The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-04
TROOPS OFF To
DIXIE'S STRAINS
SAVANNAH BOYS TO MANASSAS
SEVEN COMPANIES LEFT UNDER
LIEUT.. COL. w. L. GRAYSON.

| Two Trains Waiting ut Union STA
tiOn Were Quickly Filled ms Girls
Told Brothers and Sweethearts
GOOdbye-Southern Anthem Play
ed While Flag Was SaIuted OPP
pOsite De SOtO-How Troops Were
Divided Between the Two Sec
tiOns.
"Four's right. column left, march,"
was the order given by Lieut.. Col.
Grayson at the Park Extension yester-
day morning to the seven companies
of infantry and the long anticipated trip
to Manassas had begun.
1t was $50 o'clock before the various
companies who were to attend the
maneuvers had assembled at the ex-
tension. Four companies of the First
Regiment, under Maj. E. S. Elliott,
were drawn UP on one side, and three
companies across the walkway under
command of Maj. W. E. Coney.
Eeach of the seven companies had
! its full complement of fifty men and
officers. There were seven staff Of
icers, making a total of 357 officers
and men from Savannah.
| Leading the line of march was Lieut..
| Col. Grayson, followed by the regi-
mental staff. Just behind these was
| the First Regiment Band, which fur
mshed stirring music for the marchers
Following the band was Maj. Elliott
| and staff with the Savannah Cadets,
Irish Jasper Greens, German Volun-
teers and Emmett Rifles.
| Mai. Coney, with his battalion fol-
| lowed next, with Capt. j. A. Hutton,
of Company F, Volunteer Guards, Capt.
r. j. Travis, Company G, Volunteer
! Guards, and the OglethOrpe Light In
fantry.
March to Railroad Station.
Leaving the Park Extension on the
| Drayton street side, the battalions
marched north to CASTOR street, west
on CASTOR to Bull street, north on Bull
TO Liberty and west on Liberty to
West Broad street, where they turned
| south to the Union Station. The in
| diVidual and ensemble effect made by
the soldiers was splendid.
AS they passed along the streets the
| windows of the houses were filled with
| people, and crowds marched along the
| sidewalks keeping pace with the SOL
diers. Gaily dressed women enlivened
the scene and encouraged the march
erS by their smiles and applause.
Just before reaching the De Soto the
band struck up Dixie" at which the
soldiers moved with brisker step, and
the onlookers cheered. Quite a num-
Der gathered at the hotel to watch the
| troops go by.
Playing Dixie, Flag SaIuted.
BY a coincidence, while the band
was Justify pealing out the strains of
| the Southern anthem, the troops pass
/ cd the rapv>I1itiOc finn RIM and
| Liberty streets, and officers and men
| saluted the United States flag which
| floated in the breeze.
| When the soldiers reached the Union
| Station the order was given 20 enter
by twos and the heightened line of
soldiers began to file into the building
on their way to the trains which had
been waiting for nearly two hours.
The Seaboard had succeeded in getting
! Pullman sleepers for the officers and
had furnished exceedingly comfortable
coaches for the soldiers, so that every
body was pleased.
Close behind the soldiers surged
| throng of young women whose broth
ers and sweethearts were among the
companies. Feeble efforts were made
at first to restrict the admission, but
| this was speedily abandoned and the
crowd poured through the gates I'M
checked.
During the delays incident to load
ing the companies into their proper
coaches the ladies were given an OPP
portunity to talk with their friends
in the companies. Sundry packages
| containing delicacies were handed to
the boys for their eighteen hour trip
| to supplement the none too luxurious
travelling rations provided by the gov
eminent in great abundance.
How the Sections Moved.
1t was just 1925 o'clock, city time,
| when the first section, carrying Lieut..
Col. Grayson. the regimental STAFF and
| Maj. Elliotts battalion pulled oft
from the STATEN shed. One sleeper,
eight coaches and three baggage Cal 5
| composed the train.
At 10:42 o'clock the second section,
carrying Maj. w. e. Coney, staff and
the two companies of the Guards and
the Oglethorpes, started on their way.
Both sections were followed by cheers
and waving handkerchiefs and kisses
from the more ardent of the lovers left
behind.
! Accompanying the Savannah troops
! were Mr.. Charles f. Stewart, assist
ant general passenger agent of the
Seaboard, and Mr.. ]. w. Stewart, trav-
cling passenger agent of the road at
Columbia These gentlemen will see
that every courtesy is extended to the
soldiers which their road can possibly
offer.
Dinner was taken at Columbia and
supper at Hamlet, Va. 1t is expected
that the trains will reach Manassas
this morning. With reasonable good
fortune the men will be in camp
this afternoon, ready to rest tonight
for the opening of the maneuvers to-
morrow.
They will start back Monday. Sept.
H. and will reach Savannah Tuesday
morning.