Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-22
THE MEMORY OF LEE.
THE SEVENTY-sEVENTH ANN
VERsARY CELEBRATION.


savanDaI,,s Military Honor the Name
Of Their immortal Leader-The Par
ade and Presentation TO the First Vol
unteer Regiment-An Imposing Dis
pIav-The Regimental Banquet-lnci-
dents of the Day.
The seventy-seventh anniversary Of the
birth Of Robert Edmund Lee was celebrat-
ed yesterday in an imposing manner by
the military of Savannah. The memory
Of the heroic commander Of the Army OF
Virginia grows brighter as the years 90
BY. and each succeeding anniversary OF
his natal day brings back TO the remem-
brance Of the "BOys in Grey" the noble
character of their beloved leader. The
celebration Yesterday was rendered more
than Of ordinary interest by the presenta-
ton Of the beautiful regimentaI nag 70
the First Volunteer Regiment by the Ia
/ dies Of the city.
II had been anticipated for several
weeks mast that the military display
would be unusually brilliant, and hence
( the dav was looked forward to with in
terast and pleasure. The invitation by
/ the First Regiment to the other volunteer
organizations and their acceptance TO
ioin in a general parade added attractive
ness to the occasion.
The various commands began assem-
bling at their armOries early in the after
noon. and BY > O'Clock nearly every corps
was rendezvoused. At 2:20 the companies
/ TO form the brigade marched into South
/ Broad street and rested The regiment
/ meanwhile had formed and proceeded TO
] the residence Of Gen. A. K. LaWton, on
! Cbippewa square. when the companies
: ST
! the presentation of the flag. The cerG-
mOny took place from the balcony In front
/ Of the Generals residence, which was Oc-
/ cupied BY Gen. LawtOn, his brother, Dr.
/ W. ;. Lawfon. and Col. Charles IL. Ohm
/ stead. who commanded the regiment at
/ Fort Pulaski. After the regiment had
I been brought to attention, Gen. Law
ton stepped to the front Of the balcony
by the side of the c0lOrs resting against
the window. and addressing the Colonel IN
command. and the soldiers of the regi-
/ ment. presented to their trust the beauti-
ful banner constructed and inscribed by
/ the ladies of the city. Gen. LaWton ;
| speech was an eloquent tribute to the
/ bravery and fidelity of the regiment dur
/ ing the four years Of terrible struggle
1 through which it passed. The following
is brief and incomplete synopsis OF his
address:
Gen. Lawton said that the flag or cOlOrs of
an army had always represented its glory.
POmpeY had carried the Roman eagles 10
the banks Of the Euphrates; Napoleon 5
standards had waved under the shadow OF
the Pyramids. Here in our own city we
are about to erect a monument to the
memory of a man Sergeant Jasper who
did not even hold a commission, and who
a hundred years ago fell at the Spring
/ Hill redoubt carving the cOlOrs Of the
regiment, which he had promised to pro-
tect with his life. The ladies had made
in this CITY this beautiful flag to present
the First Volunteer Regiment OF Georgia,
and to him had been assigned the duty OF
presenting it.
He said that he was with the regiment at
its birth. having had the honor Of being
its first commander. The First Regiment
was the only volunteer regiment that
Georgia ever had excepting those which
existed during the war. 1t was a part OF
the First Regiment which occupied Fort
Pulaski before war had been declared,
and each man who took part in that move
ment virtually acted with a halter round
his neck. for Georgia was still IN the
Union. The regiment garrisOned the fort
during the siege and made heroic de-
Tense. The General stated that when on
visit to Pulaski he had asked Gen. Lee,
then in this military department, if the
fort could be preached from Tybee.
and the latter replied that there
were no guns made that
could breach its walls al that distance. In
the siege that afterward took place, its
walls were battered down and a breach
made, exposing the magazine in reverse,
through which could have been driven a
team OF six horses. 1t was the first time
that such powerful ordnance had been
used in warfare.
One of the companies of this regiment
had made an immortal name under the
gifted Barlow. He alluded to his assOcia-
ton with that brave commander, who
went to Virginia ito illustrate Georgia"
and paid beautiful tribute to his men,
ory. He referred to the services of the
regiment at Fort Wagner, Charleston har-
Dor; of its career in the campaign which
ended with the fall of Atlanta
its march with HOODS army
into Tennessee, and its services
as a part of the rear guard in the retreat
after that disastrous movement. He
spoke of the arduOus duties of the rear
guard Of an army, and said that the Fed
eral Gen. Thomas had paid that of Hoods
a high compliment for its devotion and
courage Returning TO the COniederacy
Seventh regiment had followed its for
tunes, surrenderIng with JOhnstOn's army
at Greensboro, \. {.
The terrible struggles of those dark
days taught us great lessons" said the
General. but we have come out of the fire
and flame of war, and we are common citi-
ZenS of one country. e are as loyal as
any citizen Of Massachusetts or New
York and we are ready to fight for our
government" Referring to the day,
he remarked, 1.-The fitness of such
a ceremony taking place upon Its re-
currence; how the people OF the South
had learned their lessons of war
and peace from him whose memory we
celebrate, and his name had become hon
Ored in the land. He charged the regi-
ment if the tramp of war should disturb
the hours Of quiet and peace, and the
beautiful. unstained banner should be
carried to the front, TO remember the vow
of the valiant Sergeant Jasper: II vow
I'll never give it up but with my life"
The cOlors were then handed from the
balcony and received by Col. Anderson
with an appropriate and fitting reply.
COL. ANDERsON's REPLY.
Gen. Laut0n: The First Volunteer Regi-
ment of Georgia accept this beautiful Offering.
They receive 1t with mingled gratitude aud
exuitatiOn-wIth gratitude for the splendid
gift that will hereafter adorn their columns,
with eXultatiOn that their cOuntrywOmen es-
TEEN them worthy OF a trust far more sacred
to the soldier than life itself. The heart OF a
I soldier. sir, IS always inspired by the
I appreciation of the fair, and beats
| with increased emotion when assured of their
/ confidence. The light of day may glitter upon
I NAV unfurl the graceful folds of this silken
| banner. and the admiring eye may hnger
/ upon its tasteful OTnamentatiOn, but to us it
! VIII be consecrated by a beauty far more
earnest and more devoted. 1t is true. the
/ note of war is hushed, and the
! spirit of peace, as a guardian angel, hoyers
I over our beloved State, and a whole united
Z country: but to US this beautiful nag Of our
. state viii be the emblem of the noble cause
/ we have been pledged TO maintain and de-
I fepd IN our bosOms the very mention OF our
I mother, Georgia, kindles an ardor of devO-
I ton In the past we have been true to her,
/ and there are many hOnOred names once
| borne ON orr rOlls-the gallant Claus Werner,
| the chivalric John Branch, the heroic Edward
/ LawtOn. tine immortal Barlow, and many 9th
| ers who have sealed their devotion to their
! mother with their LIES blood, and 'whO have
l crossed over the river and are now resting
/ in the shade Of the trees They. SIR stand
| SPONSORS for our fidelity in the future. their
I gallant spirits still inspire our organization,
their voices Will whisper TO us in the rustlings
[ Of this silken banner, waving in the gentle
Z airs OF peace OF shout to MS amid the din Of
battle.
/ assure You. sir, our old and honOred COM
/ mauder, for whom we VIII always
/ cherish an afectionate regard, in the future
I as in the past, we Will respond as promptly to
I her call whenever our aid is invoked to
I viniicate her honor, preserve her peace, or
/ maintain her dignity, and whenever we un-
I furl this beautiful flag TO the breeze we will
] think with devotion of the fair donors, and by
our respect for them and by our pride as sol
1 diers, we well always preserve II in honor
and surrender it only with our lives.
The Colonel then ordered the acting
Color Sergeant COLOR Sergeant Mont
mOllin being absent from the city, sick J,
to the front and centre and addressed him
as follows:
H. g,,l ,.,s,- IL.