The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-22
FIRST REGIMENTS FLAG.
II Will Be Formally Presented To-
Morrow by Col. 0lmStGad.

! Col. Mercer to Receive It in Behalf of
the Regiment-The Presentation to
Take Place at Dress Parade at the
RegimentaI Armory and to Be Fol-
lowed by a Parade in the Park-The
First Regiments Commanders.
The First Regiment has received its
stand Of colors from the state. The colors
will be received by the regiment on dress
parade tomorrow afternoon at 6 o'clock
Orders were issued yesterday by Col.
Mercer to this effect.
1t was thought that the colors would be
presented by Lieut.. G. B. Satterlee, as
sistant adjutant and inspector general,
but telegram was received yesterday by
Col. Charles II. Olmstead from Adjt.
Gen. Kell requesting him to represent the
state in the presentation. Col Olmstead
notified the adjutant general of his ac-
ceptance, and will make the presentation.
COL. MERCER TO RECEIVE THE CoLoRs.
Thacolors will be received in behalf of
the regiment by Col. Mercer After the
formation of the dress parade Col Mer-
Ger will turn the regiment over to Lieut..
Col. Reilly, relieving himself of all
military duty on the occasion
for the purpose Of accepting the colors
After the colors have been presented and
received Lieut.. Col. Reilly will march the
regiment to the parade ground accom-
panied by the new colors, where a few
battalion evolutions win be performed be-
fore dismissing the parade.
Lieut. Satterlee stated some time ago
when in Savannah, that it was the inten-
ton to present to each of the regiments
of the state stand of the state colors
The First Regiment having the pre-
Cedence of the other regimental
organizations, is the first to receive its
colors. The colors are very handsome
The Georgia state flag bears a very close
resent lance to the confederate flag, being
practically the same except the stars.
THE FIRST REGIMENTS COMMANDERS.
At the beginning of the war the First
regiment was commanded by Col. now
Gen. A. Il. Lawton. On the promotion
of Gen. LawtOn to the command of a
brigade, prominent citizen, Hugh W.
Mercer, Esq. an eX-Weot Pointer and
cashier Of the old Planters Bank, the
father of the present colonel of the regi-
ment, became colonel Col Mercer was
in turn made a brigadier general,
and was succeeded by Col. Olmstead
the adjutant of the regiment.
These changes all took place in the
first few months of the war. When Fort
uldShl Wds CuI Oll 1IOIl4 hu6 Guy ny LIlG
erection of federal batteries at Venus
Point and Bird Island Col Olmstead
was in command at the fort with his regi-
ment, After siege of several months,
the fort was bombarded, preached April
10 and surrendered the following day.
The garrison was taken north as prison
ers of war. On their exchange Col. Olm-
stead's regiment again took the field and
participated with Johnston's army in the
campaign in Upper Georgia and around
Atlanta, and afterward in Hoods disas-
trous campaign in Tennessee, being part of
the attacking column at Nashville. 1t also
formed part of the army which, under
Joe Johnston, faced Sherman again in
North Carolina, participating in the bat
tie of Bentonville and surrendering at
ensboro, n. G. Col. Olmstead, except
ing the few first months, commanded the
regiment from the beginning to the end OF
the confederate war.
The First regiment is the lineal sue.
cessor TO Oglethorpe's regiment that
fought the Spaniards on st. Simon S
Island, 1742, and Its record, or that of its
detached companies, is part oil
the history of the revolutionary
war, that of 1912, the Indian
wars in Georgia and Florida and war
with Mexico lone of its companies, the
Jasper Greens, being in the Georgia regi-
ment) and last, but not least, in the late
confederate war, where it not only main
tanned its integrity as a regiment, but
furnished companies and commanders fol-
other regiments,