Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-05

his command, Mayor of the city,
member Of the State Senate, and first
President of the Savannah, Albany
and Gulf Railroad Company, after
wards the Atlantic and Gulf, and
now the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railway. Notwithstanding,
however, the immense demands upon
his time of these important and
exacting public employments, he
applied himself with wonderful
fidelity and assiduity to the novel
duties of his military office. Guided
by his great intelligence, and influ-
enced by his marked and decided
character, the corps continued to
prosper and increase. In his time
the ancient flint-lock musket was
exchanged for that with the percus-
sion lock.
Or. Screven's pressing public and
private engagements induced him to
resign on December 22d, 1857.
Lieutenants j. b. Ripley and William
5. Basinger served under him.
CAPT. JOHN sCREvEN.
His eldest son, the present dis
tinguished Col. John Screven, then
an active private, was elected to sue
coed him, on March 30th, 1858.
The company was commanded by
LIST Lieut.. A. G. Davenport until
the election of Capt. John Screven.
Lieutenants w. l.. Haupt and Gilbert
G. Rice served with him. 1t would
be difficult to speak of this gentleman,
while he yet 'goes in and out among
u.s." in such terms as would be even
simply just, without the suspicion of
fiattery. Nor does it seem to be neces-
sary to do so in this community,
where he is so well known and so
much respected and admired. Let it
suffice that his pure and elevated
character, and his conspicuous and
varied virtues, talents, and accom-
plishments, fit him to adorn any
station, civil or military. All these
he brought to the service of the
Guards, informed by an ardent and
unselfish devotion to the corps, and
exalted by a high sense of the true
relations of the volunteers to the
State. Need it be said that it received
a fresh and powerful impulse under
his administration? Indeed, the ac-
cessiOn of Capt. John Screven to the
command of it marks new era in
its HISTORIAN era in which occurred
its expansion into a battalion and its
preparation for and entrance upon
active warfare-in recOunting which
there will be occasion to refer less to
the personal characteristics of its
chief, and more to the conduct of the
corps itself at large.
The first event of Importance
during the command of Capt. John
Screven was the acquisition of an
armOry.
THE GUARDS FIRST ARMORY.
The fund arising from the receipts
from pay members under the law
heretofore mentioned had been hus-
banded with the utmost care and
diligence. Immediately after the
passing of the Act a rule was adopted
by which all moneys received from
that source were set apart as a ere
served fund" and placed in the
hands of special standing commit
tee consisting of the commanding
officer for the time being, as er O6iciO
chairman, and two other members
elected by the corps, not periodically,
but permanently to serve until death
or resignation. By judicious invest
ments, not only of the principal, but
also of the annual interest, the fund
had increased to several thousand
dollars.
The corps had, for many years, Oc-
cupied the northwestern room in the
Exchange building, Immediately
over the council chamber, by the
permission of the city government,
which, as its members increased, be-
gan to be found inconveniently
small. 1t so happened, at this juno
ture, and in the year 1858, that the
congregation of the Second Baptist
Church, which had been the result
of a secession from the main church,
resolved to reunite with the parent
stock. The Second Baptist Church,
when the separation took place, had
bought, for a place of worship, the
Unitarian Church, at the southeast
ern corner of Bull and York streets,
just across from the original parade
ground of the corps, and when it de-
cided to return to the original sOcie-
ty, it also resolved to sell that lot and
building. This came to the ears of
the Guards committee on the ere
serve fund" The opportunity was
too good to be lost. Negotiations
were at once commenced which re-
suited in the purchase by the corps
of the edifice and lot on which it
stood the entire reserved fund, as it
stood, increased by voluntary cOntri-
buttons from members, being paid in
cash, and the residue properly Sc
cured.
IN A HOME OF ITS OWN.
It required some time and expense
to prepare the building for the use of
the corps, but it finally took posses
sion, with the greatest comfort, pleas
ure and advantage to itself in all
ways, and continued to occupy it UNI
til the eXigencies of the war called it
away. During the occupation of the
city by Sherman, in the winter Of
1865. the armOry was used by some
of his troops as a sort Of guard-house.
Through their carelessness it took fire
and was destroyed.
Partly i'm consequence of the aqui-
sition Of an armOry, very rapid and
unprecedented increase in the mem
beers of the corps began now to take
place. ItnOt unfrequently happened
NssaN