The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-16
MAYOR ANSWERS PROTEST.
Gives Reasons Why Greene's Bones
Should Rest in Savannah.

Should Rest I'm Savannah.
A protest against the re-interment
of the remains of Gen. Nathaniel
Greene in Savannah has been received
by Mayor Myers from Miss Mary Ward
Greene of Newport, R. l., a great
granddaughter of the General. Miss
Greene said that she wanted all ar
engagements for funeral at Savannah
suspended until after a meeting of the
Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati,
and she seemed to think that the rights
of the dissenting descendants were be-
ing trampled upon by the majority,
who have expressed the desire that the
remains be inferred beneath the Greene
monument in Savannah.
Mayor Myers yesterday wrote Miss
Greene as follows:
Replying to your favor of March,"
1 beg to state that 1 am advised that
a representative of the Legislature OF
the state of Rhode Island is now in
this city in conference with the par
ties interested in the reinterment of
the remains of Gen. Greene, and that
he is to report all the facts in the case
to the body in whose interest he is
acting.
1.-The city of Savannah. as munici-
pality has nothing to do with any FAM
lily oissensions in this connection. 1t
will exert it's good graces, though to
have the body of Gen. Greene rein
TERED in this city. No place can pre-
| sent the claims that Savannah has for
this honor. 1t was in the South that
Gen. Greene performed his greatest
services to the country. 1t was the
state of Georgia that fittingly recog-
| niZed his services by presenting him
with a plantation for a home. That
gift was accepted by Gen. Greene,
and to it he removed to make his home
permanently. 1t was there, near this
city, that he died. His funeral was
military honors were paid on that occa-
sion, and the body remained undis-
turbed in the old cemetery of SaVan-
nah for over a century.
Savannah, too, went further than
this. 1t had great sons of it's own,
men whose services entitled them to
| consideration, but when the time came
for the erection of its fl sst public mon
ument. 1t passed by them and selected
| its distinguished adopted son, Gen.
Greene. for that honor. Here the first
and perhaps the only monument
| to his memory was erected.
by the public. 1 doubt very much
whether any financial aid for that
monument came from Rhode Island,
or any other state. That monument
stands to-day in the most public
| square of the city, an expression of
| the affection of the people of Savan
nah for Gen. Greene and their high
regard for his patriotic services. I'm
| der that monument it is now proposed
| to re-inter his remains. Surely no more
| fitting place exists.
when Gen. Greene died no claims
were presented for his body by the
! people of any other city or state. It
was recognized that Savannah was his
| home by selection. He had near of kin
| here and North, but none of them Of
| fered any objections to this city being
honored in life. A century passed be-
fore any such claim presents itself
and then, from all 1 can ascertain, it
| comes from a very small minority of
his descendants of the third or fourth
| generation.
II have gone fully into this matter
| because / have felt that it is proper
that Savannah's right to Gen. Greene's
remains should be put before you. 1t
| is certainly to be hoped that you will
see the merits of Savannah's claim
| and assist in harmonious course that
| will insure the re-interring of the re-
| mains with great honors in the spot
| where Gen. Greene would probably
have preferred above any other spot
| TO lie."