The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-17
HE RESTS IN LAUREL GROVE.
GEORGE A. BORCHERT. 4 NATIVE
OF SAVANNAH.

who Remembers Him rs student
of the Naval Academy-He Was in
the United states Navy and he
signed Ia Accept n Position I'm the
Confederate Navy-He Met His
Death in CarthaGenR.
There are some old and gray-headed
men In Savannah who were pupils at the
Chatham Academy in the early sos; they
win remember bright, handsome, blonde
schoolmate named George r. Borchert
He was the son of Anton Borchert, who
carried on an extensive steam bread and
cracker bakery at the corner Of Bryan
and Jefferson streets. In 1856 George en-
tered the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis and graduated In 1859. At the
beginning of the Civil War in 1861 he had
attained to the rank of lieutenant in abe
United States Navy and was attached to
the Constellation of the African Squad
ron. About thls time he was sent to New
York in command of slave-trading YES
sci. which had been captured on the AZ
rican coast. and upon his arrival in New
York with the prize he resigned from the
United States Navy, came South and ten
dered his services to the Confederacy. He
served at New Orleans and Mobile until
May, 1868. when he was ordered on for
eign duty, and was an officer on the Rap
pahannock. and the tolose of hostilities
was on the ram StonewaH at Savannah.
Without returning to this country he went
to Mexico and served in the navy OF that
country He then accepted a position in
the navy OF the United States of Colombia
and was a lieutenant on the Rayo, which
was formerly the r. II. Cuyler a steam
or that ran between Savannah and New
York. and named for the then president
OF the Central Railroad. In this service
ne fell at the hands of brutal assassins
At Carthagena, the capital of Bolivia The
story of his tragic death is told in the pa
pors of that day, extracts from which are
as follows:
I'VE have received doleful news from
Carthagena by the steamer Tyne that ar
rived at Asplnwail on the Sd inst.
ION arrival of Gen. Gutierrez at Santa
Martha en- route for Bogota, he sent two
commissioners to Carthagena to inves-
tigate certain matters in connection with
the now noted steamer Or. II. Cuyler)
Rayo. the government understanding that
the natives had robbed effects belonging
to the officers of the latter named vessel
Accordingly on the LIST OF September, two
commits sioners, Lieuts. Dornin and Nor
daugh. officers belonging to the national
mau-ofwar Columbia, but American cit
liens, accompanied by Lieuts. Bo-chert
and Smith, left Santa Martha by mail
steamer Tyne. for Carthagena, where they
arrived $50 in the evening. The party OF
landing, Immediately proceeded to Bolivar
Hotel where they appear to have been
cordially enough received at first, until
q man named "Peneranda.' on seeing the
officers coming forward. cried out to the
crowd: "Aqui vienen los perros'' Chere
come the Dogs. The rest Is told by ono
closely connected with the tragedy.
1T appears that these gentlemen, only
two OF whom were armed, parted, Lieuts.
Dornin and Borchert to visit Mr.. Logan,
an English gentleman residing in the
town. The other two took different di.
rections Smith, after passing Mr.. Lo-
/ gan's house, and seeing through the win
| dow his companions doing well, continued
! unmolested to the Bolivar Hotel and re-
| tired. In short time Lieuts. Borchert
and Dornin followed. Upon reaching the
hotel they encountered a large crowd,
which allowed them 10 pass in, but upon
reaching the head Of the steps, the fiends
below commenced firing upon them, whilst
those above, also made "a desperate as
sault-a portion of the mob attacking
one and a portion the other. SO great
was the force against them that they were
soon overpowered. Lieut.. Borchert was
shot instantly, one bail passing near the
heart, Spencer rife ball passing through
the breast, and he received a cash from q
carpenters chisel about the groin. His
liver was almost entirely cut out, and \
sword plunged through his body In the
death struggle he succeeded In cutting
one of the fiends with a knife Dornn
- IL. a~nk nNt al 40
During the engagement with Borcher,,
Dornin received shot on the head which
considerably stunned him. after which
he managed to fire shot, when he re-
ceived one in his left breast He fell,
but was instantly picked up by the good
women OF the hotel hurried off and Sc
GREETED. To the old infirm women. he IL
indebted for his life.
And now a little distance lay the dead
and mutiIated body of Lieut.. Murdaugh
He was attacked at the club house by the
same party. Some ladies' did all they
could to save him, but to no avail; the
demons were bent upon their designs.
large number of men were at the club,
and some officers who might shave stopped
II, but no-in their hearts, they said. Go
ahead" Lieut.. Murdaugh was murdered
in a manner in which the most uncivilized
Indian, or barbarian might shrink from:
shooting him and beating his head
with logs of wood. When sure
that breath had left the body, these
starving wolves commenced to plumber 1t,
extracting from the pockets some $500 or
5000 in gold, taking from the fingers the
rings, and from the shirt, the studs, and
80 the demons left him.
About the time of the attack upon
Lieuts. Borchert and Dornin, Lieut.. Smith
was in bed. He had gotten up twice and
saw from his window the crowd firing,
etc. but thinking It was only a drunken
frolc, retired again, nor did he become
conscious OF what was occurring until
he saw the bayonets glittering without
at his door. An effort was made by the
mob to gain entrance to his room, but
they finally concluded that nobody was
within and went off. Smith remarked,
Providence bolted his door, because he
had never done such thing before.
I'm course of two or three hours, the
American consul, Mr.. Hanaberg, arrived
with a guard which he succeeded in beg
cling from Gen. CaraZa, the president of
the Bolivar, and conducted those left
OF the party 90 the steamer Tyne, for
which kindness they will forever be in
debted to him.
THE papers which the officers bore
were delivered to the American consul.
II have understood that Mason en-
deavored to save Borchert. do not know
uhethp or not T3Orchert was "a Mason