Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-22


nth. Il was Joyous fe9n'"u 90. >, iJnci y
sOideTy from tu.- amt ja.enI : 't'-' "no
were waruly greeted, Hud tute'l 4in"' WIN
royal husDuaNty 10y th"Ir nulChuE most.
the festivities and friendly COMETS OF lhtt
memorable week VIII not soon uc lortolltu'
nor can the patriotic sentiments Hul tilfiiuH
Addresses, seasoned with wit ana huui"' >
which went circltng around 50 many Dauiuet-
ing halls, ever cease 10 awaken the most pleas
ing reCOleCtlons. Not a few OF me 7peaheT >,
among them our own worthy Governor anu
/ tha UIu.triou. ok President Of the south
er1 Coufederacy. were renowned orators,
Idl.tipgi,l-bcd alike in field and forum, and
their remarks were admirable Illustrations u
the feast OF reason and the now Of soul.
An active member for more than
corps. but now, retired upon the
honorary Hst-thanks 10 your klud par
| TALLY, the duty has been assigned me OF en-
acting the role Of hstoriographer on nus
| evCntfui occasion. and also voiciug your greet
lugs 10 the assembled hundreds OF hrolner
so .Iicls and citizens. Albeit "a rural, egrlcul-
| turai community, uuaCru5tOWed u the SJYie
and CouYCutOualiiles Of The CITY, yet m the
name of cant. Miller aud ms gallant com
mand end the fair ladies ana intelligent CHI
zeus OF old Liberty, ] extent 10 our Visiting
guests ana everyone prescuta corllal ana most
| hearty welcome. To our comrades IN arms
especially would We say, thrice welcome 10
our homes and hearts aud every hospitality
! within The gift OF a modest and unpretending
people.
Before Attempting any sketch of your noble
! corps. which. frou adverse circumstances,
must OF necessity be mcaHrc, IL Dr. nut just ana
rlRht to premise that through It's cnllrc cafte err
Of one hundred years the roll OF the L.berlY
Independent Troop has always been true
| reflex or the cnivary and respcctabiIltY ol
the county, In its ranks were numbered
| United states senators, judges OF
! the superior Court, lawyers, wealthy
! planters, skilled physicians. learned
scholars and the very cutc uf the community.
| Tie old corps was looked upon as the pride
! ami bulwark Of the people, and M It's Wclare
str, rIfF tlta lattt
| Nveiiesj crest.
The Anniversary aud Fourth OF July cole
| brHtions were always gaia occasions thaL
never failed to toe largely attended. one OF
/ the earliest recOllcctiOns OF the speaker was
| the presentation OF an elegant stand Of colorS,
wrought by fair fingers. TO the company,
| IN The dead town OF old SuRbury, more
| than fifty years ago. The graceful AMI paiu-
| otto address Of the donor. Miss Mary Jones,
! and the spirited, stirring response Of Capt.
| Maxwell on handing the nag to COrnet {. ii.
| starr are indelibly Impressed upon his mem
| ory. Again, in January, lSl7, the ladies gave
/ another maguihCent testimonial of their love
! and apprt citation of the gallant CORDS IN
! whose ranks rode their relatives and prOtec-
| tors, in he tangible form OF beautiful
| parade ground, near North Newport church.
purchased with their own money. Cheered
| thus ami encouraged by the Smiles ana co
operation of the far, failing TO love and STAND
! hy the Oh Troop would have stamped It's mem
| hers as ingPates indCed. Bat 80 such stigma
has ever rested upon thier cscutcheOn.
HISTORY OF THE TROOP.
IN preparing sucflucb RESUME OF tue MS
| Tory o. the L'ner.y lnu5pen1ten, LiToPt dl'
oohl!oh o AZ tHc FoiH ~ i ".' w -
"S"t"o 't'' 'i'"t a. .'o ~ 80 49,, ~
! corps periahei last winter ~hen the dWe,nnB
on I'S "eloVeu OK -VoulM ,Hur1' C"pt' W 40 no.
IIe,0Int' " a. 49, ol o't +, " an 49,
esting sketch OF the company mt one Of its an
| hlFefsdfy OCCUPATIONS ia NoIeu NeW POI" ~
| cuurch' "nlch VIE are" aiu7 pithISu ~,
2 Il mn Ab let
'a"PilcS i"ilH' me- SoP.o2 ~ VI t'n0
imp taIt 9cHplt"t arc NOV u 80 naV1 sT,
WV" ''o i"oal VI N'ot' 2'.9i 'ii a. 60 ~.
contents are eAcechlnEIy VNoao O. guy 90 not
sGgilN ''uc iu,9 w -',lNo -, ' -. ~ , -
Oh INC company IeoO1us piiOi ~ ooPVo''"'i'
| I'sf. -,
As 10 the precise uaIe Oh Iile oTgan'HatIou o!
Ine Troop we nave ~ TfC"InS" on we auLIeu
and elegant goid medal; whleh mas oeeh
awarded annually 10 the pe51 s"oFusHl"l III
Tue com manu- lot long term o. years Ut.
Jones' IN ms sketch cohten"eu tIaI tle LIZ nnS'
mouce OF my orEiu.@a. l appears N IIS q
put III W imam Ma N"eli auu C"Pu. "
Fiemlng' bOIh Vetetah eX-c onilhahueIs Oh INC
@Io E ynroitT ,ho Vxera anl,inted
committee on Jan. ., 1870, to purchase and
prepare the device AUD inscription for the
face OF the medal, took issue with Or. Jones.
Both Of these gallant spirits have gone 10 their
final rest; out the testimony Is lndlsputdbe
that on the authority Of an old book, then in
existence but afterwards lost, ii WAS clearly
proven that the flrst organization was effected
Cant. W. A. Fleming, and many others, re
ceiyed from his father, the late Capt, p. W.
Fleming and Ia generally accepted "a au-
thentic. Hence this Centennial celebration
TODAY
The name "IndeDendent TrOop" doubtless
NAV be asaribed to tho circumstance that IA
early a IT'S a horse company had been raised
in the county Uhru u portion of st. Johns
DarIsh) LO repcl the invasion of the British
under Col Provost 1t was this officer who
LAID in ashes old Midway church and ambus-
called and mortallv wounded Gen. James
Seriven about one mile from tho Meeting
Vouae"
Afterwards, in quick succession. several
other commands were enrolled and equipucd
for homo defense asaiustthe foreign invader
and hostile Indians. The last Of these was
under the command of cant John WhiteheAd
both he aud his men receiving = monthly sti-
mend for their eervices When they were dis
banded the patriotic community resolved to
organize for their own defense and form an
independent cavalry corps to do duty when
needed without compcnsatlon This wa,
PROBABLY The origin of the word '.Independ =
ent' As attached To the name or yOur TrOop.
v,,,,,5 ,.,,,o,r.Y>, .r,,n,o
IN hN NA' ii"' an ii"is''
IL was in those stirring times That the par
tisan patriots, Col. Baker, Ma. Charles W est,
Col. Cooper, Andrew MaybhuS, Robert sal
lette and others performed those daring leafs
which have been handed down to us by ira
dltioB, and are rcc0unted by the writer In
gleslde. As stated above, IN consequence Of
the loss OF the Troop records anterior To li0i,
there Il no authentic information eAtdnt us To
the particulars OF It's hrst organization. In
that year. however (ll9l), we nnd thai Capt.