The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-20

welcome him, exclaimed, "Ah, duels
oeaux soldats: quels beaux soldats :"
capt Tattnall retained command UNI
III January 1881, when he WAS elected
10 congress, and even then his resig-
ndtlon was not accepted, and he re-
NAMED nominally at the head of The
Guards.
Lieut.. Joseph w. Jackson succeeded
Capt. Tattnall, and his successor was
Capt. William Robertson, proprietor of
the Savannah Daily Georgian, but the
latter retained command only a short
while. William P. Bowen was the next
captain, and he held the position un-
til 1874.
When Capt. Bowen resigned the
Guards found his successor in their
ranks. He was DR.. Cosmo P. Rich
ardsone, then private. The War with
Mexico occurred during his captaincy,
ana the Guards, as did the other COM
panies In Savannah, offered their SER
vices. But one could be taken, how
ever, and it was to be decided by lot
Which that should be. The Irish Jas
per Greens went to the war. The
Guards had provided themselves with
tents and other equipment in anticipa-
ton of taking the field, and they were
greatly disappointed when they could
not DO so. The tents were used for
many encampments, however, and they
were finally worn out during the
civil War, when the command got all
tie service it wanted.
DR.. James P. Screven succeeded
capt. Richardson's, who died in COM
mission. Capt. Screven was elected on
March 10. 1852, when he was 50 years
old. The position was the first public
one he had ever consented to take. but
that led on to Others for he became
Mayor of the city, member of the
State Senate and first president of the
savannah, Albany and Gulf Railroad
Company, afterwards the Atlantic and
Gulf and now the Savannah, Florida
and Western. During his incumbency
the Guards abandoned their old flint
lock muskets for those of the percus-
sion cap type.
Son Succeeded Father.
The late John Screven, eldest son of
Capt. James P. Screven, was elected
captain of the Guards when his father
found 1t necessary to resign on Dec.
", 1857 John Screven was a private
in the company at the time of his cleo
ton. 1t was remarkable, as he pass
ed on in years. that he succeeded to
two more of the distinguished positions
his father had held. He became Mayor
of Savannah and president of the At
lantic and Gulf Railroad.
His tenure of office was destined to
be eVentful. Not long after his election
the Guards bought the lot on which
the postoffice building now stands and
erected their first armory Their quar-
tiers had been in the City Exchange
On Jan. 8, 1851, so men from the
Guards, under Capt. Screven, with so
men from the Oglethorpe Light In
fantry and the Chatham Artillery, the
whole force under the late General
then Colonel, A. R. Lawton, took Fort
Pulaski from the Federals and estab-
lished a garrison there. Those were
eventful days, and soon war was upon
the land. 1t was decided to form a
battalion of two companies in the
Guards, and this was done, with the
following officers: Capt. John Screw
en-, commanding the battalion; Com
pany A-First Lieut.. w. S. Basinger,
Second Lieut.. Gilbert c. Rice, Ensign
j c. Habersham; Company B-Capt.
A. c. Davenport, First Lieut.. George
w. Stiles, Second Lieut.. Thomas F.
Screven, Ensign M: H. Hopkins.
Guards in the Civil War.
In March, 1861, the Guards were mus
tered into the service of the Confeder-
ate States for two months, and were
assigned to duty as the garrison of a
battery at Thunderbolt. Upon the ex-
piration of the term of enlistment the
command was dismissed from service,
but soon after was re-enlisted for six
months, when it was sent to Green ISL
and, near Savannah, to take charge of
another battery.
Soon another company was added,
Company c., and Capt. Screven was
commissioned major. From Green ISL
and the battalion was ordered to Fort
Boggs, a short distance below Savan-
nah, and it began to look as though its
war experiences would be confined to
garrison duty. Valuable instruction in
drill and soldierly duties was gained
during all this period, however, and the
Guards were especially fitted thereby
for the active work that was eventual
ly cut out for them.
This offered first at Battery Wagner,
near Charleston, when they bore the
brunt of the first attack upon the fort,
in which the enemy were repulsed with
such heavy loss. They took part dur
ing the entire siege, resisting the Fed
erals, alternately, with other COM
mands, until the battery was aban-
doned.
In May, 1864, to the infinite joy of
the Guards they were ordered to Vir-
ginia where they joined the army of
Gen. Robert e. Lee. They shared the
hardships of that army during the
rigorous winter of 1S64-65 and were in
the march out of Richmond. At
Sailors Creek the Guards were in a
severe engagement and lost 80 killed
and % wounded of the IS with which
they entered the fight Though their
division was victorious, Gen. Eweil
surrendered his corps, and the Guards
found themselves prisoners of war.
After the Civil War.
AS long as the carpet-bag rule lasted.
there was no real organization of the
Guards. Later, though, Maj. Basinger
was elected to the command, and the
Guards held their first parade under
the new order of things on Jan. 10, 1873.
In 1879, by virtue of a special law
passed, Maj. Basinger, as commander
of an Independent battalion, became
lieutenant colonel. In August, 1882, Col.
Basinger resigned, and Lieut.. Col.
William Garrard was elected to sue
coed him.
Col Garrard remained in command of
the Guards until 1900, and the corps
reached a high state of efficiency under
his able leadership. The magnificent
armory at the corner of Charlton ana
Bull streets was erected, principally
through his efforts and management,
and later a fourth company, Company
d, was organized, making the battalion
one of full strength.
The Standardization War.
The Guards responded to the call
for volunteers at the outbreak of the
Spanish American war, members of
each company volunteering. Recruiting
offices were opened, and each company