The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-12
COL. PETER REILLY
HAS PASSED AWAY
DIED EARLY LAST NIGHT.
WAR VETERAN sUCCUMBED TO IT,
BEHCULOsIs AFTER LONG ILLNESS.

BEHCULOSIS AT TER LONG ILLNESS.
Died at His Home on BrOuEhtOm
Street-FouGht with Distinction
Through Civil War-Was PrOmi-
nent in Military Circles in Savan-
nah and Three Times Represented
This County in the General As
sembIy-FuneraI VIII Take Place
Tomorrow.
Col. Peter Reilly, one of Savannah's
best known older citizens. and for
years closely identified with the mill
tary of the city in which he had at
tanned high rank. died at O'Clock yes
terday evening at his residence, No. 314
Broughton street, east, after long
Illness from tuberculosis.
Until his retirement from active life
Col. Reilly was prominent in both mill
ltary and political affairs, he having
served three terms in the General As
sembly. He was president of the Fe
male Orphan Benevolent Society, a
member of the Catholic Library AS
ISOLATION of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians and a consistent member of
the Roman Catholic Church. He was
on the states roll of retired officers
and was a member of the Irish Jas
per Greens.
Col. Reilly was born in Hampshire.
England, in 1899, and went to Ireland
when an infant. Here the family re-
NAMED until he was II years of age.
Shortly after the death of his father
he set sail for America with his moth
er. landing first at New Orleans, and
coming from there direct to Savan-
nah.
What education he had was received
in the National School of Ireland until
he was Il years of age. Upon his ar
rival in this city he found employ
ment as an apprentice at the print
er's case This work was unfriendly
TO his health and he was compelled
to abandon it for something that gave
him more active employment He ac-
copied clerkship in a grocery house.
where he remained until the war be-
tween the states occurred.
Went to War With Greens.
He at once entered the states serv~
ice under Gov Browns call. He went
as a member of the Irish Jasper
Greens and was elected junior lieuten-
ant upon entering the service of the
Confederacy. When the six months
term of service had expired he enlisted
with the company in the Confederate
army for three years, or the war. The
Greens did duty as part of the First
Georgia Regiment of Volunteers, which
did service in the early part of the
war at the forts and batteries upon
the Savannah, and along the coast and
at Charleston at the siege of Battery
Wagner.
This regiment was a part of Mer-
. GERS Brigade and was ordered in the
summer of 1864 to reinforce Gen. John
ston above Atlanta. and served gal
lantly with that wing of the army
through North Georgia and Tennessee
campaigns and subsequently through
the Carolinas until it surrendered at
Greensboro, April 26, 1865. In 1863 he
was promoted to the first lieutenancy
of his company on the recommendation
of the military examining board, and
served with gallantry and distinction
in that position until the winter of
1864, when in front of Nashville, and
under Gen Hood, he was separated
from his company and appointed act
ing adjutant of the regiment, and aft
erward when the consolidation of the
army occurred at Smithfeld. N. c.,
and his brigade was formed into one
regiment, he was appointed adjutant
of the new regiment and so remained
until the close of the war.
Upon the reorganization of the state
militia in 1871 he was elected by the
Greens their first lieutenant and held
that office until 1882, when he was
nm mi
of the First Volunteer Regiment of
Georgia.
walked Back 10 savannah.
After the war he returned to sa-
vannah on foot. Later he served as
purser on a steamer running be-
tween Savannah and Augusta, and aft
erwards engaged in the commission
business. Afterwards he embarked i'm
the grocery business in which he re-
manned until 1874 when he became
a real estate agent. He was in the
real estate business until his health
failed him.
In 1884 Col Reilly was elected TO
the legislature and was twice re-
elected. His constituents had hoped
he would be able to secure the pas
sage of a bill appropriating money for
the militia and in this he was sue
cessful This bill, which became law
in 1885 was of great advantage i'm
bringing the militia into organized
form and under proper command. For
the three sessions he served his coun-
ty in the General Assembly he was
chairman of the committee on Military
Affairs.
Col. Reilly was married first in 1866
to Mrs. NJ. A. O'Connor, nee Price.
One son was born to them. Charles X e.,
who died in 1856. The mother died i'm
1871, and in 1850 Col. Reilly married
Miss Mary ODonovan of New York.
Their only child. a daughter, Miss Mar
garet Reilly survives him. The sec
ond Mrs. Reilly died a year after her
marriage. A sister in Boston, Mrs.
Mccain, also survives him.
The funeral will take place to-mor-
row, but at what hour has not been
decided. The Confederate Veterans.
the Irish Jasper Greens and probably
the First Regiment viii attend the
funeral