The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-13
IN MEMoRIAM.
COL. JOHN sCREvEN.

illness, death claimed our fTeslueht ana
friend, Col. John Sereven.
The precipitancy of This calamity was
correspondent with the shock IL caused
to a very large circle of acquaintances
and friends, and is followed by an aching
void in the hearts and affections of very
many who knew him well and loved him.
Col. screven was born in Savannah on
Sept. IS. 1897, and his long and useful life
was spent in our midst He was truly
one of US; his distinguished career was
closely intertwined with all the leading
incidents and events of our city, and mis-
death has come as a personal deprivation
to us all.
He was descended from very dstin
guished colonial ancestry, and his father,
DR.. James P. screven, was one of the
most prominent citizens of Savannah He
thus started life under very suspicious
impetus. His education, which began in
this city, was continued in several cele-
| brated seminaries at the North, and In
| Franklin College at Athens, Ca, and was
| concluded under private instruction at
! home. These educational advantages fur
| nshed the basis of a very thorough men
| tai equipment and culture and sowed liz
erary seeds which continued to produce
| prolific bloom throughout his life. TO
| those useful attachments which so emf
nenuy fitted him for the practical duties
of life he added the adornments of a very
| high order of literary culture He was
an accomplished French scholar, a great
| reader and a persistent student of the very
! best literary models.
After the completion of his educational
| course in this country he studied law UNI
der the tuition of the late Judge William
| Law and later travelled in Europe and
| came in close contact with some of its
| great universities and leading scholars,
| all of which helped TO develop and ce-
| ment the earnest love of learning and lit
| erature which always distinguished him.
| He was afterward admitted to the bar
| but, at the earnest wish of his father,
/ gave up the practice of his profession to
take charge of a large parental landed es-
| tate and business interests. He soon be-
| came the recipient of many fiattering posi-
| tons and honors, ali testifying to his large
qualifications and fitness and these he
| filled with marked usefulness and fdel-
| ity. In this tribute we can only enumer-
ate them briefly. In 1852 he was elected
a justice of the Inferior Court of Chatham
county, and held this high office until the
| abolition of the court. In 1857 he was pro-
noted from the ranks and made captain
| of the Savannah Volunteer Guards. When
| the war between the states broke out he
|
| the Confederate States service and placed
in command of the battalion to which his
| company was assigned In 1859 he was
| for the first time elected Mayor of Savan-
| nah, and on two subsequent occasions was
| reelected to this responsible office, dis
charging his high duties with his GUS
| tomary fidelity and usefulness In 1859
| he was also elected a member of the state
| Legislature from Chatham county, with
| the late Julian Hartridge as mis- colleague
and with Gen. A. r. Lawton in the state
Senate This Legislature called the
Secession Convention of 1861. In
| 1853 after the death of his father
he had been elected president of the At
! lantic and Gulf Railroad. He served in
the army on the coast of Georgia and in
| the defenseS of Savannah until the end of
| December, 1852 when, at the urgent solicit
tation of the board of directors, he was
| ordered by the war department back to
the active management of his railroad.
1t was thought by the Confederate author
| tiles that in this position he could render
far more efficient service than by his con-
tinued presence in the field. Col. Screven
was essentially a soldier and was imbued
| with a pronounced martial ardor. Could
he have consulted his own inclnatons he
would very greatly have preferred to be
! placed near the flashing of the guns. But
| he was always ready to do his duty and
to sacrifice private preference to public
| veal SO he cheerfuliy surrendered his
military aspirations and took a position
which, if it did not keep him on the peril
Gus edge of battle, at least exacted a more
wearing mental strain, equal courage, and
| superior fortitude. In charge of great
transportation lines he rendered most val
liable aid to our struggling armies and
| suffering soldiers. Notwithstanding very
onerous and responsible official and priv
ate duties, In 1854 when the prospects of
| the Confederacy began to look gloomy, he
raised by his own personal exertions from
railroad and government employees in the
city battalion of five companies for its
defense. He was commissioned lieutenant
colonel commanding, and was placed in
charge of the inner dine of defenses of
Savannah. When the city was about to
| be invested by the army of Gen. Sherman
he was ordered south of the Altamaha
| river with tine trains and properties of the
| Atlantic and Gulf Railroad. AS soon as
the war ended he returned to this city
and began the restoration of this import
ant railroad system, which had been de-
stroyed by the enemy even beyond the
| Altamaha. Col. Screven continued the
| president of the company during and after
its rehabilitation until 1880, a period ex-
ceeding twenty years in all, when 1t was
succeeded by the Savannah, Florida and
| Western Railway.
In 1877 he was elected one of the dele
gates to the Constitutional Convention
which framed the present constitution of
/ the state.
In 1880 he was chosen an associate arbi-
traitor of the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association. Early after the
war he was elected one of the board of
| trustees of the University of Georgia, and
continued to fill this office up to the time
of his death.
In 1888 he was appointed one of the COM
misisoners to erect the new Capitol of the
state, but declined the position
lie was a jealous member of the Savan-
nah Benevolent Association, and in 1876
when the terrible pestilence darkened the
shadows of night and grimly stalked at
MONDAY, he rendered fearless, devoted
and noble service.
He was ar ardent member and the third
vice president of the Confederate Veter-
ans Association, and one of the last great
services. of his life was in organizing and
aiding the late grand assembage of the