The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-02
RHODE ISLANDS SEAL
WILL GRACE THE WREATH TO BE
PLACED
OVER GEN. GREENE'S REMAINS
A FASCIMILE OF THE WREATH
PRINCE HENRY PLACED ON
GRANTS TOMB.

Guests-Tnterment VIII he on the
cavation VIII lie Made Durins
This Wcck-Bronze Tablet over
Tomb of Greene Will BE Unveiled
BY Youngest Male Descendant.
History of the Finding of the Re-
mains.
The committee of the Association of
Patriotic Societies, which has in hand
the arrangements for the refinement
of Gen. Nathaniel Green and his son,
George Washington Green, are grad
ually perfecting arrangements. Many
replies have been received from dis
tinguished guests in answer to the in
vitations sent out by the secretary, and
that the gathering VIII be most dis
tinguished ore.
The joint special committee from the
assembly of Rhode Island will be here
and will place over tbs remains of the
illustrious general handsome wreath,
a facsimile of that which Prince Hen
ry placed upon the tomb of Gen. Grant,
en- the occasion OF his recent visit ID
the United states.
At the request OF Mr.. Field, 7ecre-
tary of the joint committee, the order
for the design was placed yesterday.
The wreath will be three and a half
feet in outside diameter and two feet
on the inner diameter. the width of
the rim being three fourths of a foot.
The material will be bronze galex
leaves. Across it will be three cycus
palm leaves at least four feet in length.
This handsome wreath will be tied with
ribbons, on which will be suspended, in
gold, the seal of Rhode Island. The or
der for the design has been placed with
Mr.. George Wagner.
The Guests of Honor.
Among the acceptances received by
Mr.. Robert M. Waller, secretary of the
association of Patriotic Societies, are
those from the Governor and assembly
committee of the state of Rhode Island,
President Asa Bird Gardener, of the
Society of the Cincinnati, Governor
insolvency and secretary, of South
Carolina, Hon. Clarke Howell, presi-
dent of the Senate, Hon. Newton Nor
ris, speaker of the house, and other dis
tinguished gentlemen.
The judges of the superior, city and
ordinary courts of Chatham county, as
we'll as Judge Emory Speer, of the
United States Court, have been ex-
tended special invitations, as have al
so Senators Bacon and Clay and Hon.
Rufus e. Lester, as representative of
the first district, in Congress.
A meeting of the committee will be
called in a few days, at which the de-
| tails of the ceremony will be arranged.
| 1t is the intention of the committee to
have the remains inferred on the east
side of the monument in johnson
! Square. A platform to accommodate
| 200 guests will be built on the east
side of the square.
| The military from Fort Screven has
| been invited to be present, but no an
swer has been received, the delay be-
| ing occasioned by the necessity of OBJ
tanning permission from the authori-
| ties in Washington. If the artillery is
able to come, and it is probable that
it will accept, it will bring the cele-
brated band, which is now at Sulli-
| vans Island.
Place for the Casket.
The ceremony is now less than two
weeks off. Already nearly 100 car
images have been engaged for the oc-
casion, one stable alone having con-
tracted to furnish fifty carriages. The
city, which has charge of the excavat-
ing beneath the monument, for a place
to repose the casket, will probably be-
gin that work during the week.
The Park and Tree Commission has
removed the tree which stood in front
of the old vault in Colonial Park, so
that a better view of the tablet may
be obtained. 1t is probable that this
tablet, marking the spot where for so
many years reposed the remains of the
gallant general and his son, will be I'M
yelled by the youngest male descend
ant of Gen. Greene.
Now that the date for the ceremonies
is near inquiries about the finding of
the remains are growing general. A
letter sent to the various descendants
of Gen. Greene. and to the members
of some of the patriotic societies, con-
corning the efforts made to discover
the resting place, contains some inter-
esting information. 1t is an extract
from "a History of the City Govern
ment of Savannah" by Thomas Gam
BILE, Jr., submitted by the committee in
order TO set forth more clearly the facts
which have led to the organization of
the Association of Patriotic Societies,
and have influenced the arrangements
for the ceremonies approaching.
Finding of the Remains.
After relating in a most interesting
way the trials and vicissitudes of the
several committees appointed from
time to time, since as early a date
as 1919, by City Council, the Society
OF the Cincinnati, and the relatives of
the great general, the extract gives the
following account of the finding of the
body on March 8:
ION March 8, 1901, the committee re-
ferred to began its work, having Sc
cured permission from Mayor Myers to
enter any vaults for which no owners
could be found in the city, and any
other vaults, permission to enter
which had been obtained from the
owners or their representatives. On
March 4, while examining what was.
at that time, supposed to be the Jones
family vault a coffin plate was found
on which members of the committee
protested TO decipher the letters "Ael
Greene" and the year "17S6." Buttons
were also found upon which, it was
claimed, could be traced the figure of
an eagle. No sword or piece of sword
was found. Two bodies were located
lying side by side. One was supposed
from the size of the skull and the
bones generally, to be that of Gen.
Greene, the other that of his son,
| George Washington Greene, who was
drowned in the Savannah river when
about 10 years old. The remains of the
two bodies were placed in separate
boxes and carried to the po-
lice barracks. On the following
day they were transferred to
two boxes prepared for their
reception, one bearing a plate inscrib-