The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-16
HIS RETIREMENT ANNOUNCED
IN, G4RRARD's OFFICIAL FARE
WE'LL OF GUARDS BATTALION.

The Retiring Commander states to
vecting of the Corps the Reasons
1,bat ImpeI Him to Take This Step.
cannot BE the Military Head OF
tbe BnttnliOn and Chairman of the
REORGANIZATION Committee and Do
1ustice TO BOth-Omcers and Men
regret the Necessity, But Acqui-
esce in the DecisiOn-COI. Garrard's
,uitary Record Is "a SpIendidIy
Good One.
col William Garrard, at last nights
meeting of the Savannah Volunteer
cuar5s' Battalion, notified the members
of the command. the military head of
which he has been for the last eighteen
Years. that he would Immediately apply
tn the Governor for retirement.
Col Garrard arrived at this decision be-
cause Of the fact that he does not deem
it possible to look after the military in
terests of the battalion and command it,
and at the same time pay proper atten-
ton to the demands of the reorganization
committee of which he is chairman. In
directing the attention of the corps to the
det rmnation at which he had arrived,
Col Garrard said:
AT this juncture in the history Of the
Guards. every officer and man should do
his duty. and assist in building up the
corps. No one should be a gutter" This
command is IS years old, and deserves our
love and devotion. We should resolve that
we will fill up its ranks, and devote our
selves to it's financial salvation To do
less is to fail at the crucial moment,
and to admit that we are not equal to
the occasion.
OF have an abiding faith in the destiny
Of this corps. 1t will live. 1t was born in
the second year of the nineteenth cen
fury l will witness the dawn of the
twerti tn, and will, no doubt be in full
viz when the twenty-first arrives. 1t
deserves, and will receive, the ardent
sup rt Of enough men to save it from
de grafton and ruin.
the battle of Sailors creek sur
by enemies, ii performed pro-
of valor, and fought until more
90 per cent. of it's effective strength
ssllad or wounded, of which over one
la were killed. every officer but one be-
i- ther killed or wounded, and only
ceased to resist when it was overwhelmed
By numbers
"a higher courage should be displayed
now t1an then. In the present crisis il
confidently demands of its members their
anu each Of their best services. Personality
am ready to serve in any capacity. Ny dual
dulles as commanding, officer and chair
man eff its Reorganization Committee, are
very onerous, and in order to give full
ahl proper attention to the latter, it is
mlerauFely required, for the good of the
corps that I relinquish command NY
Ftd is that a iOr GhO1lId ba ealaota1 al,
zen by the line officers, who shall be
H'e 81 ell financial duties and | will
aSiee mat he will not be burdened with
RouSAt as to SUCH so that he can give
AS sole and undivided attention to mill
tay details and the building up of the
'a1.dHoh If l could get some one to
9Ae my place on the committee il would
lar more agreeable to me to attend To
@ military department but it happens
"ut cannot be so relieved
no not mind coming down in rank
l'oli lieutenant colonel TO major; on the
VI when We arrange our financial
1ssIS as we hope and expect to do,
1l'Ie myself at the service of the corps
we as line officer. non-commisSioned
o1yeF or private. No military office out
s'g Vi ms command could present to me
G Iosslple attraction I am for the
oy nrst' last and all the time. and
10 serve the corps to the best of
''N as long as / live.
men called my officers together. and
'F4 my conclusions, as above, they de-
'" mat l must remain in command
a'' on yielded when, az a second meet
-N7' insisted that this course must be
o"SU'i as the best, under all the cir
Gums 1nces
ia, 5H'I at once ask TO be placed on the
'' retired officers and shall continue
I'itsS Inc corps displaces me. as chair
ri us financial matters shall have been
upon sound basis, l shall do my
trt NE honor of carrying a rife, as a
private IN its ranks"
lus announcement Of Col. Garrard's de-
W ,I'"auon to retire from active command
C.t 'aLalion, already announced in the
''tus News, caused no surprise but
''tIi 4eless it occasioned the very deep
c1o.- 'et among the members of the
The retiring commanders long
e. with the corps, his untiring work
NJ rs uehalf and his efforts to bring 1t
hoN after the demoralization caused by
~ essence of many of its members in
,Vhd Georgia Regiment, during the
no american war, have all contrib
slu ' 'ndear him to officers and men
finn, 2la they contemplated his absence
om "5 dccustomed post as commanding
almost with CONSERVATION.
I'M. ',Heiess, they were able to see that
sd, l.. '"lHdtlOH mad been reached after
nous reflection and with the sole pur-
'' advancing the best interests Of the
r Therefore. it was that they inter
no objection to the course he had
o.t N', Tor himself, but regretfully ac-
'.sced' In a few words Sergt Albin
rsou expressed the sense of loss that
m, ps felt at the loss of its command
~ Garrard was but the twelfth com
rr.t'ns officer of the battalion, since its
Tlo'i1Aatlon nearly a hundred years ago.
c. commanders have been John
FeI " 3 James Marshall Frederick s.
Isoi. haward f. Tattnall, Joseph w.
9'r'Sah H. William Robertson, william p.
sors,.a VI. Cosmo p. Richardson, James p.
any William Garrrard'
sist",,+ inarrard's military record is con-
Ctrn Wy good At the outbreak OF the
'N Of Alabama and had attained t the
a tot aaJutant Of the corps of cadets
Ie,.,'1,.1 men prominent institution Of