The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-14
FIRST MAY GO TO MOBILE.
LAWTON's REGIMENT SAID TO BE
BOOKED FOR GORDON's BRIGADE.

Gen. Gordon Asked Tint the First
Georgia he Assigned to His Corps
and the Request Endorsed by Gov.
Atkinson - Only Two Regiments
Now In GOrdOn's Brigade.
The First Georgia Regiment, United
States Volunteers, now in camp at Griffin,
under command of Col. A. r. Lawton,
may be ordered to Mobile, to be assigned
to the Fourth Army Corps. If the source
from which this information comes proves
to be reliable, 1t is also probable that Col.
Lawton's regiment will be attached to the
brigade which Gen. w. w. Gordon COM
mands.
This information comes indirectly from
a Savannah man actively connected with
the Georgia militia and one who Is prob
ably in closer touch with both the state
and national authorities than any one in
the state, with the exception Of the Gov
ernor himself. This gentlemen is known
to have had several conferences with Gov.
Atkinson recently
It is said that when Gen. Gordon found
he would not be assigned to the mounted
service and that the First Georgia Cav
airy would not be called out he asked to
of his brigade. Gov. Atkinson is also said
to have made this request Whether Col.
LaWton Joined Gen. Gordon ana the Gov
ernor in asking the assignment for his
regiment Is not stated.
The war department is said to have ac-
coded to the request and Secretary Alger,
It Is said, has given the assurance that
the First Georgia win be ordered to Mo
bile shortly When the order will come
Is not known, but the regiment may not
be moved until the troops now at Mobile
have been transported TO Cuba, or wher-
ever they are to be sent.
Gen. Gordon's brigade, which is the
First Brigade of the Fourth Army Corps,
is composed OF two volunteer regiments
the First Louisiana and the First Texas.
AS brigades usually contain three regi-
ments it is possible that another regi-
ment Will be assigned to the First Bri-
gade, and this may be the First Georgia.
The Fourth Army Corps will form part
of the second army of invasion, whose
destination is the island of Porto Rico.
Gen. Coppinger the ranking major gen
eral of this army, has been put down as
military governor of Porto Rico in which
event Gen. Gordon will go up peg, and
become second in command of the corps.
Before leaving for Mobile, Cen Gordon
sent a farewell circular to every officer
and enlisted man in the cavalry regiment
of which he was colonel in which he said:
Having accepted a commission as brig
adler general of United States voun-
teers, l shall be absent from the state for
an indefinite period, and unable to per
| form the duties of an officer in the GeOr-
! gia volunteers. l have, therefore, this
! day forwarded TO the Governor a recital
| of the above facts, and a request to be
| transferred from the active roll to the roll
of retired officers of the Georgia volun-
teers
| Having been for more than fortv-one
years connected with the organized militia
of the state of Georgia, a change which
| separates me from them is a source of deep
regret to me, and 1 specially regret that L
shall no longer take part in the active ex-
ercises of Georgias cavalry.
Il had no part In the formation of this
| regiment. At the time of its organization
| l had been for some years a lieutenant
| and was then captain of the Georgia Hus-
| sars, but was absent from military duty in
! the legislature. You made me your colonel,
| and ever since have given me your loyal
! support. Whatever success and reputation
! the regiment has attained has been due TO
| your life long and daily use of horses, to
your zeal and work to excel as filters and
! as marksmen, to your cheerful advocacy
of and submission TO discipline and to the
| fact that we have all worked together as
a unit In striving to attain that which was
| best for the regiment.
The report to the war department of
! the officer of the United States army who
was detailed at our last encampment con-
cludes with these words:
THE only thing needed to make the
| Georgia Volunteer Cavalry rank with the
best cavalry organizations in the country
is technical drill and instruction such as
can be impaired only by an expert Com
! posed of magnificent horsemen, expert
swordsmen, fine shots and highly intelli-
gent men imbued with a deep esprit de
corps, the eye of an experienced cavalry
man can discern beneath the ununiform ap-
pearance and ragged drill of these troops
the making of cavalry as fine as the
world has ever seen.
"These words of a graduate Of West
Point. and now an officer of cavalry in the
United States Army. express fairly and
accurately your merits ana your condition,
and gives you credit for a capacity 10 ex-
eel as cavalry unsurpassed by any organ
ization of militia in any of the states.
Il cannot tell you how proud I am of
our regiment and how strongly am at
tached to each and every member of it. l
can only say / thank you for your part of
the work we have done together; l ask you
TO forget any renissness or over zeal in my
part Of the work, and 1 pray for you the
reward YOU are entitled to for faithful,
conscientious performance of duty"