The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-04
SOLDIERS OF OLD DOMINION.
FOURTH VIRGINIA 3NE OF THE
CRACK COMMANDS OF CORPS.

shareholders and Privates Repre-
sent Some of the f. #. V.'s-Dress
Parade OF the Regiment an Inter-
cStInE sPectacIe-Gen. Lee Calls
The Command One of the Best.
Camp Is Being Put in Excellent
shape.
One of the crack regiments of the Sew
enth Corps is the Fourth Virginia. 1t is
in the Second Brigade of the Second DI-
vision, and is commanded by Col G. W.
Taylor. Tho bluest blood of Virginia is
represented in many of the officers and
men, and they maintain the standard of
gentility and fine breeding that has been
established by sons of their native soil.
Many of the members of the regiment
are known to the people of Savannah, Of
whom not few are themselves from Vir-
ginia or descended from Virginia stock,
and the regiments stay near the city is
being made more pleasant than 1t might
be were 1t camped among strangers. Vir-
ginians are always welcome wherever
they go in the South, and of Georgia this
is particularly true.
The regiment has not the best location
that the camping ground of the corps af-
fords. 1t is situated to the north of the
just this side of the fork of the road, one
branch leading to Bonaventure and the
other to Thunderbolt. The ground Is
rather broken and there is a thin strip
of woodland intervening to shut the camp
off from the parade ground. This latter,
also. is Objectionable, but the trouble can
be easily removed by the use of a moving
machine. Rank grass covers the parade
ground TO a hight of some three feet in
places, but this does not prevent the ex-
cellent drills for which the regiment Is
noted, being given every afternoon.
Such drill was that of yesterday after
noon, when the parade was formed in regi-
mental line This was the first time this
formation had been had line of masses
having heretofore been employed on dress
parade. The movements were executed
faultlessly, however, and the regularity
and precision with which every man IN the
command executes the manual of arms
was seen to advantage by the number of
spectators who were out to witness the
parade. All the way down the long line
the hands could be seen to rise and fSl
at the same time, as regular as clock work
and in the cadence that delights the true
taetician while the pieces were handled
with the proper regard for the pauses and
with the snap that adds SO much beauty
to the manual. 1t is such drills that has
caused Gen. Lee to say that there are
no better instructed or more capable regi-
ments than the Fourth Virginia in the SER
vice.
There will be busy days for the men of
the Fourth for some time, as putting the
camp in proper shape is to commence.
Rollers will be used to pack the dirt hard
and smooth after a harrow has been
drawn over the toughest parts Then
there are more buildings yet to be erected
though already the regiment has great
many, each company having a mess hall
and kitchen and each battalion being sim
ilarly provided with conveniences for the
officers. Bath houses with shower baths,
one for each battalion, are TO be built at
once. The weather viii soon be rather
| cold for this style of recreation, but no
premium is to be placed upon mans
keeping clean.
At Jacksonville the Fourth had an ex-
cellent camp. There were many buildings,
| and the location and lay of the land was
| all that could have been desired. Most of
the buildings had there will be duplicated
here The members of the regiment are
glad to be here, and the camp will not
be long in assuming an entirely different
appearance to that it now has.
! Most Of the members of the regiment
| come from the seaboard OF Virginia. Three
Of the companies are from Norfolk. These,
with one Portsmouth, form the First Bat
| talon, under command of Lieut.. Col L.
r. Edwards of Franklin. From Richmond
there are two companies, while Suffolk
also sent two. One each halls from Pc
| tersburg, Franklin, Newport. News and
Hampton. These eight companies are
formed into the battalions commanded by
Maj Marshall farrell of the Second, and
Maj. William N. Blow of the Third Mai.
Blow is an officer of the regular army and
Virginian. He was promoted from the
rank of lieutenant in the Fifteenth In
fantry TO his majority. At the request of
Col. Taylor, he was assigned to the Fourth,
in which he is highly esteemed by officers
and men.
Col Taylor is a disciplirarian, but not
in the way that so often makes the word
odious to the men of a command His
management of his regiment is thorough
and effective and much of its competency
is owned to the ability of it's commander
as well as the personnel of the members
Military etiquette is regarded punctilious-
ly, officers as well as men showing every
regard for the regulations that govern
them.
In civil life Col. Taylor was vice presi-
cent of the Tide Water Ice Co., of Norfolk,
and senior member of the coal. firm of
G. W. Taylor & Co, He is a gentleman
of the Virginia school and a thorough off,
Ger. In the Virginia Volunteers he was
lieutenant colonel and received his pro-
motion upon the failure of his colonel to
retain his command. He has passed
through all the grades up TO his present
rank.
Rather a remarkable fact in conneo-
ton with the history of Col. Taylors old
company, Company A, of the regiment,
consists in its having had four captains
since its organization, all Of whom are
in the Fourth. These are Col. Taylor
Adjt P. Il. Yeatman, Capt A. NJ. Hig-
gins. the quartermaster, and Capt. H. H.
Sheen, now in command
The Fourth is to be the only representa-
tive of its state TO remain In the service
with the exception of the body of colored
troops that was also called for as a part
of Nirginia'S contingent. The Second Req