The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-30
CONTROL or PARADE GROUND.
THE GOVERNOR ASKED TO ISSUE
AN ORDER TO THE MILITARY.

The Officers and Committee of the
Confederate Veterans Association
10 Confer with the Commanding
Officers of the Local Military on
the Subject of IA Request TO the
Governor 10 Issue an order 70 All
Militnry Companies Against Inter-
ference with Memorial Nay ENer-
cisez-The status of the Military
Parade Ground Discussed AT
Length by The Veterans and Much
History Concernlnr u Revived.
city Attorney Adams Opinion
That the White Military Have Ex-
elusive Control Of the Ground.
The special meeting of the Confederate
Veterans Association last night, 10 con-
slider the intrusion OF the Chatham Light
Infantry during the progress of the Ne
mortal day exercises at the parade ground,
was largely attended.
The meeting was held at Knights Of Ply
thias hall 1t was the meeting night Of
DuGuescIin division. but the division kind
ly gave way TO the veterans. The object
OF the meeting was stated by President
Ryals Ii was. ne said. to take into con-
sideration the indignltes offered the ass0-
citation at the parade ground during the
exercises Of Memorial day, boy the inter-
ruption caused by the entrance Of a color
ed military company, and for the purpose
of taking concerted action. Mai Ryals
said that he had called the meeting be-
cause he had learned that unless concert
ed action were taken by the association,
there was a likelihood that individual
members would take action, and he
thought it much better that action should
be taken as a whole.
The first matter discussed vase whether
the reporters present should be allowed
TO remain. II was decided, after some lit
tie discussion, that they should be allowed
TO remain. on condition that they submit
their reports to a committee to be APP
pointed by the president The reporters
agreed to these terms but when the meet
ing adjourned, after two hours discussion,
the appointment Of the committee OF CEN
The discussion Of the matter was calm
and dispas sionate. There were no intern
perate utterances and no severe criticlsfns
OF the offending company, the view gehef-
ally taken by the speakers being thdt the
action Of the Chatham Light Infantry was
due to ignorance, and that there was no IN
tentiOn on their part 10 give oHehSe. WIN
this view most of The discussion was de-
voted 20 the status Of the military parade
ground and the question as TO its exclusive
Control by the white military companies
of the city
the request Of President Ryais he had CALI
ed upon Col. LaWton and Col. Garrard and
requested their attendance at the meet
ing. They were unable TO attend, however,
on account OF a previous engagement TO be
present in uniform at the performance OF
Aladdin at the theater, but requested thar
a committee be appointed to confer with
the military officers of the city for The pur-
pose Of investigating the ownership ana
control of the parade ground
S. b. Adams Esq, who was present 10y
request, was called upon for an opinion as
TO the status of the parade ground. Mr.
Adams said that In 1891 there was a move
1nent to project streets through the
ground He was called upon as clty attoi-
ney for his opinion and advised that ms
could not be done as the parade ground be-
longed exclusively TO the miildfy. Mr..
Adams said that he did not at that time
investigate the question as TO what portion
or class OF the military possessed cohlrol,
hut simply satisfied himself Of the fact
that the military had control However,
he said. he would be very much surprised
10 find that any military company other
than white military company, hdd any
interest in the ground, as II nad DeeH turn
cd over to the military before the war,
and Ii was hardly contemplated at that
time that any but a white military com
Pany would ever have any interest in II.
lie would he very much surprised to dis
cover otherwise, he said.
Mr.. Adams proceeded with the permits
sion of the association, to discuss the In
cident He thought it had been unduly
magnfed. He did not believe there had
been any purpose on the part OF the ne
gro company to offer any insult to the
confederate veterans and others assem-
bled with them at the monument 1t was
a gross breach of propriety and decorum,
he said but he did not believe any insult
was intended. 1t was a natural thing for
them to wind up their parade at the
parade ground.
Don't let us be too harsh" he said,
in judging the colored folks" He APP
pealed to the veterans to recall the fidelity
with which the negroes served their mas
tiers families during the war while the
masters were absent at the front Even
in the reconstruction period, he said the
negroes acted remarkably well. all things
considered. Mr.. Adams said he believed
the time would come when the people
of the south would feel like rearing u
monument to the slaves for their fidelity
during the war.
Mr.. Appleton said he fully agreed with
everything Mr.. Adams had said. He had
no doubt that the members of the negro
military company believed they had
right on the ground, The purpose OF the
meeting was TO find out if possible the
exact status of the ownership of the
ground, in order that similar intrusions
might not occur again. lie called upon
Col John Screven for Information as to
the history of the parade ground.
Col. Screven said he had been a soldier
in connection with the volunteer COM
panies of Savannah for nearly nifty years
He remembered the old military canton
ment and the United States barracks
when they We're first built where the De
Soto hotel now stands. lie remembered
seeing a member of an Augusta company,
who had volunteered for the Indian war
in Florida in 1886, and afterwards de-
serted, drummed out of the barracks by
his comrades. Col. Screven said he be-
came a member OF the Savannah Nolun-
teer Guards in lS41, and he had no recol-
lection of the existence of any military
parade ground at that time. On second
thought, he said, he had a vague recol-
lection that there was at that time a mill
tary parade ground bounded by Abercorn
street on the west Price street on the
east, the lame south of the convent on
the north, the southern boundary he did
not recall Tt was surrounded by a good
1hree-rail fence, with neat stiles at in
terVals Col ScreVen said he had spent
a considerable part of the afternoon in
searching the records of the city in re-
gard TO the parade ground He called
attention to section 1859 of MacDOnells
Code where he said an error had been
made by the coditier. This section states
that the military parade ground is added
10 Forsyth place and made a part of the
same, and is forever set apart as pub
lic place. He read the ordinance Of 1853
referring to the parade ground, in which
il is stated in set terms thar the nine
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