il Regiment, but has erectcr, ne armOfy at lnu
y niciuaI expeuse The zen sral companies o
the First Volunteer Regiment OF Georgia eX
i / pect 10 bear all the expense OF erecting lhei
IT | own armOry. They only appeal 10 your non
e Orabe body TO aid them by the exercise o
- your legitimate authority TO secure site an'
r location IN every way suitable whereOn the,
I. | can build a habitatlOn for themselves. 1o'
can thus perform an act which can IN no WIS
iniure the city. or violate any law OF the land
q | but which. on the contrary, viii secure Tn
!, | permanent improvement and ornamentatlOno
= | land now lying idle. which VIII bring the regI
: mcnt into closer contact and cohesion, improve
, its drill and discipline. enlarge ITS ehiciency
: and its practical ability TO ana anu supper
k | the municipal authorities, and VIII renew
s | the several companies aud thsir member
! from the heavy burden, which they now Will
); difficulty bear, in the equipment anu mamie
nance OF separate armorles.
Your memOrlalIsts, therefore, m DenaiI o
d | every officer and member OF the First NOlun
a | teer Regiment Of Georgia, most re
n / spectfuIly but earnestly appeal to you
I, / honorable body TO order the sale o
= slid lois sixty and siXty-One For
:, ton upOn them as Will enable The regimen
o to ACQUIRE title thereto for the purpose here