The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-15
UNDER MONUMENT
PLAN TO RENTER REMAINS OF
MAI. GEN. NATHANIEL GREENE.
ANNIVERSARY OF FUNERAL
TO BE MARKED BY CEREMONIES
AND REFINEMENT OF REMAINS.

Gen. Greene Was Buried in Vault in
Colonial Cemetery, Where His Re-
mains Were Recently Found, on
June 20. 17S6-There Were Impos-
ing Ceremonies Then and These
Are to Be Repeated When Renter
ment. Beneath shaft in johnson
Square, Takes PIace-PIan Has Re-
ceived Approval of Gen. Greene's
Descendants and of Revolutionary
Societies.
A movement has been begun for the pur-
pose OF having the remains, recently dis
covered, Of Mai. Gen. Nathaniel Greene
the Revolutionary hero and patriot, rein
tered beneath the shaft which the citi-
zens OF Savannah have reared in johnson
Square to his memory.
This plan in itself is not new, for it was
suggested simultaneously with the dis
covery of Gen. Greene's remains by the
committee Of the Rhode Island Society
of the Cincinnati, headed by Col. Asa
Bird Gardiner 1t is now further suggest
ed, however, that the refinement take
place on June 20, which will be the one
hundred and fifteenth anniversary of the
day when Gen. Greene's body was COM
United to the vault in the Colonial Gene
terry, where it's remains were found.
1t is the plan to make the occasion a
memorable and imposing one. While
Tothing definite has been done, it is pro-
posed to invite the presence in Savan-
nah of a number Of distinguished men
from all over the state and to accompany
the reinterment of the remains, in the
ground beneath the monument, with GER
emonies similar to those which marked
their first burial.
The plan receives the approval of Mr..
Robert A Waller, whose wife is a direct
lineal descendant of Gen. Greene and of
the other members of the Greene family
in Georgia. II has received also the ap-
proval of many individual members of
the Sens of the Revolution and the So
ciety of the Cincinnati, though no con-
certed action has been taken by either
organization. 1t is favored by the MEM
bers of the local auxiliary committee, who
assisted the committee of the Society of
the Cincinnati in the conduct of the
search for Gen. Greene's remains.
we have been waiting to hear some
thing on the subject from Col Gardiner"
said Mr.. William Harden, a member of
the committee, but as yet have heard
nothing. AS the Rhode Island Society of
the Cincinnati was primarily responsible
for the recovery of Gen. Greene's remains
search, we feel that Col. Gardiner should
be consulted before any action is taken
looking to their reintermeut."
The remains are now in the vaults of
the Southern Bank, where, enclosed in a
metallic casket, they were deposited after
their recent discovery.
Gen. Greene died June 10, 1856, and was
buried the following day. There were
imposing ceremonies at his funeral, in
which the various civic and military or
CARNATIONS of the city participated.
The monument reared in Johnson Square
has itself witnessed historic events. Its
corner stone was laid in 1895 by General
the Marquis de Lafayette, who was then
on visit to Savannah.
The Chatham Artillery, which had fired
the salute over the grave of Gen. Greene,
participated also in the ceremonies at
tendant upon the reception in honor of
Gen. Lafayette and the laying of the cor
nerstone of the Greene monument In
1886, when the bronze memorial tablets,
which ornament the north and south
faces of the pediment of the monument,
weres unveiled, the Chatham Artillery
again fired the salute, from the same
guns, presented the command by Gen.
Washington, that had been used on for
mer occasions.
1t is probable that should the renter
ment of Gen. Greene's remains beneath
the monument to his services and memo
~ take place. the Chathams would again
fire the salute over the grave, from the
same historic guns that have Numbered
on Forrnar 0cca sfona in hts bOpor