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


GERS as was necessary consented ut
once to go one grade lower. The
elections for company officers pro-
ceeded as arranged, except that no
Captain was elected for Company A,
and Capt. Screven commanded the
whole under his original commission.
There was possibly some danger in
the eXpedient, but the fine esprit of
the corps carried it safely through.
The only serious Inconvenience in
the arrangement was the liability of
the two companies to be separated
when on duty with the rest of the
regiment. OF course, if the scheme
had been carried out according to
the design, it would have involved
the Withdrawal of the corps from the
regiment, as it was at liberty under
the law to do, and as it did after
wards.
THE BATTALION'S FIRST OFFICERS.
Thus organized, the officers of the
battalion, if it may be so styled just
yet, were as follows:
Capt. John Screven, Commanding.
Co. A.-1st Lieut.. w. S. Basinger;
2d Lieut.. Gilbert c. Rice; Ensign
j. C. Habersham.
Co. B.-Capt. A. c. Davenport; LIST
Lieut.. Geo. w. Stiles; ID Lieut.. Thos.
f. Screven; Ensign NJ. II. Hopkins.
The battalion was mustered into
service of the Confederate States in
March, 1861, for two months, and
assigned to duty as the garrison of a
battery at Thunderbolt, about Al
miles from Savannah. During its
stay there, it had an opportunity to
increase its familiarity with the use
of heavy guns, and, by constant
drills, attained very high degree of
proficiency as infantry. No enemy
appeared; and the only ripple of eX-
element that occurred was the de-
tachment of Lieut.. Basinger with
his company and a detail from Com
pany B, under Lieut. Stiles, 100 men
in all, to reinforce the rest of the
regiment, then on Tybee Island, and
supposed to be threatened with an
attack by "a force from the enemy's
ships at that time lowering along the
coast. No attack was made, however,
and the detachment returned in a
few days. At the end of the two
months the corps returned to the
city, and was dismissed for time
though notified that it would shortly
be expected to enter service again,
and for longer period.
AT GREEN ISLAND.
According to that notice it was
mustered for six months, and imme-
diately sent to take charge of a much
larger and heavier battery on Green
Island, near the mouth of the Vernon
River.
The officers who accompanied the
corps on this occasion We're the same
as before, except that Ensign Edward
PadelfOrd, Jr., had taken the place
of Ensign Habersham, who had ac-
cepted the post of Asst. Surgeon of
the regiment, and Co. b went under
the command of Lieut.. Stiles. Lieut..
Rice was detailed to act as Adiutant.
Here, with better opportunities than
before, both officers and men applied
| themselves with great assiduity to
exercise in the use of the heavy artil-
lery, in which they soon acquired
marked skill. Infantry drill too
was vigorously prosecuted. Here.
too, Capt. Screven developed his tai
ent for engineering, which was ex-
ceedingly useful to his command and
to the public service. During the
stay at this post some gunbOats at
tempted to ascend the river, but were
| deferred by few well-directed shots
from the battery. No other event of
| interest occurred. But the corps re
! ceived large numbers of recruits from
time to time.
Before this period of service ex-
PRED, it became evident that the war
would assume huge proportions and
be of long duration, and the corps,
almost to man, resolved to muster
again for the war. But they decided
to do so with at least three compa-
MES, which number, it was under
stood, according to the views of the
Acknowledgement of the State above
mentioned, would entitle them to an
independent organization and a field
officer to command. Information
was obtained that, although the mill
| itary laws of Congress would not adj
NIT Of the reception of a battalion of
| less than four companies organized
! in the ordinary manner, yet if the
| Guards should offer as an existing
recognized battalion under the law
of Georgia, they would be received
as such, though the number of conn
panies should be less than four. 1t
was not considered prudent just yet
to attempt a fourth company; but a
third was formed by taking as many
members from Companies A and Il
as could be spared.
THREE COMPANIES ORGANIZED.
And officers and non-commis-
stoned officers were chosen. The
officers were as follows:
Co. A-Capt. w. S. Basinger; LIST
Lieut.. ThOs f. Screven; I'd Lieuts
VIM. II. King and Frederick Upper
Co. B-Capt. Geo. w. Styles; LIST
Lieut. Edwd. Padelford, Jr.; I'd
Lieuts. Edwin A. Castellaw and Geo.
ID. Smith.
Co Capt. Gilbert G. Rice; LIST
Lieut.. Geo NJ. Turner; I'd Lieuts.
Jno. r. Dillon and Eugene Blois.
This organization was approved by
the Adjutant General of the State,
and commissions were accordingly
issued TO the officers above named as
such-and-such officers in such and
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