The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-18
WITH PARADE
AND BANQUET
THE CADETS CELEBRATED
THE 43RD ANNIVERSARY OF COM
PANY'S ORGANIZATION.

Marched Through Streets with More
Than Eighty Men in Line-Fine
Appearance Elected Applause.
Spent Evening at Banquet in
ThuDderbOIt Casino - Number OF
Guests Present, Among Them Col.
William G. Obear, Inspector Cen
eral C. 5. T.
With more than eighty men in ranks,
consisting of all classes of members,
the Savannah Cadets marched through
the city yesterday afternoon in cele-
bration of the forty-third anniversary
of the organization of the company.
After the parade the company return
ed to the armory where, with a num-
Der of invited guests, car was taken
for Thunderbolt where a dinner was
served at the Casino.
The parade was one of the best that
has been seen in Savannah for some
time and called forth the highest
praise of all who saw the men march,
ing. Large crowds waited on the cor
ners along the line of march and at
more than one place the company was
applauded for the fine appearance that
it made. The command has an en-
listed strength of only forty-nine, and
yet such is the interest that is still re-
tanned by all who have been members
of the command that a number of its
old members, some of them veterans
of the Civil War turned out with it.
The fine spirit Of loyalty that it's
members have always displayed, and
the splendid record that the company
has enjoyed since it's very inception,
were the subjects of more than one of
the speakers who responded to the
toasts at the dinner, and each Of these
was heartily applauded by the mem
bers of the command.
Many Special Guests.
In all those who attended this dinner
numbered about 100. In addition to the
officers and men of the Cadets, were the
following guests: Col. G. A. Gordon,
commanding the First Regiment;
Liut. Col. ]. f. Brooks, retired, former
commander of the Cadets; Col. William
G. Obear, inspector general G. S. IT,;
Col. J. B. Quinn. U. S. A.; Lieut.. Col.
w. L. Grayson, Capt. w. N. Nichols.
Capt. Fred w. Garden, Mr.. G. A. Mer-
Ger, Jr., Mr.. w. M. Mills, Mr.. w. F.
Scherf, Mr. I. C. Farr, Mr.. Harry SUIT
cliffe and Messrs. r. M. Butler, w. B.
Puder and L. E. Mccarthy. members
of the command during the Civil War.
With the conclusion of dinner Col.
Brooks was announced as POSTMASTER.
The Georgia State Troops and the
State of Georgia was the first toast.
and Col Oaear was called on to re-
spond to 1t. Col. Obear after thanking
the POSTMASTER for the honor of being
given this privilege, said that he knew
of the difficulties under which the
troops labored through the failure of
the state to do its duty by them as IT
should, but said. nevertheless, the
state is proud of its troops and that he
had known at least one Governor to
say that he would never have accepted
his commission as such had he not felt
that he had the state troops back of
him.
The speaker said he regretted that
the funds appropriated for the military
are so inadequate to its needs, and
feared the time is coming when the
troops will have to do with even less
than is now received, instead of the
increased appropriation that they 50
richly deserve.
Georgia's War Record.
Referring to the record of the Geor-
gia troops, he said that in the Span
ish-American War 1t had not been ex-
celled by the troops of any other state;
that Georgia had furnished a larger
number of soldiers in proportion to its
population than had any other state;
that il had been the first state to fur
nish the required quota, and that, fur
thermore, part of the expenses of or
ganizing them had been paid out of
the funds provided by the state for
the military. The state, he said. now
owes the troops between $4,000 and So
900, which should be paid, but for
which the troops have never asked,
and probably never will ask.
The Savannah Cadets have always
stood at the very head of the states
forces" he said, land have an UNI
broken record for efficiency as far as
can recollert: their parade this aft
ernoon indicates they will continue this
record in the future" He closed by
thanking the officers and the company
for the courtesies extended him and by
congra tulating them on the success of
the occasion.
Gordon Paid Tribute.
Col. q. A. Gordon, who was next
called on 10 respond to the toast,
''The First Regiment" said, referring
to the Cadets. II feel that ] voice
the sentiment of every man interested
in the military when ! say that the
appearance of the command in the
parade this afternoon was superb, that
IL was inspiring.
1T is natural for me to look at the
Cadets from the standpoint of their
value to the regiment. l don't mean
alone as the training school OF the
regiment, though IL has furnished Il
with a large number OF officers, but
refer chiefly TO the spirit Of the COM
mand which has enabled IT TO achieve
an excellence that makes It an ex-
ample 10 the remainder Of the regi-
ment."