The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-23
IN GREENE'S OWN STATE.
DOUBT is FELT ABOUT THE sue
CESS OF THE SEARCH.

Providence journal Has Made n Be
lated Discovery That There Was IA
Search for the Generals Remains
Early in the Last Century-FrOm
That Circumstances, 1t Argues That
Col. Gardiner Could Scarcely Have
Been Successful at This Late Day
Municipal Records of Savannah
show Nothing of One of the -Four
Vaults In "a Row Having Been
Searched.
Doubt is expressed In Gen. Nathaniel
Greenes native state, Rhode Island, OF
the success of the mission of Col. Asa
Bird Gardiner who came from New York
to Savannah some four weeks ago, search
ed the old Colonial Cemetery for the re-
mains of the Revolutionary General,
found some that he thought were Greene's,
deposited them in the vault of the South
ern Bank, and returned to New York
Rhode Island, too, is GARDENERS native
state, but that does not prevent the Prov
idence Journal from expressing its doubts
editorially. The Journal, however, is
rather backward in the discoveries 1t
makes relative to the search for the re-
mains, as all readers of the Morning News
will perceive. for they will recall tho
many announcements that have been made
OF the search that was instituted by the
City Council in 1919 for the body. The
following is the editorial from the Jour-
nal:
col. Asa Bird GARDENERS widely pro-
claimed discovery OF the remains of Gen.
Nathaniel Greene is now discredited At
the time when the report came that the
eccentric New Yorker had located the last
resting place of Rhode Islands famous
General the Journals comment was that
it was important, If true. The heartless
New York journals had considerable fun
with the Colonel. intimating that it was
strange that he did not report that there
never was a Gen. Greene or that he never
died. Yet it was freely acknowledged
that 1t was an interesting historical
search, emitting the one who should com
plete 1t successfully to the gratitude OF
students of American history and mill
tary biography.
"The Journal files OF 1926 contain a ref
erence to an attempt to do, In the first
quarter of the last century, what the en-
ergetic Col. Gardiner endeavored TO do in
the first year of this century. In the edi-
torial columns on March 81. 1926, nearly
seyenty-six years ago, is this mention of
an earlier search in Savannah for Gen.
Greenes body:
Measures have been taken in Savan-
nah for the erection of monuments to the
memories Of Greene and Pulaski, the cor
nerstones OF which Cen Lafayette has
been requested to lay with Masonic GER
emony. We were a witness some years
since to a laudable attempt made by the
authorities OF Savannah to discover the
remains Of Gen. Greene In a tomb OF the
publick burying ground where they had
been deposited. with a view to re-inter
them with appropriate ceremony, but such
had been the rapid process Of decay, not
a vestige Of what could be identified,
even as the dust OF the coffin could be
found after the most d,lgent search
Thus we learn that Col Gardner has
probably failed 10 discover In 1901 ashes
that could not be discovered before 1895.
Evidently the fame OF the sturdy Rhode
Island plouR hman mechanic student and
soldier must be perpetuated without
knowledge OF where he lies inferred That
fame IL secure. There are already bronze
memorials, and historians from Bancroft
10 Trevelyan (whO invariably spells
Greene's Christian name Incorrectly rate
him AZ the ablest OF Washington's lieu
tenants"
Further news than that printed by tho
Morning News last Monday ~ having
come from col Gardner has not been re-
oelyed In the letter received the day be-
fore. col Gardiner wrote that Gen. -
cesnola. director o. che Metr0Doiifan
Museum. had been able 60 deciDher
"reene" ana 49," ana that he would sub
iacf the coffin Diafo 40 a process that. he
Thought. would develop the rest " the
lettering member ~ me local commit
teo said yesterday thaf nothing addis
u0nal had como from Col our1iuor.
A gentleman who has searched me mu-
nicipal records ~ savannah Yefy care