Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-05
GEORGIA'S OLDEST CORPS.
[Conttntled trom Elighth Paqe.l

IContinued from Eighth Page.l
little careless about his personal APP
11earance-with a highly intellectual
face. though the face of student and
scholar rather than a man of action
no one would have suspected how
,nuch of the dash and fire of the
military character there was in him.
Vet he soon proved himself to be an
officer of extraordinary merit. Firm,
Int lust and kind in discipline, and
ALWAYS active and earnest in pro-
noting the interests of the company,
he soon dispelled the slight clouds
which had seemed to be gathering
in its sky, and caused it to resume
with vigor its prosperous career. He
enioved the personal affection as well
as the respect of his men-as, indeed,
his numerous acts OF kindness TO
them deserved-for he would often
give his valuable professional SER
vices, when needed, to the poorer
members, yet in such way as not to
offend their pride. And he was as
much respected in the community at
large as in the corps.
QUELLING A RIOT.
On one occasion there was a riot at
an election, which the police could
not quell. Some troops were brought
out, and were about to fire on the
mob. The pieces were leveled, the
fingers were on the triggers, the COM
mand "fire" was in the very act of
being uttered, when DR.. Richardson,
umbrella in hand, rushed before
them and struck up the muskets, at
imminent risk to himself. Some
times. too, he would do "a very odd
thing-and a queer story is related
of his being called to some obstetric
case at the very hour when he had
ordered a parade-he was equal to
the emergency, however-he went in
full uniform, with his sword at his
side, to visit the patient-rendered
the necessary professional assistance
and drove out Immediately to the
drill ground, and took command of
the company. During his term Oc-
cured the incorporation of the corps,
without which its subsequent history
would have been materially different
without which, indeed, the corps
would certainly not be what it now
IS LII LID uAlAAN1 WIZ OOAuAINNA tlnOlllCi
important event in the history of
the volunteer military of Savannah.
1t has been already stated that the
Guards, like the other volunteer mill
tary companies of the city, were
attached to the 1st Regiment of Geor-
gia Militia. Besides the volunteers,
the regiment comprised the com
panies of ununiformed compulsory
militia, organized under the general
militia law of the State.
ORGANIZED A SEPARATE COMMAND.
When the whole regiment was
assembled, as the law required at
stated times, it may be conceived
what a motley appearance it pre-
scented, with handsomely uniformed
and equipped companies interspersed
among those of the ununifOrmed
militia, in which every man was
dressed according to his own fancy.
Besides, the awkwardness and ignO-
rance of the latter were a source of
never ending embarrassment and an
noyance, in the evolutions of the
drill, to the skillful officers and well
instructed soldiers of the volunteers.
There were then seven companies of
volunteers, including the Chatham
Artillery, and an Act of the General
Assembly was passed, at their in
stance, to take them out of the regi-
ment and organize them separately
under the name of the "Independent
Volunteer Battalion of Savannah, -
TO be commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel, with the privilege of organ
Tviv int 4
shall be eight companies. The or
ganiZation was affected accordingly
by the election of A. r. LawtOn,
then Lieutenant in. the Republican
Blues, to be Lieutenant Colonel
Gen. LawtOn is at present a
life member of the Guards. w.
b. Jackson, then a Sergeant in the
Guards, was appointed Adjutant,
having obtained permission of the
corps to hold the Adjutancy while re-
tanning his nOn-cOmmissioned office.
1t was only on battalion parades that
the two sets of duties interfered with
each other, and the esprit of the
corps was such that he was unwilling
to resign his Sergeantcy in it to take
the staff appointment had it been
necessary. This was the origin OF
the present 1st Volunteer Regiment
of Georgia.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
TWAS during Captain Richardsone's
command, too, that the war with
Mexico occurred. All the infantry
volunteer companies in the city Of
fered their services to the State to
make up a regiment, then being
formed, the Guards among them.
And in the hope that they would be
taken, they provided themselves with
tents and other equipments for the
field. Only one company could be
taken, however, and it was decided
by lot which it should be. The lot
fell on the Irish Jasper Greens. But
The Guards new tents were not use
less. The possession of them induced
frequent encampments as the years
went by, which were Of great service
in the instruction of the corps, and
they We're finally worn out in the
war which occurred in 1861.
Capt Richardson's died in commits
SION, to the grief Of every member
Tor, to every one of them, his death
was IN the nature Of a personal loss.
The Republican Blues, the longtime
AWr. i