The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-20
OUT OF THE REGIMENT.
The Guards Are Again a Separate Mil
itaTy Organization.

llaIy UI8dHlLdllOn.
Adjutant General Keu Reconsiders
His Order Consolidating the Battal-
ion With the First Georgia Regiment.
kilograms AnnulIing the Order Re-
ceived Yesterday by Officers of Both
Organizations - There VIII Be no
Further Trouble About Company
Letters-ALl Parties Well Satisfied
With the New order-The Guards a
Separate Organization For 90 Years.
The Record of the Corps.
The Savannah Volunteer Guards are
out of the First Georgia Regiment.
The announcement that the order com
bining the battalion with the regiment
had been rescinded, reached Savannah
yesterday morning. kilograms to this
effect were received by Col. George A.
Mercer of the First regiment, and Lieut..
Col. William Garrard of the Guards bat
TALON. Col Mercer and Lieut.. Col.
Reilly both being out Of the city,
the telegram to the former was
turned over by Adjt. Gaillard to Capt.
John Flannery, the senior captain Of the
regiment.
L ne uGNS was SOVn llOASbQ aAuuANA LbNA
and caused general talk among military
men. 1t was not altogether unexpected,
on account of the discussion which has
arisen between the members of the two
commands over the prospective change in
company letters made necessary by the
order combining the battalion with the
regiment.
GIVES GENERAL SATISFACTION.
Without doubt the order gives general
Nfgfo Ion 70 11a mn ohayss ~ hof hn
regiment and the battalion. 1t was evil
dent that the prospect for the battalions
of the new regiment working together in
harmony was rather slim. Where
they had before been good friends ques-
tons Of precedence arose and threatened
dissensions. Now both commands are
back on their old footing and no such
questions will arise between them.
The telegram received by Col. Garrard
read as follows:
Atlanta, Ca, Feb. 10, ls94-Col William
Garrard, Savannah Ca: Orders assigning Sa-
vannah Volunteer Guards to First Regiment
revoked. Battalion remains unassigned
JOHN MCINTOSH KEEL,
AdIutant General
WAS NOT UNEXPECTED.
Col. Garrard had very little to say about
the new order, when seen by a MORNING
News reporter, except that it was not I'M
expected AS TO what influence, if any,
was DTOuRub 10 DtdE upon Ll6 duIQLdQE
generals Office to secure the revocation of
the former order he did not say.
There is no doubt that the Guards are
very well pleased with the revocation of
the order. The order com bining the bat
TALON with the regiment was a
great surprise to them and produced
no little dissatisfaction. They said little,
however, and waited for their officers to
look into the matter.
The Guards form distinctive organi-
zation. They have a continuous record Of
ninety-two years as an organization, of
which they have reason to feel proud.
The organization is peculiar in having
the battalion as a unit, and not the COM
pany, as in other organizations, their
companies being simply fractions Of the
battalion. The three companies now
composing the battalion were evolved
from one company, and a fourth
company is now in process
Of evolution in the same manner.
The club is q prominent feature of the
organization and members of the bat
TALON are also members of the club.
The Guards have the distinction of hay
ing delivered more property in trust to
the state than any other military orgni-
ration in the state.
LITTLE HISTORY
In the spring of 1894, the Guards were
granted by the state and the city Jointly
the western half of the lot letter G.,
PerCival ward, which had been granted by
the city to the state in 1929 to be used as
state arsenal. The arsenal having fallen
into disuse it was obtained by the Guards
In 1884 by a grant from both the state and
city on condition that the corps should
erect an armory there for the use of the
corps and the state. They added twenty
feet more to the lot in the rear by pur-
chase and erected building there which
was known as the arsenal. The building
was destroyed in the fire of April, 1889
The Guards then purchased the Kolloch
property fronting on Bull street, by which
they secured control of the whole block,
1874 feet deep by go wide. In 1889 an addi-
ton OF eight feetwaS secured on the Pres
ident street side from the city, which
grant was confirmed by the legisla-
ture. In the same year an act was passed
by the legislature authorizing the corps
TO borrow money for the erection Of an
armory, and to contract a bonded debt
The act requires the corps to give a
bond OF $4,000 to the state, to devote
all revenues from it's building
TO the payment of the interest
and principal upon its bonded debt. In
the preamble of the act which recites the
facts above stated occurs the following
significant expression; 1T being mat
ter Of valuable consideration TO the state
OF Georgia to encourage as far as it can
this corps in establishing itself in per-
manent quarters
The foregoing explains somewhat tho
reasons Of the Guards in preferaing TO
continue their separate organizations.
The work of organizing the fourth COM
pany of the battalion has been com
menced. First Lieut.. George NJ. Gadsden
Of Company B, has been assigned to this
work. The selection of Lieut. Gadsden
gives general satisfaction, and the general
verdict is that the board of officers could
not have made a better selection. He
VIII probably be made captain Of the new
company.
DEATH OF GEO. j. KoLLooH, ESQ.
The Body to Be Brought to Savannah