The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-08
IN HONOR OF GEN. sCREvEN.
Tybee's Fort Named After the RevO-
lutiOnary Patriot.


a Washington dispatch in the Morning
News of yesterday announced that by
formal order from the war department. the
Notifications on Tybee Island and the
government reservation at that point will
hereafter be called Fort screven, in honor
of Brig. Gen. James Screven of the Geor-
gia militia during the revolutionary war
who was killed in action near Midway
Church. on Nov. "a, ITS. The distinction
thus conferred is a well-merited, though
somewhat tardy recognition of the serv-
ices of a brave and gallant solder.
Gen. Screven was born in South Caro-
lima, but early in life removed to this
state and settled in what was then St
Johns parish, and is now Liberty county.
He was the first officer of distinction from
Georgia, who poured out his blood in de-
Tense of his country. His grandfather was
Rev. William screven, the founder of the
Baptist Church in the state of South Car
DINA.
He was man of high standing in the
province of Georgia. one of number Of
gentlemen who constituted the committee
of citizens appointed at a meeting of the
people of Savannah, on July q, IVA, to
adopt resolutions expressive of the deter
mination of Georgia to resist the encroach-
ments of Great Britain, and a member OF
the provincial Congress in IT'S, represent
ing St. Johns parish in that body. In
peace he had served his country and his
state faithfully, and in war he was
equally ready to respond to the call of
duty and of as much or greater value in
the field as he had been in the forum.
While a captain of militia. in the early
part Of 1776, he was ordered by Gen. Nc
Intosh 20 demand of the forces of the
enemy, then on board of several armed
vessels lying in the harbor of Savannah,
the return of a flag, which the British
retained in their possession and refused to
give up. The manner in which it had
been obtained rendered this proper, but
when the demand for the flag was made
it was denied in offensive terms.
Col. ScreVen had been rowed out to the
ships of war In small boat which was
lying then under the vessels sides. An
gered by the indignity to which his en-
bassy was subjected, he fred into the
mass of men on board the British craft
and his boat was fired upon in return and
with almost fatal results Strange to say
he reached this side of the river without
having lost man and without any one
Soon after this happening he was pro-
NOTED to colonelcy of the Georgia
troops and finally received his commission
as brgadier general. His eXertlons in be-
half of the sparsely settled districts around
Savannah were invaluable in repelling
the attacks of the marauding British and
Tories and in this work he added to his
already distinguished reputation as
brave and skilled soldier and officer.
On Nov "a. 177S, he was mortally wound
ed in an ambuscade, laid by the British
in a thicket near Spencer's Hill, in Liberty
county, and near the famous Midway
Church. strange feature of his death
was that both the British and American
soldiers, who had been approaching each
other selected the same point for an am
buscade. The British came first and
were already in hiding when the Ameri-
lean reconnoitering party, under the COM
mand of Gen. Screven himself, came upon
the scene of action. The British, con-
cealed in the thicket, heard some of his
soldiers address him as general" and
fired upon him as he stood in the open. He
fell, pierced by eleven wounds, and as he
Law upon the ground another volley was
fired from the British ambuscade His
men. who had no knowledge Of the force
that Law concealed in the thicket took to
flight falling back upon the main body of
tine American forces and Gen. ScreVen
fell into the hands of the enemy. He was
MORALLY wounded by the first volley and
was returned to his successor in command
by Col. Provost in command of the Brit
ish and their allies. A short time after
wards the British started to burn his
house in Liberty county, to which he had
been conveyed, and while he was being
carried down the stairs he died.
His contemporaries united in doing him
honor. and the Congress of the United
States. soon after the conclusion of the
war. directed that a monument be raised
to his memory. For some reason this was
never DONE and il is well perhaps thar
the government, even at this late day.
should. by naming fort for him, repair
the omission and aid thus in keeping IN
remembrance the Eame of a gallant gen.
tleman who persisted for its establish
ment and in its defense.
Gen. Screven's only direct lineal de-
scendant now living in Savannah is Mr..
Raymond Harris Screven, though a num-
Der of collateral descendants. among them
Col. John Screven, still reside in this city
and section. Cob Screven is descended
from a brother Of the general, who was
with him at the time of his death and
had served up to that time as an aide on