The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-04
GEN. FRANCIS 5. BARLOW.
Brief and Memorable His COnfeder-
ate Career.

1 will move next into view another
parsonage not less noble than either of
the two grand men to whom you have
given your admiring attention. Brief,
brilliant and memorable was his Con-
federate career. Upward at a bound,
his fame scared ad astra, leaving with
US an ineXtinguishable train of patri-
otic lustre as his spirit went beyond
the stars when he fell on the field of
victorious battle at Manassas. From
scenes in which Southern arms and
heroes made glory enough for ALL"
this occasion is not invidious in draw
ing before our gaze one character. so
richly jeweled with lustrous virtues
that the manhood of all ages can never
lack for high incentive as long as the
memory of Francis S. Barlow lives.
Great events of serious portent
moved rapidly in their history making
aff1uent course when it became sure in
the last days of 1860 that conflict be-
tween the states North and South was
irrepresSible. A war of coercion began
by way of the sea imperilled Charles
ton and every other Southern port. So
imminent was the danger to Savannah
that the emergency demanded the in
slant reduction of Fort Pulaski with
out waiting for the formal ordinance
of secession. Hence, by due authority
Savannah's elect young soldiery did
the bidding of a compelling prudence
so well that the fort fell without the
shedding of blood, and over it fioated
the. white flag of the state, bearing a
single central star of brilliant red.
CIamOred to Defend the south.
Within the first four months from
that event four-score of Georgia COM
panies clamored to defend the South,
and four full twelve-months' regiments
of infantry had been hurried with arms
to the front. Others followed fast
until Georgia was represented on every
part of the broad field of war. Four
years later remnants of this glorious
flower of Southern chivalry closed
their thinned ranks beneath the flag
they had borne braYely in many bat
ties, and a part of them threw forward
the heart of Georgia into the midst of
the enemy at the 1ast charge on the
field a Appomattox.e Thus by the
valor of all Georgia soldiers beginning
in the taking of Fort Pulaski, con-
tinuing through all the struggle every
where, and reaping even in the last
hour an aftermath of the battle harv-
est, the record was made that Georgia
took a federal fort before secession and
captured a federal battery after Lee S
surrender.
Captain of the OgIethOrpes.
Barlow, the captain of the Ogle-
thorpe Light Infantry, had been sent
at first to the Confederate Congress,
and his command, while doing service
near Savannah, burned in sympathy
with their commanders eagerness to
go to the front of the battle storm
then looming in Virginia. With i'm
petuous haste they offered their serv-
ices, not on limit of time, but for
the war, were accepted and in day
their commander was with them to
speed the going. One fact, only, that
their arms belonged to Georgia, en-
barrassed them; but with the broad
idea that the cause of all Georgia was
then pending in Virginia, Barlow led
his boys, arms and all else, out of their
state into the midst of battle. defend
indg his act by the one unanswerable
and thrilling phrase, Il go to illus
trate Georgia"
II Go to illustrate Georgia."
There are electrified moments in the
lives of choice spirits when a single
utterance bursts from the depths of
the great soul which the after ages
will not willingly let die. Such were
some OF the memorable speeches made
by Henry of Virginia, Otis of Massa-
chusetts and other Revolutionary spir-
its who fired our fathers into a just re-
bellion against King George. So, in
the Confederate epoch, what a cloud
less glory irradiated with heroism the
whole armament of Southern duty
when Barlow exclaimed, II go to illus
trate Georgia" This passionate cpl
gram is a tribute which the allegiant
citizen paid to the sovereignty of mis-
own state as well as to it's broad rela-
ton to the republic of which it was
part. His noble desire to make his
state lustrous in duty to all Southern
states by the splendid services of his
uniformed. armed and well drilled
company of gallant young Georgians
stirred him to take them to the very
border over which enemies were pour
ing. Thus he eXemplified the force of
the Confederate principle that in time
of war patriotism reaches over the
boundaries of sections in the rally of
all the resources of each state to the
common defense of all the states.
For His Native state.
The young Georgian's most worthy
and alluring dream of the future is
not of himself rising the sleeps o.
fame and becoming a luminary on
which public gaze will be fixed. In
stead of this the noblest aspirations