The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-26
TIE TROOPS RETURN.
The Fifth Georgia CaValTy'S
Futile Campaign.
A DAY SPENT IN WAITING.

The Troops Ready to March at Day
break-Col. Gordon Prepared For Or
ders But Few Were Received-Was
Ready to Unite His Forces With
Those of the Sherif-A Suspicion
That the Fighters Were Coming Into
Georgia at Sunrise-How the News
From the Fight Was Received-The
Troops Sorry They Had no Enemy
to Meet.
The governor of Georgia marched his
men down to Florida and back again. So
goes the old nursery rhyme, corrected up
70 date.
The troops turned out at the governors
command to see that the Corbett-Mitchell
mill didn't come of this side Of the state
line, and at an expense of about 5000
the troops carried out orders, and the
fight didn't come of in Georgia.
After getting so near the scene of the
little conflict, however, the boys were
Just little sorry that the Jacksonville
sports didn't come somewhere in range of
their rifles, or, rather, of their eyesight,
it even being limited that several of the
men, including officers, had car
ried field glasses along to get a
glimpse of the combat in case it was
pulled of, not in Georgia, but just ac ross
the ST Marys river on the Florida side.
The soldier boys were not spelling for
fight exactly, but they longed for little
excitement to give some tone TO their
spirits, and failing to find it in the APP
preaching of crowd bent on violating
10 ~ In 1Ong
marches to the river, and mounting
guard duty.
THE GOVERNOR DECIDES.
It took Gov. Northen some time TO de-
eide after the troops reached Waycross
night before last, just what to do. The
conference between him and the officer
of the Fifth Georgia regimental staff in
which Solicitor General Brantley par
ticipated did not adjourn until 2 o'clock
yesterday morning, when the governor
retired.
It seems that he had been in a sort Of
quandary on account of several conflict
ing kilograms received from Jacksonville,
from sports with mischievous or malicious
intention. The result was he didn't know
Just what to do, except that he was de-
termined to keep the fighting contingent
the other side of the state line. The tel
egrams bore different signatures, and one
would declare that it was the intention
of the club to have the fight in Georgia,
when few minutes later the governor
would be advised that it would come off
as per the published programme.
One thing, however, that influenced
the governor, perhaps as much or more
than anything else, was the fact that
every spare coach on the Savannah, Flor
ida and Western railway had been
pressed into service and carried down to
Jacksonville. This was regarded as
pretty sJrong evidence that the crowd
was coming to Georgia woods.
DECIDED TO MOVE.
Col. Gordon was in favor of moving at
once under the circumstances, but the
governor wanted to wait more definite in
formation Shortly after 2 o'clock, how
ever, notice having been received that
the road was open, and the
special train was awaiting the
governors orders, 1t was de-
cided to move south at 3 O'Clock, stopping
at Folkston, TO reconnoiter. Arrange
ments having been made the governor re-
tired.
4
at the armory of the Waycross Rifles.
The four troops of the regiment had mus
tered 107 men, including the staff officers.
The Hussars carried out Al the two Lib
erty troops, B and 30 and IL men, and
the Wayne troop 20. The country troops
turned out remarkably well, considering
the fact that their orders were not re-
ceived until noon Wednesday, and many
of the men live from ten TO twenty miles
apart. The Waycross Rifles carried 80
men.
At o'clock sharp the troops were
ready and marching from the armory, but
part of the first battalion in command of
Mai. Meldrim was lost in the darkness,
and the ma or reached the train with
only one company. He detailed a cor
poral's guard to hunt up the missing
troops. and soon had them marching TO
the front. The troops were all on the
special, and the start was made for Folks
ton at 3:l5 a. m.
AT COL. GoBDoN's DISPOSAL.
The conductor informed Col Gordon
that the train was entirely at his disposal,
and that he was ready to obey any orders
from him.
The talk about the fight being brought
into Georgia ana pulled off across the line
just at daybreak was still uppermost
among the suspicious in Col. Gordon's
mind when he asked how long it would
take to run TO tolkston.
II can 60 as fast as you want me TO- :"
was the conductors reply.
IL was then just 3 so a. m. and Col
Gordon replied that he would like TO get
10 Folkston by 1870 o'clock so as to be
there before daylight.
Another question he asked was how
long the special could remain on the main
line before having to move for some other
traiu. IL could remain Just one hour and
fifteen minutes and it stood on the main
line for that length of time. so that if
there were any probability of the daylight
Georgia plans being carried out the pugil-
istic special would be efectually block
AIDED.
Col. Gordon's instructions from Gov.
Northern were to report to Sheriff Miller,
of Ware county, aud see what was TO be
done. When the train stopped, Sheriff
Miller boarded the train and held con-
sultation with Col Gordon.
Sheriff Miller and his posse of about
twenty men had been on the frontier
since Wednesday, all armed with double
barreled shotguns. He was co-operat-
ing With Sheriff wainwright, of Charlton
county, and Sheriff Dickinson, of Clinch.
He had stationed posse of ten men at
the St. Mary's bridge, and had kept them
there all night. Other guards had been
put around at other points where infor
nation might be obtained.