The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-26
WON'T GIVE UP THEIR SITE.
Ladies' Aid Society Refused the
Veterans REQUEST.

Veterans Request.
The Ladies Aid Society of the Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards voted unanimously
at a meeting held yesterday at noon at
| the Guards Hall to retain the plot in
! Laurel Grove Cemetery that was awarded
! il by the Park and Tree Commission for
| the erection of a memorial to the dead of
/ the Second Georgia Regiment The board
/ of trustees of the Confederate Veterans
/ Association, of which Capt. D. G. Purse
/ Is chairman, wanted the plot as a suitable
and commanding one for the location Of
/ the proposed monument to Gen. Lafayette
] McLaws.
Mrs. r. NJ. Cunningham presided over
the meeting which was largely attended
Many of the ladies were present with the
intention of lighting the proposition to
( turn the plot over to the veterans, If il
should be offered, to the end, but it soon
developed. that there would he no need for
a struggle as there was unanjmity in
favor Of retaining the location for the me
mortal to the dead of the Second Georgia
/ But a short time was necessary to bring
the business of the meeting TO close.
The following correspondence represents
the sentiment of the trustees and that
Of the ladies':
/ Savannah, Ca, Jan. %, l900.-Mrs. r NJ
Cunningham, President. Ladies Aid So
ciety S V G., Savannah, Ga: Mrs. Cum
nlngham-It is the desire of the Confeder-
ate Veterans Associations OF Savannah to
/ erect an appropriate mural memorial to
4 Gen. Lafayette McLaws.
/ Upon application to Mr.. p. d. Daffin
! chairman Park and Tree Commission, for
a suitable spot for permanent reinterment
I of all that is mortal of the distinguished
dead, it was found that the spot, of all
/ others, in Laurel Grove Cemetery that,
Z nv 6tfpd
for this sacred purpose was the center
area in the circular reservation, just i'll
side the entrance, which, 5 chairman, l
was officially informed had been given TO
your society for an equally sacred purpose
and l applaud the holy zeal that moved
your noble hearts to seek this lovely spot
to home and perpetuate on, in marble,
your noble dead and our nob,e dead.
But as our missions in these labors of
! love and devotion have a common pur-
pose, / take the liberty, on behalf of my
board of trustees TO address your body,
through you, to ask if we cannot unity our
efforts in a systematic Identification of the
( entire reservation.
Your memorial is 10 lay prone upon an
/ elevated brick base; our sarcophagus will
display eight feet of stone above the
foundation and the whole structure will
show an elevation of quite ten feet, and
would 1 venture to suggest, form a more
symmetrical and commanding center fig
ure in the general adornment of the beau
/ tiful parterre into which this reservation
has been converted by the genius of the
landscape artist.
In any of the surrounding subdivisions
your memorial would better add to the
! general effect, and would be the choice OF
the hero boys, if they could speak, to
rest there in the shadow of the great SOL
der who so often illustrated Georgia on
/ fields, made glorious by Southern valor,
red win the South's richest life blood.
/ beg to assure you there is no desire or
purpose Mrs. Cunningham, on the part
/ of the board of trustees charged with the
erection of a memorial to Gen. McLa VS.
/ to in any wise interfere with or obstruct
/ the work of your noble band.
What has been said is suggestion for
| your consideret lion, in the fullest conf
dence that your conclusion will be a just
/ and a proper one. in which every Con-
federate must and will concur as the wis
est solution of the proposition submitted
for your decision. l am, Mrs. Cunning
ham, with profouudest respect, most ODE
diently yours D. G. Purse,
Chairman Board of Trustees, Confederate
Veterans Associations of Savannah
Savannah Ga, Jan. %. 19O0-D. G..
/ Purse, Esq, Chairman Board of Trust tees,
/ Confederate Veterans Associa tons of Sa-
Vannah, savannah, Ga: Dear Sir-Your
communication of the 22nd inst, addressed
I to me as president of the Ladies' Aid So
ciety, S. V. c.. Yves to-day submitted to
the society at meeting called for the
purpose of considering it. The society.
while approaching fully the worthy object
you have in view and while anxious in
every way consistent with its own aim 10
advance it. mas felt constrained to decline
/ the suggestion which you make.
our proposed memorial will of necessity
be very modest and unpretentious and
must depend largely for its effect upon a
favorable location and surroundings We
have no doubt that in honoring a soldier
and citizen so distinguished as was Gen
+ McLaws you'can easily OBTAIN the consent
of the authorities for the location of a
monument to his memory in one of che
city parks. Trusting that this action OF
our society viii in no wise embarrass OF
impede your work l am Yours respect.
[ fully, Mrs T. NJ. Cunningham
4 President Ladies' Aid Society, S. V. G.
The ladies propose continuing their
work in behalf of the Guards Ii win be
| their effort to assist the command in any
way possible. Those who are now mem.
bers learn that there are others who would
be glad TO join, and all unite in extend.
ing an invitation to any ladies' interest tee
/ In the battalion to enter with them upor
the work of assisting whenever any neet
/ for the help of the ladies may arise. Nc
dues are connected with membership
-S-e-S
CENSUS TAKERS WANTED.