The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-06
TROOPS BACK FROM RICHMOND
AFTER ILLUSTRATING GEORGIA
AGAIN on VIRGINIA SOIL.

Home After a Most Enjoyable
Trip-They Were Hospitality En-
tertained by the Military and Cit
liens of Richmond and Were
Given n Perfect Ovation by the
Crowds on the Day Of the Big Pa
rade-Capts. Rockwell and Brooks
both speak In Glowing Terms of
the Courtesy aud Kindness of the
People of Richmond-The Cadets
Make "a Pleasant Excursion 10
Washington and ut. vernon.
The Oglethorpe Light Infantry and the
Savannah Cadets reached home at
O'Clock yesterday morning. having made
the trip from Richmond In thirteen hours.
The run going up was made In twelve
hours so that the schedule left nothing
10 complain Of either way
The men were somewhat tagged out
after having been steadily on the move
since Wednesday morning but they we're
not too much faugued 70 prevent both
companies turning out with full ranks 10
participate with the regiment In paying
the last tribute to Gen. Lawton.
Both officers and men were delighted
with their trip. and everything pertain
ing TO it. With the exception Of few
slight hardships incidental to travel, they
have not a thing TO complain Of. nd give
the most glowing accounts of their treat
ment by the people Of Richmond and 9TH
ers whom they met en- route. The savan-
nah battalion added greatly 10 the dis
play made by Georgia at Richmond. The
testimony Of those who saw them there
is that it was the finest battalion in line
on the day Of the parade. Some Of this
is due perhaps to the partiality Of friends.
but the continued ovation which the Geor-
gia troops received along the line was
sufficient testimony to their excellent APP
pearance. They bore on their caps the
magic word Georgia" and this proved an
open sesame TO all hearts. Then when the
crowds saw the flag of the Oglethorpe
Light Infantry and recognized the historic
character of the company by the list OF
battles on its flag the cheering was re-
peated again and again. The Georgians
certainly had nothing TO complain Of in
their reception in Richmond.
The Oglethorpes were entertained by the
Richmond Light Infantry Blues, an his
toric organization, having been organ
lied in 1898. The dress uniform of the
corps to-day is the same as that when Il
was nrst organized. The company was
given nice quarters In the splendid drin
mlssary Of that company. The members
of the Blues were constant in their at
tentons upon their guests. The officers
OF the Oglethorpes were entertained by
Maj. Sol Cutchins at a banquet the first
night. The whole company was enter
tanned by the Blues battalion the night
after the big parade.
"Our hosts of the Blues did everything
in their power for our comfort and pleas
ure," said Capt Rockwell. Not salts
ned with entertaining us at their armory
they were always at our service and In,
dividually took charge Of our men when
off duty, and showed them the many
points Of interest In and around the city
We were not allowed to spend any money
while they were around. We had a splen>
did time. Not only the Blues, but the
people of Richmond, wherever we met
Them seemed unable to do enough for us
Our hosts insisted that we had not prop
erly seen Richmond on account of the
crowds and the various events TO dis
tract our attention, and that we should
return next year, when they would have
more opportunity to make US acquainted
with the city and the people. The Ogle-
thorpes and the Cadets, together with
the Burke Troop of Waynesboro, dis
mounted, formed the military escort to
Gov Atkinson and staff in the parade,
and were highly complimented by the
governor. The Oglethorpes had fifty-nine
men and the Cadets fifty-eight. and
think these were about the largest COM
panies IN the parade. Our strength was
a
distance, as we did We were cheered all
along the line. Here comes Georgia.
somebody would cry out, as we advanced,
and then the crowd would cheer Our
drilling seemed to impress the crowd.
Look at that now there drilling for
you you would hear them say, and many
similar remarks. 1t made us feel quite
proud. At one point I'm the march some
old veteran who recognized our flag called
out, Here comes Bartows old company;
give EN- cheer and they did with a
will. Wherever we stopped along the line
the young ladies' would come out and give
the boys Ice water and lemonade. There
was nothing too good for u.s."
Richmond certainly did her part we'll"
continued Capt. Rockwell. The crowd
was immense. There were 5000 men in
line in Thursdays parade, and there must
have been fully as many more visitors,
perhaps twice as many more. II took
two and a half hours for the line TO pass
a given point The city was the most
completely decorated of any / have ever
seen. Savannah has at various times
made attempts at decoration, but moth
ing to compare with what was done in
Richmond. Every house was decorated
from roof to sidewalk, and the confed-
crate flag was the chief feature of the
decoration. One of the most interesting
places l visited in Richmond was the
confederate museum at the Jeh Davis
mansion. Georgia has a splendid exhibit
at the museum, the DeRenne collection
being one of the chief features Bar
evening of our departure the whole com
pany was invited TO the house of Col
Randall the grand marshal of the pa
rade. where we were delightfully."- enter
tanned"
The Cadets were received in Richmond
by the Walker Light Guards, Company
b. First Regiment Infantry, Virginia
Volunteers. and escorted to their armory,
where they We're given the best quar-
ters, Notwithstanding the fact that the
company was entertaining several other
visiting companies. Excellent commits
sary provisions had been made for all
the visiting companies. Second Lieut.. Nh
Ter of the Walker Light Guards is a
brother of Polk Miller, the well-known
lecturer, who was in Savannah two years
ago. In conversation with Capt Brooks.
Lieut.. Miller stated that he was Quit.
young at the time of the battle of San
or's Creek, in which the Savannah Volun-
teer Guards battalion was wiped out of
existence. He lived near the battlefield
and went over IL the next day and helped
to bury the dead of the Guards and To
care for the wounded. He mentioned par
ticularly Capt. John r. Dillon, who was
severely wounded and who was carried
to the house of a relative of Mr.. Miller.
where he was cared for until he was able
to be moved Mr.. Miller recalled the