The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-05
GREENE'SBODYFOUND
REMAINS TAKEN FROM THE JONES
VAULT IN COLONIAL PARK.
HAD BEEN THERE 115 YEARS
COFFIN PLATE AND BUTTON RE-
VEALED THEIR IDENTITY.

Relics in a Fairly Good State OF
Preservatfon-They Were Placed
for safe Keeping at the Police
Station-To-day They Will BE
Moved TO the Southern Banks
VauIt-Conference of Greene De-
scendents and of the state of
Georgia VIII settle Their Resting
PIace-Great Satisfaction over the
Success Of the quest.
The remains of Gen. Nathaniel Greene,
revolutionary patriot and the leader Of
the army that drove the British from
South Carolina, Georgia and North Car
DINA after having been lost TO all hui
man search and investigation for nearly
Ii5 years. were found yesterday at noon
in the old Colonial Cemetery in Savan-
nah, now the Colonial Park.
The police held the relics in safe Gus
1ody last ngiht So frequent had been
discussion as to the whereabouts of the
remains and so animated had been the
controversies that it was thought well to
turn them over to police protection when
found, after so many years of agitation
of the mystery.
In the family vault. in which they were
inferred on June 20, 1856, the remains were
found, thus setting at rest the statements
about their having been removed to some
other resting place. The stories of CHOU
fish acts at dead of night, the stealing
away of the remains their immersion in
the waters of Runaway Niger Creek
and their interment at Dungeness, on
Cumberland Island were all interesting
enough, but nothing more can now be said
of them. Like the usual run of such ira
ditions, they were incorrect, and the body
lay for more than a century just where
it had been originally bestowed.
1t was in the vault of The Jones family
that the remains were found. This vault
was used for generations by the family,
but the father of the present Mr.. Wynn
berley j. DeRenne. then the head of the
family, had all the bodies of departed
members removed to the new vault that
had been established in Bonaventure. A
story had st that no bodies had been left
an the vault at that time. but the find of
yesterday proved that an error.
BY the coffin plate. the remains of Gen.
Greene were known. and further identi-
fication was furnished by buttons, upon
which could be traced the figure of an
eagle, the bird emblamatic of the free
dom for which the wearer of the uniform
of major general in the Continental
army had fought and in which he had
been buried. The coffin plate furnished
just the Identification that was wanted.
for history states positively that the re-
mains were so marked u was said that
the sword of the general was inferred
with him. but that was only surmise, the
belief having sprung from the fact that
it alone, of all the personal effects of the
general. could not be otherwise account
ed for by his descendants save upon the
supposition that it was by his side in his
coffin. No sword or piece of a sword was
found
Yet another proof that the body was
that of Gen. Greene was furnished by
ahe discovery of another lying by it's
side. History has it that young George
Washington Greene. who was a son of
Gen. Greene, was drowned, when about
is or 10 years old, in the Savannah river,
and that his body was placed by that Of
his father.
Inscription on the Plate.
Plainly to be traced upon the coffin
plate, piece of silver, apparently, is the
word Greene. and, less distinctly, is to be
seen "ael," Immediately preceding the
surname. That would seem to make as
surance doubly sure. By the proper treat
ment of the plate, It is supposed that it
will give up its secret, revealing the rest
of the name inscription. Below the name
line is the date. 1856, which is plainly visi-
BILE.
Jubilant over their discovery, the mem
bers of the committee present at the time
handed over the plate to DR.. T. ]. Charl-
ton, saying nothing to him about their
Interpretation of the inscription. Why
exclaimed DR.. Charlton, this is Greene -
ssssssssss