The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-07
MAYOR OBJECTS
To NEGRO TROOPS
PROTESTS HAVE BEEN SENT
TO THE GEORGIA SENATOR'S AND
CONGRESSMAN.

Says Recommendation of General
Barry, If Carried Into Effect.
Would Greatly Injure Tybee and
Savannah-He Writes to the Geor-
Eia Members of Congress Urging
Them to Use Their influence to
Prevent Any such Plan Being
Carried Out-MayOr Suggests That
Negro Troops BE Tried Mt the
Northern Forts on the Coast.
Mayor Myers protests against the
recommendations of Gen. Barry, that
negroes be used to garrison Southern
forts. Fearing that the recommenda-
tons by Gen. Barry might be adopted.
the Mayor yesterday wrote letters to
both of the Georgia senators and to all
the congressman from this state, beg
gfng them to use their influence to
prevent any such innovation.
Such a garrison at Tybee would in
jure popular resort, and do great
damage to Savannah, the Mayor
thinks. AS to the health conditions of
Southern seacoast posts, the Mayor
shows that so far as Fort Screven, at
least, is concerned, Gen. Barry must
be in error.
Following is a copy of the Mayors
letter to Senator Bacon, which gives
his position in the matter very clearly:
Letter TO Senator Bacon.
Savannah, Ga, Oct. 6, 1904.-Hon. A.
Q. Bacon, Macon, Ga: Dear Senator
Bacon-I beg to call your attention to
he LA d.
Barry's recommendation as to sea-
coast posts of the South. From this
you Will see that he recommends the
enlistment of negro artillerymen for
such posts as Fort Screven, on Ty
bee Island, and other forts along the
South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. He
gives as his reason for this that the
heat, mosquitoes and bad water rem
der it difficult to get white men to re-
enlist for such posts, and it is evil
IDENTIFY his desire that these posts be
eventually permanently occupied by
negro soldiers.
1t is almost unnecessary for me to
point out to you that the placing of
a negro garrison at Fort Screven
would be Objectionable to the people of
Savannah and of this section. Tybee
Island is a well-known, popular resort
to which thousands of white people
Georgia and adjacent states. 1t has
quite a large population from May
to Sept. 1, including many Savannah
ians who have cottages there, or who
reside at the hotel on the island. 1t
stands to reason that if the mosqui-
toes and water were so bad. or the
general conditions so unhealthful as
one might infer from Gen. Barry's re-
port and recommendations, these peo-
al HNxyH0 Tel in, IN,
creasing numbers year after year and
spend practically the entire hot period
of the year there. l have never heard
of any great sickness among the men
at the fort and judging from those 1
have seen on the island and in the
city, they are very healthy and very
active body of men. These soldiers
have enjoyed all the advantages of the
seashore resort. their relations with the
visitors have always been pleasant, and
Savannahians have always felt a par
donable pride in the fort and its gar
rison.
Try New Jersey Coast.
I submit that to change this con-
dition and place a garrison of negro
soldiers on the island would be not
only Objectionable, but decidedly in
furious to the interests of this we'll
known resort and of Sayannah. The
L
other posts at the Southern seashore
resorts. The water and air are as
good at our post as at the posts on
the Northern coasts, indeed, we be-
lieve better, and if negro artillerymen
are to be utilized l submit that the
Trial should be made at the posts
along the coast of New Jersey, New
York, Massachusetts, or other North
ern states.
trust that Won will endeavor as
always in the past, to protect our in
| terests in this matter. l do not know
what course such recommendations
fake, but our citizens will appreciate
your using your good influences to
continue a purely white garrison at
the only seashore post in Georgia and
at the only resort which is generally
used by the people of Georgia during
| the summer months.
Very respectfully,
Herman Myers, Mayor.