The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-14
HAND OF LAFAYETTE
LAID THE CORNERSTONE OF THE
GREENE MONUMENT.
GREENE'S DEAREST FRIEND.
THE DISTINGUISHED FRENCHMAN,
DELIVERED EUL0GY.

SDeech Made ut That Time by Gem
eraI. the Marquis Lafayette--LIst
OF the Articles That Were Placed
in the Box in the Cornerstone.
other Features of the Exercises.
Inter establishment of Tablets,
with jefferson Davis In Attend
ance.
The City Council of Savannah at
the request OF John Shellman.
chairman of the committee to
erect monuments to the revolu-
,ionary soldiers, Gen. Greene and
Count Pulaski, on March "a. 1925, con-
frmed the selection of sites in john
son and Chippewa Squares. The COR
ner stones were laid by Lafayette amid
much pomp.
Upon that occasion the distinguish
ed Frenchman eulogized Greene as fol-
lows:
The great and good man to whose
memory we are paying a tribute of re-
spect affection, and regret has acted
in our revolutionary contest part SO
glorious and so important, that in the
very name of Greene are remembered,
all the virtues and talents which can
Illustrate the patriot the statesman,
and the military leader, yet 1t belongs
TO me his brother general, and | am
proud to say his best friend, to you
my dear sir, his gallant cotemporary
and companion in arms, here to testify,
that the benevolenoe of his heart was
equal to the strength of his elevated,
firm, and extensive mind; the conf
dence and friendship reposed in him,
has been one of the happiest results of
the exquisite Judgment which charac-
terized our paternal chief In the
kindness of the state of Georgia to-
wards him, the whole army felt them
selves hopored and benefited; and now
sir l stand before you, before these
rising generations, as a representative
of that army, of Gen. Greene's depart
ed or absent friends, to acknowledge
the honors rendered to his tomb; to
thank you all for the share that has
been allowed to me, and you particu-
larly my dear sir, for your sympathy
in my feelings in this awful sympathy
fecting solemnity."
Contents of Corperstone.
The secretary Of the Monument
Committee, Joseph " Bevan, Esq, by
command of the Grand Master of Ma
sons, then deposited the following
memorials prepared for the corner
stone:
Proceedings of the citizens of Sa-
vannah, in relation thereto; and the
preparatory measures of their COM
mittee, together with the names of
civil officers and of the principal Ma
sons; engrossed upon vellum by w.
Bruen; medallion of Lafayette--"the
nations guest; a medallion of Wash
ington; medallion of Greene; a me-
dalton of Franklin-the last three exc
cuted by August G. Oemler of this
city; the paper currency of Georgia in
the year IT'S; continental money, the
denomination 500, presenteds by Mr..
MNfel; specimen of the present paper
currency of Georgia--presented by the
Bank of the State of Georgia; speci-
mems of the present paper currency of
the federal government in the United
States-presented by the Bank of the
state OF Georgia; a cent from the mint
OF the state of New Jersey, coined and
issued previous to the formation of the
present constitution of the United
states; present coin of the United
States; numbers of the newspapers at
present printed in this city-caiied the
Savannah Republican, and the Geor-
gian; a print representing the por-
trait of the late DR.. Kollock--present.
ed by Messrs. S. G. & j. Schenk: nor
nckney-presented also by the
Messrs. Schenk; mornings paper con-
tanning an account OF the reception of
Gen. Lafayette at Savannah, on the
18th day of March, 1925; circular of the
Monument Committee to the citizens
of Georgia.
Immediately after the secretary read
the following inscription
This Cornerstone
OF a Monument
To the Memory of 49, -.-.
MAJ. GEN. NATHANIEL GREENE
Was Laid BY
GENERAL LAFAYETTE,
AT the request of the Citizens of Sa-
vannah, on the 21st of March,
A. D. 1928.
The stone was lowered to the place
prepared for it, while the band per-
formed solemn dirge, succeeded by
Hail Columbia"
Was DoubIy Significant.
The shaft in johnson square was the
hTst completed and served for many
years as a monument to both Greene
and Pulaski. On March 81, 1929, the
committee were allowed to place the
monument in the center of Johnson
square, the original plan having pro-
Nlded for its erection on one side of
the square. The monument committee
was composed of John Shellman, John
stevens, w. B. Bulloch, j. v. Bevan
X. w. Habersham, A. Porter, James
p. Sereven, William CASTOR, Alex Tel
fair, A. B. Fannin, j. Bond Read. A
lottery, the Greene and Pulaski Nom
ument Lottery" was authorized by
the state under an act of Nov. 80, 1926.
John Stevens, William B. Bulloch,
James B. Read, Richard w. Haber-
sham, James P. Sereven, Alexander
Telfair, Abraham B. Fannin, Mordecai
Myers, John Shellman, William p.
Marshall, Anthony Porter, Samuel B.
Parkman and Joseph Valance Bevan
were named in this as commissioners
to. raise by lottery fund for the erec-
ton of monuments to Gems. Greene
and Pulaski The lottery continued its
drawings for number of years, its
advertisements being found in the 40s.
The commissioners instead of conduct
ing the lottery, sold the right to pri~
Nate parties in consideration of the
payment to the monument fund of 81
Gao year. The state also made an APP
preparation to the monument FUND
Marked with Bronze Tablets.
Although it had been standing since
!S29 the Greene monument had no tab
lets on 1t or any inscription whatever,
On May 10, 1871, Alderman Ferrill IN
foduced resolution, which was
adopted, to secure an estimate of the
cost of suitably inscribed plates. There
me matter stopped until, on Aug 20,
1919, when committee of three was