The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-02
SEARCHED ONE TOMB
COMMITTEE FOUND NO TRACE OF
GEN. GREENE's BODY.
CONTINUE THE WORK TO-DAY.
VAULTS WILL BE OPENED AND CON-
TENTS EXAMINED.


Alleged to Contain the Remains.
Three or Four Bodies Had Been
Placed in t. Curious Crowd
Watched the WOrk-incidcnts OF
the Search-COI. Gardiner VIII see
That Every Effort Is Exerted.
Gathered about an old tomb in Colonial
| Park, yesterday afternoon, was a curious
throng. It's members. for the most part,
were attracted by an idle, morbid curios,
ity. but il proved strong enough to hold
them while men delved into the tomb and
tossed up grewsome fragments of human
frames and the receptacles in which they
had been inferred.
1t was the first chapter in the new vol
ume of the history of the search for the
remains of Gen. Nathaniel Greene. This
was by no means the first effort to find
tho remains but, so thorough is it to be-
declares Col. Asa Bird Gardiner, who con-
ducts it. that 10 other will follow it, for
it will be known that all that could be
done for the discovery of the last resting
place Of the General was done in the year
1901. Future generations that might de-
sire to resume the search, the present
one proving, as is feared it will, unsuc-
cessful, will accept the fiat of fate and
resign themselves to the necessity for the
burial place remaining for all time UNI
marked.
Nothing was accomplished by the
search, further than to prove that the
vault that was opened did not contain the
Generals remains. The committee, how
ever, will not give up. but the work will
be resumed this morning at $50 o'clock,
when, successfully, the four vaults, in one
of which, history has it, the remains were
placed, will be opened and their contents
examined.
A ghastly feature of the effort to find
the remains was supplied in the fact that
just across Oglethorpe avenue was the
residence of the Aikens, from which the
funeral procession was just about to wend
it's way to .Bonaventure for the interment
of the murdered wife and the unfortunate
suicide. Before the procession had start
ed, the pick and the shovel began their
work, loosening up the earth about a
tomb that had been indicated as that up
on which the search should begin. While
one party started upon it's sorrowful mis-
sion, the consignment of the bodies of hus-
band and wife to one grave, the other be-
gan it's patriotic effort. seeking the body
Of the Revolutionary general
From the spectacle of the funeral, sad
enough in itself, the curious turned to the
busy group in Colonial Park. that could
be plainly seen from the street. Many
| did not know for what the party in the
old cemetery searched, but some excite
ment was promised, and that was enough.
| Soon a messenger had to be dispatched
| for policeman, and two members of the
! force were required to keep the crowd
| back from those engaged in the work.
Col. Gardiner, president of the Society
| of the Cincinnati in Rhode Island and
chairman OF the committee; Mr.. p. d.
Daffin, chairman of the Park and Tree
Commission; Mr. Alfred d. Harden and
Mr.. Walter G. Charlton overlooked the
search, directing the efforts of the en-
ployes of the Park and Tree Commission
who did the manual labor.
From a gentleman interested in the
search, Col Gardiner had received let
ter, written by lady of Fort Valley who
declared that she had been told by her
grandfather that the remains were placed
in vault that stood near that of the
Habershams. No vestige of the vault
remained above ground, but, from the To-
calty as described it was inferred as
possible that the vault was one that
could barely be detected by careful ex-
animation of the surface of the earth
Into this, accordingly, the worlmen dug,
Col. Gardner accepting the traditional
statement and leaving the vaults named
by history for later examination.
The tomb into which they dug, how
ever, was not really a vault, but rather a
grave walled up on all sides and cover
ed over with brick arch. 1t had con-
tanned two or three bodies, however, as
was evinced by the successive order in
which bones were found. These were care
fully placed to one side, and, often the
tomb had been despoiled of its contents,
the bones were restored to it and the
earth again thrown in.
What the committee sought was evil
donce of a body that might have been
clad in the uniform of an officer of the
Continental Army, possibly the buttons,
or Greene having been a major general,
stars. Then, too, it is said that the
sword of Cen Greene was buried with
him. In that event it should be found
srfficieutly well preserved to be the
means of Identification. 4 metal plate,
bearing the name OF Gen. Greene, was
placed upon the coffin, ard that. too. is
looked for as identification. AS they
upturned the earth, the workers mar
rowly examined it, hoping to find some
| enc OIL theSe relics. Ihere was aDSO-
lutely nothing, however. to Indicate that
the body of the general had ever been
| placed in that tomb.
There merest fragments of the cas-
kets, in which the bodies were inferred,
could not be found. So long ago had the
| interments been maze that decay had got
IN its work. and nothing more than the
metal parts Of the casllets could be seen.
The bones. CHASTITY relics that small boys
picked up and handled with little awe
Dnd no reverence, were in advanced
stages OF decay.
Grewsome as It was, the investigation
was not without humorous side The
members Of the committee. though thor
oughly in earnest in their efforts, could
not but appreciate some of their expert
ences.
Scarce had the work commenced. when
one youngster walked up in a debonair
sort of way and inquired OF the commit
tee what they were doing. Laying a gas
pipe" answered Mr.. Charlton. Nothing
daunted by this and the laugh Il created
at his expense, the youngster backed out
o. reach and tod Mr.. Charlton that ho
would have plenty OF gas to put in il when
il lad been laid.
Another younestcr. probably - years Oil,
rushed up with wide-eyed interest. He
had been reading the papers. Mister"
he inquired 'are you looking for Gen.
Greene's body?" one OF the committee
answered in the Affirmative. "WeI, II
amt here" said the boy. Then. point