The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-23

I was begun amidst a baptism Of fire. and
Z It's duty was nObly done on that and other
I fields. The members Of the gallant com
I mand truly illustrated Georgia. and left
I q glorious heritage to their children. Col
. Garrard dwelt upon the fact that although
I there are number Of military cOmpa-
MES IN Savannah. there is no Jealousy be
/ tween them. They are proud OF each
! others successes.
/ with such a present ard such a past.
/ said Col. Garrard. the Ogleth0rpe Light
Infantry can look forward TO the future
/ with the assurance of success and the
1 confidence that the company will contin-
I ue 10 be what Il always has been, one OF
the best in the state"
DR.. Goodwin was called upon, but ex-
cused himself by relating an anecdote,
which illustrated that the speakers be-
fore him had taken all the wind out of
I his sails.
Mr.. Pleasant A Stovau, who responded
next, said that he had been told that
when the Oglethorpe Infantry went 10
! Virginia in 1861 II had been the rule that
/ no married men need apply" 1t was
! company Of boys. He was glad that this
! rule did not apply tonight, for it would
/ bar out Col. Estill. the happy groom and
| genial host, and it would also pre-
vent the speaker from mingling in the re
| union.
But it was a fact that the Oglethorpes
] VI AoYA were mere ldi4Ss Inc average d.
/ Of the company was but is. Think Of il.
/ at the age when the boys of to-day are
( now going TO school, or thinking of crab
[ bling and boating, our brothers and faith
ers Of 81 were fighting in the most ire
mendous struggle Of the century
Mr.. Stovan said he had peculiarly sa-
/ cred associations with the anniversary of
Manassas Two young boys had gone out
/ from his own family with fathers bless
| ing, mothers prayer. They were brave
| men, with honest convictions. They fought
/ IN the Rome company, side by side with the
! Oglethorpe Infantry OF Savannah. They
were led with the Eighth Georgia regiment
into the bloody enhlade which wrought
such fearful havoc and when one Of these
| young men returned from the pine thicket
/ where his company had charged, flushed
with victory, his brother and companion
was already wrapped in a soldiers sleep.
/ Such Renaissance was sad but precious.
! With Manassas to the speakers mind came
! memories Of marble shaft and soldier
wreath, principles imperishable. and fra
| grant heroism of youth. And so the boys
Of Old-nOt as old as these and as bright
are still dreaming the years OF their lives
| away.
There were continuous calls for Lieut..
| Oscar Brown, but the lieutenant was very
bashful and was with difficulty prevailed
upon to appear. which he finally did, and
made few brief but pleasant remarks.
/ He said that he had previously met the
! OglethOrpes in camp, where they acquit-
! ted themselves with credit and he was
| pleased to meet them again under such
pleasant circumstances. He expressed
the hope that all their meetings might be
equally as pleasant.
Adjt. Davis Freeman of the Guards
battalion referred eloquently to the brave
/ deeds of the veterans, mentioning num-
erous instances OF such bravery.
There is no command whose page in
history" he said, lis more brightly IL
Illuminated than that Of the Oglethorpes.
If the members OF the corps will read the
| record which the corps offers for their
/ perusal, il will be in the future as 1t has
been in the past. The Oglethorpes Of
to-day viii not make a record that the
| Oglethorpes of yesterday Will be ashamed
| of. Ever keep before you that history.
| 1t is the duty of the veteran members
to put in shape those annals which make
up the history of the company that Il
| may be preserved. If you but follow in the
footsteps of your noble predecessors there
| will be no command of which Georgians
will be more proud than the OglethOrpe
| Light Infantry"
Gen. Lafayette McLaws. who was among
the guests made a genuine ''unreconstruct-
| ed address. 81 am a confederate" he said,
! land my feelings on the subject are moro
! intensified to-day than they were In the
days of the war. / believe now as believed
| then, that We had cause to secede. We
did secede and formed q government of our
own and were forced back into the union.
| 1t has never been decided judicially that
| we did not have the right to secede, have
| no desire TO arouse bitter feelings l would
| only urge upon you to read the history of
the causes that led to secession"
Gen. McLaws said that the proudest cpl
taph that could be placed upon the grave
/ Of iz
"If you ask me where he comes from,
My answer must be,
He was brave and gallant soldier
OF the Southern confederacy."
Capt J, r. Brooks was given an enthu-
| siastic reception. He spoke warmly of his
| early connection with the Oglethorpes, and
said that he received his military training
under Capt. Alexander Butler. There was
no asphalt pavement to drill on in those
days, he said. and the best the military
| men had to drill on was the cobblestone
| pavement on Bay street, which was often
covered with mud. 1t took considerable
| sticking power TO make a good military
| man them ne said.
While not a war member of the Ogle-
thorpes Capt. Brooks said he was a mem
Der of the company in the very trying
| times following upon the war when the en-
tire military fabric of the state was threat
| ened His interest was stin warm in his
old company, he said. and he was proud
| indeed of the showing made by it.
Lieut. Henry McAlpin, ranking Off
Ger of the Georgia Hussars in the city
| expressed the good wishes of the caval-
ry toward the infantry and the Oglethorpe
! Light Infantry especially
Lieut. L. H. McLaws pledged his best
endeavors to keep Wnsullied and unfair
nished the priceless legacy left the COM
pany by the heroes of the confederacy
He expressed the thanks of the company
to the host for the occasion and its priv
| ileges.
Capt J. T. Roman was called upon, and
made rafting speech. He dwelt partic-
ularly upon the veterans who were pres
ent in the ranks and referred feelingly
| TO the absence of the late Sanford w
! Branch. one of the bravest and best be-
loved of the war members of the COM
pany.
Capt. Rockwell proposed a toast 10
Lieut.. c. B. SatterIee of the United States
army for the work done by him in behalf
of the military of the state during his
service as assistant adjutant general. All
joined in the toast. This concluded the
! festivities and the order to form on the