The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-24
ANSWERED THE RIOT ALARM.
TROOPS HURRIED TO THEIR ARM
DRIES At BIG DJ IGE'S CALL.


From the Governor Calling for
Troops-Five Companies on Their
way to Darien in Two HOurs-EN-
citing scenes at the ArmOries and
on the Departure of the Troops.
Governor Gamblers Course Com
mended.
Savannah was quick in It's response to
the Governors call for troops to suppress
the Darien trouble. At $3.50 o'clock the
big Duke" at the Oglethorpe avenue fire
station, sounded eleven strokes. the alarm
that calls out the military to suppress a
riot. An hour later the infantry, cavalry
and artillery were assembled at their ar
mories. and at $50 five companies of the
First Regiment of Infantry and the Geor-
gia Hussars. in all, 200 officers and men,
were on their way 10 Darien, to avert
threatened riot and bring an alleged negro
rapist, Henry Delegal, to Savannah.
The alarm had come without previous
warning or premonition, none knew its
meaning or the locality of the trouble, and
none stayed to ask questions, but FASTENED
to the armories and reported for duty.
The first intimaton of the need for the
services Of the military was an order from
GOV. Gambler to the commanding officer
of the First Regiment of Infantry. 10
the absence of Col. Lawton and Lieut.. Col
Brooks, the telegram was handed to Capt
NJ. A. OByrne adjutant of the regiment
1t read as follows:
Report at earliest possible convenience
to sheriff of Mcintosh county with 200
c nff n
bring Henry Delegal to Chatham county
Jail. II is important that you be there
by dark tonight. II to do this special
train is necessary, get it at once.
"A. D. Gambler, Governor"
Capt. OByrne hurried to the office of
Mayor Myers and asked permission to
have the riot alarm sounded from the CEN
trail fire station. The permission was
granted as soon as asked, and at $3.50 the
a.arm was rang. 1t created universal eX
element, many people thinking that there
was a riot or some similar disturbance
of large and dangerous proportions in
progress somewhere i'm Savannah. They
knew that the call for the military was
not sounded on any light provocation and
that there was in existence, either in
Savannah or some near-b by point, an armed
mob that menaced the safety of life and
property and in which there was a threat
of danger to the state.
From every quarter of the city the mill
tary hurried to the armories. which were
soon thronged with resoute and deter
mined men. At the armory of the Firsr
Regiment the men as they arrived We're
got into their service uniforms and sup
piled with arms and equipments. The
telegram from the Governor to their com
handing officer directed that they were
to be given the first opportunity 10 re-
spond, and that they had been ordered
to the scene of the trouble. The first tele-
gram had been followed by another direct
ed to Col. LawtOn personally and reading
as follows:
Have just wired commanding officer
Of First to go to Darien at once. II this
reaches you either go or send good, dis
erect officer to command troops.
"A ID. Gambler, Governor"
Capt. OByrne made requisition upon the
agent OF the Florida Central and PENN
sular Railroad 10 supply transportation.
The railroad answered that a train would
be in readiness a the Central depot as
soon as the troops could be marched to
that point, that it would be prepared for
immediate departure, and that the engi-
neor would be instructed to make the best
time possible between Savannah and Da-
rien.
In the meantime the Savannah Vo!un-
teer Guards. the Georgia Hussars and
the Chatham Artillery had assembled ct
tl4GlI al MOI res anu were dWdlllHS a call
for their services that it was expected
would be made by the Governor. The
Guards had probably $50 men in readi-
ness, the Chathams and Hussars about
twenty-five or thirty each. With every
one of the commands there was intense
anxiety TO be part of the force that was
to be sent and it was a matter of strong
disappointment to the members of the
Guards and the Galatians that they
should be left behind their more fortunate
brethren
Call for the Hussars.
Despite the readiness of those members
of the First Regiment in the city 20 re-
spond TO the call and their promptitude
in doing so, and partly, indeed, on this
account, it soon became evident that the
five comapnes in Savannah would not
be able to supply the full quota of 800
men that had ben ordered out by the
Governor. Capt Gleason was anxious
that he should comply with the exact let
ter of his instructions and strongly
averse to appearing on the scene of the
trouble with force inadequate to cope
with the dangers of the situation and
suppress promptly all disorder and infrac-
ton of law.
Lieut.. c. A L. Cunningham of the
Georgia Hussars. upon the assemblage Of
his command at the armory, had reported
to Maj Be,rne Gordon commanding the
of Col Meldrim. Mai. Gordon reported
to Mayor Myers for instructions
and was directed TO hold the troop az the
armory until further orders Then Mai
Gordon conferred with Capt. Gleason and
was by him requested TO order out the
Hussars to make up the deficit Of twen-
ty-five men in the number ordered to Da-
rlen and that the First Regiment had
been instructed to furnish
After some deliberatiou and scanning of
the Geographic orders Mai Gordon asreed
TO this course but, to make himself Sc
eurely in the right, wired Gov. Gambler
as follows:
Commanding officer First Regiment
cannot Immediately muster 200 men or
his command. Wire Instructions immedi-
ately, authorizing me to order ont deficit
from Troop A. Borne Gordon
major, First Regiment Cavalry"
The original orders from the Governor
| had not made it plain whether or not he
desired any deficit that might be found
TO exist I'm the ranks OF the First Infantry
TO be filed from other commands. So
many members OF all the companies are