The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-20
TROOPS TO PARADE FOR LEE.
THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH
TO BE OBSERVED TODAY.

Col. w. W. Gordon TO Command the
Parade as senior Ranking Omcer
Under the Governors RuIing-The
Companies TO Assemble at $3.50
O'CIOck-The Day to BE Observed
Generally as a Half Holiday.
The anniversary of the birth Of Gen.
Robert Z Lee viii be celebrated in Savan-
nah to-day. The day will be observed as
a holiday by the banks, cotton exchange
and board of trade. city and county offices
and many business houses. The majority
OF the business houses will observe the day
as a half holiday.
The chief feature will be the parade of
the military in the afternoon. As has al
ready been announced the parade will as
semble on South Broad street with the
right resting on Bull street, at $50 o'clock
The march will begin at o'clock and
Will be out Bull street to the parade
ground where there will be the usual re-
view.
Col W. W. Gordon. commanding the
First regiment of cavalry, will be in COM
mand Of the parade. This will be no sur
prise to those who read the correspon-
dence published in yesterdays Morning
News between Col. Gordon and the adju-
tant general. In the reply of the adju-
tant general to a series Of questions for
information by Col. Gordon the former
makes the direct statement in answer to
a direct question that in the absence OF
Col. Mercer from the joint parade to-day
the command Of the parade devolves upon
Col. Gordon as the next ranking officer in
the city.
The principle of the right Of the senior
off to,
out reference to the number of men or
companies present belonging to his par
ticular organization is asserted through
out in the adjutant generals reply which
II is stated, is made by the direction of
the governor.
1t was known among the officers when
the parade was ordered that Col Gordon
would be in command, but the men gen.
orally were in ignorance of this, the sup
position being that the usual rule would
be followed of the command of the Joint
parade by the ranking infantry officer
present. In this case the command would
have devolved upon Lieut.. Col. Reilly of
the First regiment, who, under similar
circumstances, was in command of the
parade in honor of the First Illinois reg
iment last November. Although the head
quarters of the First cavalry have been
in Savannah since the formation of the
regiment, the regiment as such has never
been regarded as local institution, it
having only one company here, the Geor-
gla Hussars. on several occasions when
the military of the city were doing Joint
duty on parade or otherwise the command
has devolved upon one Of the lieutenants
colonies, although Col. Gordon, a senior
officer, was present in the city. There
was, OF course, no thought of sighting Col
Gordon, but under the custom which has
prevailed it was not thought that he was
entitled to command.
Many of the military men of the city
are inclined to criticise the new ruling
Although Col. Gordon is held in high es-
TEEN, the members of the commands out
side OF the HusSars seem to think there
is something irregular in an officer only
one company of whose command is sta
toned in the city, taking command of a
parade, composed of a regiment and a bat
talon, besides other commands, which
are entirely made up of local companies
and have their own commanding officers.
There is no question in the mind of any
of the commanding officers, but that in
case of the military of the city being
called out by any emergency Col. Gordon
as the senior officer present, supposing
Col. MERGERS resignation to have been ac-
eepted by the governor, would be in COM
mand of all the troops on duty, but IL is
argued mat the parades of the local mill
tary are joint affairs, by agreement of
the commanding officers of the several
commands, and this being the case the
question of seniority only applies to the
officers of those commands which take
part as body The governor being the
commanding officer of the state troops
however, his decision is final.