The morning news., 1899-10-28
ALL UNDER ONE RoOFTREE.
FIRST REGIMENT TO BE QUARTER
ED IN GUARDS ARMORY.

Guards VIII Make Up the First
Battalion and VIII Retain Their
Old Letters in the New Regiment.
Component Parts of Regiment to
Retain Identity. History and Name.
The special meeting Of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards, last night, for the pur-
pose of considering, as the advertisement
of the meeting had 1t, matters Of vital
Importance to the corps" was more large
ly attended than any in the recent history
of the battalion. The hall had been given
up to the lecture of DR.. Tupper so that
the meeting was held in the club rooms
In calling the meeting to order, CO.. Gar
rard. among many other matters Of inter
est TO the corps commented on the fact
that he had had a conference with Col.
A. r. Lawton, and as a result. it had
been agreed that the companies OF the
Guards should retain their letters in the
new regiment 1t was proposed to form,
consisting of the various infantry organi-
cations that had been existent in the cities
and towns along the Atlantic coast. This
concession was a relief 10 the members
of the battalion. as their company letters
have been their only distinctive company
designation in the past With the eompa-
nies of the First Regiment and the other
companies that are to make up the new
regiment, there could not be the same re-
gard for their letters for the reason that
they all have distinctive names.
Col. Garrard said that the meeting had
been called, primarily, for the purpose of
considering and acting upon the financial
condition of the corps, that demanded the
serious attention of the members. The in
terest on the debt due the Penn Mutual
Life Insurance Company, that holds the
first mortgage upon the building, had been
suffered TO run in arrears and it was nee
essary 10 raise Immediately a sum OF
money TO meet this overdue demand. The
amount a present required was 500, which
would pay the interest to such a time as
would permit further plans for the 1nanc-
ing of The company to be put into success
full operation.
A representative of the insurance com
pany in the city and had called upon
Col Garrard as the president Of the mill
tary corpora tion, 70 take some action about
the matter. The small sum mentioned
would be sufficient to meet the present de-
mand and in the near future it was hoped
that the plans now under consideration
could be so consummated, that the dnan-
cial affairs of the corps would be put in
condition thoroughly and eminently ats
Guards, Col. Garrard said, had always had
the reputation of meeting every financial
obligation promptly and he was confident
that this was the consummation that ev-
cry individual of the corps ardently desir-
ed in this instance.
when l reached the city last Wednes-
day." said the Colonel. II received an or
der from the Governor, as commander-in-
chief Of the state forces, reciting that che
battalion had been consolidated with what
has been in the past the First Regiment
of Infantry. and with other commands, to
make up new regiment, and directing
that l report 90 Col. A. r. Lawton, who
would command the regiment. for duty.
/ did so by letter on the same day.
ION the same afternoon l had a confer
ence with Col. Lawton, in which we
agreed that the order of the Governor
contemplated the organization of a regi-
ment OF twelve companies, such as has
never existed in the past and that il did
not contemplate the absorption of the
Guards, any more than 1t did the absorp-
ton of any other command. The order
has been printed in the Morning News,
and your are familiar with its terms BY 1t
we are TO retain our identity our ira,
ditons and our historic name. We lose
nothing. 1t is but the carrying out of the
military act of 1893, by which H was re-
quired that all comma nds In the state be
merged into regiments and that there
should be no Independent companies OF
battahons. II was such an order as we
might have expected at any moment"
Ihis order, coming at the same time
that the financial affairs of The Guards
were under consideration, l thought it
proper that l should refer them both to
joint meeting Of the officers of the bat
talon and the board of governors of the
club. The matter was discussed between
us, and at the unanimous request of nv
brother officers l had anoEer conference
with Col. Lawton and submitted to him
the reasons why the companies of the
battalion should retain their letters in the
new regiment After consideration. Co.
Lawton gave his views on the subject
and l am gratihed TO say that he agrees
entirely with us that we should retain
our letters and that the companies of this
battalion should be known as A, b. c.
and d, instead of I, X, l. and M, as they
had been first designated in the order of
the adjutant general. Col. Lawton Will
take up the matter Immediately with the
military department of the state, and I
feel authorized to assure you that the
company designations we have borne in
the past will be ours in the future, under
the new regime. BY virtue of the senior
ity of my commission. we viii be the first
battalion and under the agreement with
the commanding officer of the regiment
We will be Companies A, r, c and D."
I'm discussing this matter with Col.
Lawton, we agreed that Il would be ad-
vsable as well as q military necessity
that the nine companies of the new regi-
ment that are in Savannah, should have
their headquarters under the same roof
and that il would be well for the regiment
to select the Guards Armory. 1t is with
in the probabilities that plan will be ar
ranged by which all the companies of the
new regiment will have their quarters
here. From this assured income will
arise that will pay the interest on the debt
and provide a respectable balance, with
which sinking fund could be started"
I'VE have received orders from the Gov
ernor, and it is our duty as soldiers TO
obey them promptly and cheerfully. This
is what the corps has always done in the
past, and | am confident that 1t is what
Will be done In this Instance. We are for
tunate in being associated by the order
with other commands that have a glorious
history, in whose soldierly record there is
room for natural pride. To accomplish
what have hoped, will require as / have
said the c1IbGorinfLou Of ba