The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05
1T BROUGHT GRIEF TO MANY.
ALL HOPED THE SOLDIERS WOULD
SOON COME HOME.

Governments Decision to Keep All
Three of GeOrgia's Regiments In
the Service Indefinitely Regarded
AS Unjust-Business Men Anxious
for Their Employees to Resume
Their Old Places Before the FAN
Business Opens Up Home Folks
and Sweethearts Had a Severe Dis
appointment.
There was a general feeling of disap-
pontment in Savannah yesterday over the
announcement of the war depar tment that
all three of the Georgia regiments were to
be continued in service an indefinite period,
with a prospect of at least one, and per-
haps two, being ordered out of the country
for police or garrison duties in Cuba or
Porto Rico.
1t had been expected that one of the
regiments would be ordered mustered out,
or that Gov. Atkinson's suggestion would
have been accepted and such Of the men as
desired to be discharged, relieved from adj
ditional service. With regiments from all
the other states being mustered out, it
was naturally supposed that some of Geor-
gla's soldiers would have the opportunity
| TO return home. Georgia furnished her full
quota and more, OF the troops called for
| by the government, and it was thought
that in mastering out she would be given
pro rata of discharges as well. While 1t
may be decided compliment to the quail
| ty of the soldiers furnished by this state
to retain them all. the Savannahans gen
orally are inclined to regard it as I'M
just TO muster out half of the troops from
some states and hold Georgias entire en-
aistment in the field.
Savannah as more interested in the mat
ter than any other city. No other place
in the state came anywhere near furnish
ing as many men as Savannah. Now
| that the war is over and the business sea-
son at hand the hope and wish were gem
eral that a large proportion of the men
enlisted here would be allowed to return
to their employments in private life.
up to this time" a business man said
yesterday, cit has been a comparatively
easy matter for business houses to keep
positions open for the men who left their
| service for that of the nation. Scores of
! firms have bookkeepers, clerks, stenog-
| raphers, statesmen or other valuable en-
I
| past months have been a period of no
great business activity and there has been,
/ in many cases, no necessity for filing the
vacancies. September, though, brings
new conditions. The fail trade is about
to open up. The men in the army are
needed in Savannah Some few have been
| fortunate enough to get discharges, but
they are a small proportion The others
| have held on, hoping for a general dis
armament of the volunteer forces. But
| they seem TO be doomed to disappoint-
| ment''
| Ii is a serious matter with many bust
ness men now They feel that they must
| fill the vacancies very soon Many will
| unquestionably advise their men in the
! army to apply for discharges and will
| bring whatever influence they can to bear
! to assist them. Now that the decision of
| the war department in regard to Georgia's
regiments has been made public there
will be many applca tons from soldiers
so situated for release. 1t is safe to say
! that in the course of the present month
scores of such applications will be filed.
! The general tendency of the war Depart
ment appears 10 be to grant discharges
especially when there are reasons for
| them, and in this way many Savannah
boys win be enabled to return home and
assume their former positions. By this
| process the regiments may be depleted to
the point where the consolidation suggest
! ed by GOV. AlkluSOn VIII COME DIS d nat
ural consequence of events.
The disappointment is not confined to
the business men. The news made heavy
| hearts among fathers, mothers, brothers,
sisters and the girls they left behind
| them" Everybody had been expecting
contrary information from Washington.
| All had been buoyed up with the hope
that after the long separation, the boys
would soon come marching home, that the
next intelligence would be that mastering
out orders had been received. The news
that did come was something more than
a disappointment to many 1t brought
feeling almost akin to grief. No one can
now tell when the home coming Will be,
when the gun and the knapsack will be
thrown aside, the uniform of blue laid
away, and the domestic circles once more
be complete.