Celebrate Decoration Day!

To many of us, Memorial Day means cookouts, swimming, and the beginning of summer.  Others take a moment of silence to remember the veterans who fought and died for our country.  But few of us may know the origins of the holiday.  Using Social and Cultural History: Letters and Diaries Online we learn that this day for remembering fallen soldiers was originally termed Decoration Day, and its inception wasn't without controversy.

In 1868 Major General John Alexander Logan was head of the Grand Army of the Republic, the organization of Union Veterans.  The Civil War was over and several southern communities had started holding ceremonies to honor their soldiers killed in battle.  Impressed by, and arguably jealous of the spring observances in the South, Logan declared a national Decoration Day would be held annually on May 30th.  Who better to explain the original purpose of Decoration Day than the man himself.

To Read General Logan's complete letter to William T. Collins click on the image to the left.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Logan selected May 30th because flowers would be blooming in all parts of the country.  Other reports state that he chose the 30th because it was not an anniversary of a Civil War battle.  The first large observance of Decoration Day was held at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868, with several key Union figures in attendance.

However, many cities were already remembering their Civil War casualties with ceremonies, church services, and decorations at cemeteries years before Logan established a national Decoration Day.  Especially in the South, some communities refused to celebrate Decoration Day due to prolonged hostility towards the North and the Union Army.  To this day, several southern states continue to celebrate Confederate Memorial Day.

Originally meant to honor only those who perished in the Civil War, it wasn't until after World War I that Decoration Day was expanded to honor and remember those who died in all American Wars.  In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congress and the last Monday of May was designated as the official date.

Although Waterloo, NY was declared the official birthplace of Memorial Day, dozens of places throughout the country have connections to the origins of Decoration Day.  There is still debate over where the first day of remembrance was held, and whether it was a single event or an annual tradition.

Similarly, several individuals tried to claim responsibility for establishing Decoration Day nationally in the years after 1868.  Mary Simmerson Logan's memoir, also found in Letters and Diaries Online clearly states that her husband is the true architect of Decoration Day.

Click the image to the right to view an excerpt from Mary Simmerson Logan's memoir.

Regarding General Logan's reaction to seeing Southern remembrance ceremonies she states, "He said that it was strange that a people who were so loyal to their country as had been the Union soldiers and their friends should not have been the first to inaugurate this beautiful ceremony, and that it must be attributed to the fact that they were so engrossed in taking up their vocations in life that they had not had time to indulge in sentiment."

Here's hoping you all have a safe and happy Decoration Day.

Comments

[dekor]

Kinda nicely written actually. :)