The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-13
THEIR DRILL FORBIDDEN.
NELLY zOUAVEs NOT ALLOWED TO
ENTER THE CONTEST.

Order That They should Not BE
Allowed to Bear Arms in the state.
Col. Garrard Photographed 10 Re
move Them From the Contest.
Capt. DeRry's Statement of the
differences which Lead Up 10 the
Trouble.
/ The sensation Of the interstate drill Is
] ia connection with the Nicely Zouaves Of
/ Memphis. Tenn. 1t developed through an
/ order Of Adjt. Gen. Keu prohibiting the
I zouaves from entering the drill at the
| park Tuesday afternoon. The fact
/ that such an order had been is
sued did not become known on the
parade ground until the drill was well un
I der way, and IL was some time before the
reason Of the non-appearance OF the Nee
| ~ Zouaves became known. 1t was only
known then that the adjutant general had
given such an order, and as the circum-
| stances leading up to its issuance were not
known, the order was generally condemn
cd and much indignation was expressed.
The matter Is without doubt the sensation
Of the May week.
The fast intimation of the trouble was
in the shape Of a telegram received by Col.
Garrard. president of the Military Inter
state Drin Association, at / o'clock, from
Adlt. Gen. kell. II was as follows
Atlanta, Ca, May y, lS96.-COl. VIII
liam Garrard, Savannah, Ga. Are Nee
~ Zouaves in Savannah? Governor Ge-
nled them permission to bear arms in
| Georgia. J. Mcintosh Kel.
Adjutant General.
Col Garrard replied TO this telegram that
the arm had already commenced, the in
spectlon of the companies being then in
progress at the camp. and inquired If IL
We're absolutely necessary that the com
q mr. a Fr.ufrr
The drill. Shortly before 4 O'Clock Col.
Garrard received the following telegram
IRON AdJt, Gen. Kell on the grounds
lou VIII prevent the Nicely LOuaves
from participating and take them from
the contest lnstanter.'
There was nothing ambiguous about this
telegram and the Information was prompts
~ conveyed to Capt Deffry of the Nicely
AouaVes. Capt Deffry had been informed
OF the receipt Of the first telegram and the
Z company was SIM IN camp awaiting fur h
| er information when they were notified of
Inc order of the adjutant general The or
der was promptly complied with and the
guns which the men had in hand ready
/ 10 march 10 the parade ground We're put
away IN order that there might be no APP
pearance Of violation of the law.
Col. Garrard, when seen by a Morning
News reporter, said he had no explanation
10 offer of the matter. He knew nothing
beyond the kilograms he had received from
the adJutant general and the statement
| made to him by Capt. Deffry that there
was difference OF long standing between
D
nessee and that at the last moment the
company had been ordered not to leave the
state with arms. The Nicely Zouaves being
no longer In the state service the order had
been dlsregarded by Capt. Deffry and he
had brought the company to Savannah on
his own responsibility.
Later Col. Garrard received the following
telegram from the adjutant general:
Atlanta, Ca, May u, 1S96.-COl. William
Garrard: Adjutant general of Tennessee
reported Nicely Zouaves not allowed TO
bear arms In Tennessee, and not recog-
nized by state military. on this informa-
ton governor refused permission for them
to enter Georgia. They are here in viola
ton Of his orders. Oscar J. Brown.
Inspector General.
"Tielegram received. orders of governor
are obeyed and Nicely Zouaves not per-
mitted TO drill"
Under the orders given in the telegram
quoted there was nothing else that could
be done, but acquiesce in the orders is
sued by the adjutant general. This puts
the Nicely Zouaves out of the fight for the
present, but efforts are being made, and
it is hoped to make such presentation
of the case to the adjutant general that
he Will withdraw mis- orders and allow the
zouaVes to participate in the contest. If
such an order can be secured before the
conclusion Of the military exercises of the
week the Nicely Zouaves will give their
drill in competition with that given yes
terday by the Aurora Zouaves of Aurora,
III.
Capt. Derry accepted the situation very
] cOOlly, out nevertheless was very lnuig-
| nant a what he considered the injustice
/ dOne him and his company. He did not
| of course, hold the Military Interstate
! Association of Savannah to blame in the
/ slightest He charged the entire business
! to Adjt. Gen. Sykes Of Tennessee, and the
| representations made by him to the ad-
/ jutant general of Georgia
! When seen at Camp Gordon by a Morn
| ing News reporter Capt Deffry furnished
the following brief history Of his com
pany, and Of its difference with the adju-
/ IanL general OF Tennessee.
! The Nicely ZOuaYeS were organized in
! February 1894. The organization was ef-
! fected by one of the former lieutenants
| of the Rozier ZouaVes from the remnants
/ Of that company, which had some time
! previously ceased to exist after having
| made splendid record in various con-
| tests against forty competitors. The COM
! mand OF the company was soon atterWard
assumed by Capt. f. X. Defry, formerly
/ OF the ROzier ZOuaves and Merchants Zou-
| ayes of Memphis and Busch ZouaVes of
/ ST. Louis. The first contest entered by
/ the Nicely Zouaves was at the interstate
cOmpelltlVe dflA at Little ROCK in July,
| 1894 where the company, which had been
! in existence for only few months, ana
! having many raw recruits in the ranks.
| drilling a team of twenty-siX men against
! sixteen, captured the third prize. After
| this the company perfected its organiza-
ton, and acquired such discipline and ac-
| curacy IN the execution Of zouave tactics
that they We're able to enter with more
confidence in their next contest, which
! was the great interstate drill and encamp-
! ment al Montgomery park, Memphis in
| May, 1895. on this occasion they defeaJ-
ed the Fletcher Zouaves of Little Rock.
| and were awarded the first honors and n
prize of $1,000 The Nicely Zouaves were
at this time part of the national guard"
| of the state Of Tennessee and of the
First Regiment, with headquarters al
| Memphis, commanded by Brig Gen A
r. Taylor The company decided after
! winning first prize at Montgomery park.
to enter the approaching grand Interstate
| drill in the city OF St. Louis This de-
| termination was vigorously opposed Inv
the officers of their regiment, but to no
| immediate purpose, as the company too,1
| advantage of the rights and free
dom guaranteed by that sublime
! document, the American constifufion
and left in violation of orders. bur SIRE
and confident of hOnors and victory and
! of adding renown and fame to the name
of Memphis. It is now matter Of history
| that at st. Louis, in July, 1895 they carried
off the first honors, first prize. ana tho
championship of the United States. drillin9
against such splendid organizations as tbe
Chicago Zouaves, the Hale Zouaves. of
! Kansas City, the Walsh Zouaves and
| Busch Zouaves, of St. Louis. ana others
ON their return to Memphis. the com
| pauy was given cordial reception IN, on
thus.astic friends and admirers AMI an