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Confederate Memorial Day, also known as Confederate Decoration Day (Tennessee) and Confederate Heroes Day (Texas), is a holiday in parts of the United States. It is recognized by several states of U.S. South as a day to honor those who died defending the racist Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ...
Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans...
Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln†Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+ The...
States and dates observed:
Official language(s) English Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 32nd 125,443 km² 275 km 545 km 3 30°13N to 35°N 88°7W to 91°41W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 31st 2,697,243 23. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 30th 52,423 sq mi 135,775 km² 190 miles 306 km 330 miles 531 km 3. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Tallahassee Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 65,794 sq mi 170,451 km² 162 miles 260 km 497 miles 800 km 17. ...
April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ...
April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ...
Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Raleigh Charlotte Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ...
May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ...
Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 26th 4,012...
May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ...
Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Frankfort Louisville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 37th 40,444 sq mi 104,749 km² 140 miles 225 km 379 miles 610 km 1. ...
June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ...
Official language(s) English and French Capital Largest city Baton Rouge New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 31st 51,885 sq mi 134,382 km² 130 miles 210 km 379 miles 610 km 16 29°N to...
June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 195 km 710 km 2. ...
June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ...
Official language(s) None. ...
January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ...
Relatives and others traditionally place flags near veterans headstones on Memorial Day Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on May 30th and is observed on the last Monday of May. ...
History of Confederate Memorial Day From the May, 1893 issue of "Confederate Veteran," the Origin of Memorial Day
It is a matter of history that Mrs. Chas. J. Williams, of Columbus, Ga., instituted the beautiful custom of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers, a custom which has been adopted throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams was the daughter of Maj. John Howard, of Milledgeville, Ga., and was a superior woman. She married Maj. C. J. Williams on his return from the Mexican War. As colonel of the First Georgia Regulars, of the Army in Virginia, he contracted disease, from which he died in 1862, and was buried in Columbus, Ga.
Mrs. Williams and her little girl visited his grave every day, and often comforted themselves by wreathing it with flowers. While the mother sat abstractly thinking of the loved and lost one, the little one would pluck the weeds from the unmarked soldiers' graves near her father's and cover them with flowers, calling them her soldiers' graves.
After a short time while the dear little girl was summoned by the angels to join her father. The sorely bereaved mother then took charge of these unknown graves for the child's sake, and as she cared for them thought of the thousands of patriot graves throughout the South, far away from home and kindred, and in this way the plan was suggested to her of setting apart one day in each year, that love might pay tribute to valor throughout the Southern States. In March, 1868, she addressed a communication to the Columbus Times, an extract of which I give:
"We beg the assistance of the press and the ladies throughout the South to aid us in the effort to set apart a certain day to be observed from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and to be handed down through time as a religious custom of the South, to wreathe the graves of our martyred dead with flowers, and we propose the 26th day of April as the day."
She then wrote to the Soldiers' Aid Societies in every Southern State, and they readily responded and reorganized under the name of Memorial Associations. She lived long enough to see her plan adopted all over the South, and in 1868 throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams died April 15, 1874, and was buried with military honors. On each returning Memorial Day the Columbus military march around her grave, and each deposits a floral offering.
The Legislature of Georgia, in 1874, set apart the 26th day of April as a legal holiday in obedience to her request. Would be that every Southern State observed the same day.
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