The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-19

~ 10 ~cAohlA VI Aht It lISl ENtEiLlbul.
course. a good deal leaked out through
various sources. 1t was necessary to take
several ballots before a majority was Sc.
cured for Maj. Lawton. The vote is said
second or third ballot iot' Mai i" LAVE awe
ION had a plurality of two votes over Mai
Karow. The votes for Capt. Brooks went
10 MAJ. Lawton on the next ballot, and he
was elected.
Capt. Flannery appointed Capts. Dixon.
Rockwell, Brooks and Kolshorn a com
mittee TO notify Mai. Lawton Of his NOM
lnauon and TO escort him to the hail. The
committee found him at his residence, and
escorted him TO the armory, where he re-
celVeu the congratulations of the officers
MAJ. Lawton expressed his appreciation
OF the compliment paid him in selecting
MIN 10 command the regiment and thank
ed the officers in the most feeling manner
lie assured them that he would do every
thing IN his power to maintain the high
standard which has characterized the rep
iment in the past.
II was decided by the caucus that Liuet
Col. Reilly should be informed to-day thai
II was the wish of the officers that the
election be held at as early a date as
possible and that he be requested to notify
tne ad1utant general to that effect This
Deing the case, the order for the election
Will no doubt be issued shortly
The selection of Mai Lawton TO rom
mand the regiment will give general sat
lslaeton, not only to the large member
ship of the regiment but to the peonIe ~
savannah, who feel a proprietary Inter-
est in 1t. The new commander is a wor-
thy successor to the several honorable and
S uis ens ulsned gentlemen who have been
IN command since the organization of the
regiment. There are several things which
make the election fitting one. The colo
nel-to-be is native of Savannah and has
resided here all his life, with the excep-
tloh or the time he spent elsewhere at
school and college. He is about as tho
roughly American as it is possible for
an American to be. Everyone of his an
G6SIOrE came to this hafn -
LeVoluuonary war, and yet he has English
herman, French, Irish and Welsh blood in
ms veins. One great-grandfather was a
German, another a Frenchman and an
other an Irishman, and yet all three came
TO this country before the revolution A
more typical American ancestry 1t would
be hard to find.
This is the second time in the history
OF the regiment it has been commanded by
both father and son. Maj. Lawton is the
son of Gen. A. r. LaWton, the first com
mander of the regiment. Gen Iawton
was succeeded in the command by colonel.
afterward general Hugh w. Mercer the
rather of Col George A. Mercer. who is
now about to be succeeded by the son of
Gen. Lawton. A half century
ago or thereabouts all the Savannah mill
tary companies were combined in an or
Volunteer Battalion of Savannah, includ-
ing the cavalry and artillery company
as we'll as the infantry companies Gen
1awton commanded this battalion, with
.
IN the mites the First Volunteer Regi-
ment of Georgia was organized, with
Gen. Lawton as colonel Gen. Lawton
was in command of the regiment at the
breaking out of the war and seized
Fert Pulaski with the regiment in Janu-
airy, 1861: He was shortly thereafter
made brigadier general, and his con-
nection with the regiment ceased.
Alexander Rudolf Lawton, Jr., was
born in Savannah Aug. 8, 1858, being the
only son and youngest child of Gen.
Lawton. He graduated at the Savannah
High School in 1872 and afterward spent
three years at Bellevue. Va. He gradu-
ated from the University of Virginia in
1877, being classmate of Gov Atkin-
son. He began the study of law the same
year in the office of Jackson, Lawtol
& Bassingr He afterward spent a year
at the law school of the University of
Virginia under that celebrated instructor
in law, John Il. Minor, and another year
at the Harvard law school. In June. 1880
he was admitted to the bar from the
office of Garrard & Meldrim, and shortly
afterWard entered into partnership with
Capt. H. c. Cunningham for the prac-
tice of law. The prominence of this firm
in the Central railroad and other impor-
tant litigation, is too well known to need
further mention.
Mai. Lawton has always been an en-
thusiastic military man. In February
1881, he joined the Georgia Hussars. He
became corporal and finally a sergeant
in the company. May /, 1890. he was COM
}missioned adjutant of the First Regiment
of Cavalry, which position he filled with
credit to himself and to the satisfaction OF
his commander, Col. Gordon. May l.
1898, he resigned as adjutant of the First
cavalry, on account of the press of legal
business, due TO the receivership of the
Central railroad. When the battalions
of the First Regiment of Infantry were
formed, in the summer of 1894. he was
elected major by the officers of that regi-
ment, Maj. Edward Karow being elected
at the same time. He received his com.
mission July is, 1894 and was assigned
by Col. Mercer to the Second battalion
of the regiment. His election to the colo.
nelcy is sufficient evidence of the salts
faction which he has given. He not only
endeared himself to the officers and men
OF his own command, but to the whole
regiment and military men generally
Many military men and friends of the
nominee who heard of his election has.
tened 10 congratulate him by telephone
TO Morning News reporter who called on
nun, Maj. Lawton said that he considered
me colonelcy Of the First Regiment of In
iantry the highest military position In
the state. There being no grade higher
than colonel in the volunteer service OF