Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-22
ROUNDING 0FFACENTURY
LIBERTY'S TROOP CELEBRATES
IT'S CENTENNIAL.

"a
Liberty Thronged with People from
the Surrounding Countrywide Events
of the DRy-Receiviug the Visiting
Troops-The Address OF VYeleOme-The
Centennial Salute by the Chatham Ar
tiuery- The Grafton The Cavalry
Tournament.
Yesterday was the big day OF the Liberty
Independent Troops Centennial. Every
body in the county was at Camp LIBERTY,
and the neighborihg counties contributed
literally OF their population. Chatham
had almost as large a representation as IL
would have had at a Ten Brock Tilt. me
Chathams were there with their guns and
the Union Cornet Band and the Georgia
Hussars.
1t was a holiday for twenty miles
around and Inc people poured in
from every direction. They began az
irving early and they Kept arriving nearly
all day. What a military celebration and
a brass band Will not draw in the cOun-
try cannot be stirred by anything
short OF GabriePs bugle. The youth,
beauty and the chivalry that the orators
talked about were ai there, especially
the youth and beauty. In good many
respects IL was like a biz picnic.
AT CAN'T LIBERTY.
The camp is on the Hinesville road, fjf-
ZEN minutes riGe from Mcintosh station.
Woods Surround the entire grounds aud
shut out the breeze. The trees made con-
Venient hitching posts, aud at the same
time afforded "A convenient shade for the
young couples who preferred sitting in
the buggies and eating and talking sweet
things to going up IN the grand stand.
To walk around WAS almost to defy the
Deity. Precipitation was induced by the
least exertion-eVen breathing. The best
hundred collars succumbed to the heat
and were utterly prostrsJed by i've min
ntes exposure TO the sun. White dresses
suffered and were quickly s0liei too.
THE FAKIRs SHUT OUT.
But there was one great redeeming
feature to the day. There was not fakir
within ten miles. The cheap jewclry
swindler, the cane aud ring man, The man
with the dodgug monkey and even the
generally supposed to be Omnipresent red
lemonade yeuder were ali somewheres
else.
Liberty's colored population was there,
though, with stands croauing under ali
the iuXuries OF the season, such as water
melons, nard boiled crabs, gingerbread in
long list OF other delcacies,
Captain Miller and his troopers escorted
the Chatham Artillery and the uuuni-
formed eNcursiOnists who went out on the
special train from the station to the camp.
Then there was q parade and all OF the
military WAS drawn out in front of the
grand stand.
WELCOMING THE TROOPS.
Private A. 5. Way, Of the Liberty indie
pendent Troop, made "A graceful speech,
addressing 1t TO the Chatham Artillery,
the Georgia Hussars, the Bingham Hus-
sars, the Mcintosh Light Dragons and
the Liberty Guards. tie said:
We grcei you to-day and bid you welcome
70 our cen nai celebration. There are
tunes in the lives Of men when, pauslug 70
tRNc "a retrOs pGciive view OF past life through
Jne busy dim cOrrlders OF memory, there come
sweeping Mp thoughts OF the long ago,
thoughts OF pa,t events, some sweet aud ten
der, some sad and piantIve, some dark and
6orrowful, and -Oule bright and radiant a. a
living light. There are times in the
life OF people when looking back
upou It's hWtorv-a history tOld by old
men with hoary heads ana quiyering voices
hi tory when has been transmitted TO them
by their grandslrvs-thcre is the record OF
grand eVents, Of houored names and OF
noble WORKS shat emf airs their m hmOries
to the heart, or a record of dark wron g, of
1gnoblc works, thdJ bow the head in sh anne.
tat4E ttt iiiltb IA tue ne Nl ltt bOlQitr
when looking upon That banner that he
has followed, and that his fathers
10 lowed, ms bosom sWCll5 with
mighty tide OF proud memories as he
Sc eniwiued there emblems OF ch,v-
alrou7 honor of noble victories in
TtEh eous cause, aud enCiTCled by
an undyng patriotism, or his hand drops from
his sabre, and his brow darSens with blttSr
regret as be reads thereJhe record of iguobc
defeat, OF hAsc deeds ana unworthy motives.
To-day we siaud aud real the record that
century untOls, IN The HISTORY of our old COM
mand, and we see In that record the history
of proud and nOnored people, VINO gave us
birth, whose we are ami 10 whom we be-
lOug.' We see Il called into being hy the
IN goty voice OF Liberty, that hurled de
OF the tyrants power and sounded the notes
of redemptl on TO an oppressed and down
tr0dden country, We see it's banner waving
IN triumph and dung to the winds 0f peace.
We see rallying beneath it, folds, TO preserve
that liberty that peace, with brave hands and
1oyai hearts, many Old commanders adding to
1t the brightness and lustre of their honOred
names. We see It's banner again carried INTO
the smoke aud roar OF battic, waving over
bloody fields and the CORY corpses of those
who died TO save 1t. We look aVsln
and see that banner furled in defeat. but
not IN dlshOnOr. Torn and tatterOd 10y shot and
shell butnever trailing in the dust. We look
again ana see It's banner again unfuried be-
ne tth calm skies aud boating ON the breezos OF
Dur centennial morn. We look upon that
hearts with love and pride, and, thank God,
nothing that brings the blush Of shame.
But q we look upon that record We SEQ iu-
terWOVeu with 10 the life OF that gallant com
mand-thc Chatham Artilicry-ln the cclc-
bratiOn Of whose pcentenpial but n few weeks
ago we were proud to participate. We see
interviewer with II the history OF the Georgia
Hussars. the Mcintosh Light Dragoons The
Ehingham Hussars and the Liberty Guards
We see them associated with us in the bright
days OF our greatest prosperity. We see them
standing sbo0lder TO shoulder with us in the
shock Of battle. We see them hraVIug with
Us the same danger in the a rk DAYS of war.
and sharing the same suffering IN the hour of
defeat. We see them now with us in accord
and sympathy, Struggling TO bring back the
spirit OF a former lite, and redeem the raw
ages OF a iost ca use. and a5 We look upon the
picture we feet the mystic power that binds
us to them, heart to heart and man to man.
Who. then, UpOH tins day-tn this hOur--can
more httingly ana righuully JON with us IN
celebrating the centennial of our natal day
tn n each and every one of those gallant COM
mauds VINO have hOnOred Us with their pres
ence TO-DAY.
Friends. comrades. in behalf OF the Liberty
Independent TrOop-in The name OF our COM
mon histories-in Tho name Of our former re-
latiOnship--u the name Of our former dau-
gers and sutierluEs--ln the uaEu OF that band
d sympathy and friendship that binds You TO
as-let Inc again bid you welcome, thrice
welcome.
THE SAVANNAH COMPANIES.
Capt. Hughes, OF the Liberty Guards,
Added few words, aud alter some exit
oitlon charging by the cavalry the com.
panies were dismissed. The Georgia
Hussars had their headquarters at
A