Contents
1 Origins 2 Statutory holidays for state employees 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading
Origins[edit]
Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day observance in front of the Monument to
Confederate Dead, Arlington National Cemetery, on June 8, 2014.
In the spring of 1866 the
Ladies Memorial Association
Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus,
Georgia, passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to
memorialize the Confederate war dead. Mary Ann Williams, the
association secretary, was directed to pen a letter inviting ladies
associations in every former Confederate state to join them in the
observance.[3] Their invitation was written in March 1866 and sent to
all of the principal cities in the former Confederacy, including
Atlanta,[4] Macon;[5] Montgomery; Memphis; Richmond; St. Louis;
Alexandria; Columbia;[6] and New Orleans, as well as smaller towns
like Staunton, Virginia;[7] Anderson, South Carolina;[8] and
Wilmington, North Carolina.[9] The actual date for the holiday was
selected by Elizabeth Rutherford Ellis.[10] She chose April 26, the
first anniversary of Confederate General Johnston's surrender to Union
Major General Sherman at Bennett Place. For many in the Confederacy,
that date in 1865 marked the end of the Civil War.[3]
In their book, The Genesis of the
Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Holiday in America,
Bellware and Gardiner determine that the national
Memorial Day
Memorial Day holiday
is a direct offshoot of the observance begun by the Ladies Memorial
Association of
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia in 1866. In a few places, most
notably Columbus, Mississippi[11] and Macon, Georgia,[12] Union graves
were decorated during the first observance. The day was even referred
to as
Memorial Day
Memorial Day by The Baltimore Sun on May 8, 1866 after the
ladies organization that started it. The name Confederate Memorial Day
was not used until the Northern observance was initiated in 1868.
While initially cool to the idea of a Northern version of the holiday,
General
John A. Logan
John A. Logan was eventually won over as evidenced by his
General Order No. 11 of May 5, 1868 wherein he commanded the posts of
Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic to likewise strew flowers on the graves of
Union soldiers. The
Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic eventually adopted the
name
Memorial Day
Memorial Day at their national encampment in 1882.[13]
Many theories have been offered as to how Logan became aware of the
former Confederate tradition he imitated in 1868. In her
autobiography, his wife claims she told him about it after a trip to
Virginia
Virginia in the spring of that year.[14] His secretary and his
adjutant also claim they told him about it. John Murray of Waterloo,
New York, claims it was he who inspired Logan in 1868. Bellware and
Gardiner, however, offer proof that Logan was aware of the Southern
tributes long before any of them had a chance to mention it to him. In
a speech to veterans in Salem, Illinois, on July 4, 1866, Logan
referred to the various dates of observance adopted in the South for
the practice saying “…traitors in the South have their gatherings
day after day, to strew garlands of flowers upon the graves of Rebel
soldiers...”[15]
Statutory holidays for state employees[edit]
Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a statutory holiday in
Alabama
Alabama on the
fourth Monday in April.[16][17] In
Mississippi
Mississippi it is observed on the
last Monday in April.[16][18] In
Texas
Texas it is called Confederate Heroes
Day and held on January 19 each year. Only one day off is given to
workers if it coincides with Martin Luther King Day.[16][19]
See also[edit]
Commemoration of the American Civil War Lee-Jackson Day Robert E. Lee Day
References[edit]
^ Boyer, Paul S., ed. (2001). The Oxford Companion to United States
History. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 132.
ISBN 0-19-508209-5.
^ Woolf, Henry Bosley, ed. (1976). Webster's New Collegiate
Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Co.
p. 236. ISBN 0-87779-338-7. OL 5207141M.
^ a b Lucian Lamar Knight. "Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials, and
Legends ...: Under the code duello ..." Books.google.com. p. 156.
Retrieved January 15, 2016.
^ "The Soldiers' Graves". Digital Library of Georgia. Atlanta
Intelligencer. March 21, 1866. p. 2. Retrieved February 27,
2017.
^ ""Woman's Honor to the Gallant Dead," Macon Telegraph, March 26,
1866, p. 5". Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved February 27,
2017.
^ ""In Memory of the Confederate Dead," Daily Phoenix, Columbia, SC,
April 4, 1866, p. 2". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 26,
2017.
^ ""The Southern Dead," Staunton Spectator, Staunton, VA, March 27,
1866 p.1". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
^ ""The Southern Dead," Anderson Intelligencer, Anderson Court House,
SC, March 29, 1866, p.1". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 26,
2017.
^ ""In Memory of the Confederate Dead," Wilmington Journal,
Wilmington, NC, April 5, 1866, p.1". Library of Congress. Retrieved
February 25, 2017.
^ "Lizzie Rutherford (1833-1873) New Georgia Encyclopedia".
Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
^ ""Confederate Soldiers' Dead," Louisiana Democrat, July 18, 1866".
Library of Congress. July 18, 1866. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^ "Will They Notice This Touching Tribute". Library of Congress.
Columbus, OH: Ohio Statesman. May 4, 1866. p. 2. Retrieved
February 23, 2017.
^ Beath, Robert B. (1884). The Grand Army Blue-Book Containing the
Rules and Regulations of the
Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic and Decisions
and Opinions Thereon . Google Books. Philadelphia: Grand Army of the
Republic. p. 118. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
^ "Logan, Mrs. John A., Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife, C. Scribner
sons, 1913, p. 243". Google Books. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^ ""The Right of Citizenship," Evansville Journal July 30, 1866 p. 4".
Library of Congress. July 30, 1866. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^ a b c "Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in the United States". time and
date.com. Time and Date AS. n.d. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ "Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day still recognized in
Alabama
Alabama and across the
South".
Alabama
Alabama Media Group. The Associated Press. April 27,
2015.
^ "Confederate Memorial Day". Sos.ms.gov. April 27, 2015. Retrieved
January 15, 2016.
^ "State
Holiday Schedule for Fiscal Year 2017" (PDF).
Texas
Texas State
Auditor's Office. n.d. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
Further reading[edit]
"Confederate Memorial Day" [Wilson County, North Carolina] (Black
& white photoprint). Chapel Hill, N.C.: North Carolina Digital
Heritage Center, DigitalNC. c. 1890. 5587. Retrieved December 20,
2016.
Bellware, Daniel, and Richard Gardiner, PhD. The Genesis of the
Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Holiday in America. Columbus, GA: Columbus State U, 2014.
Print.
"Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day parade on Main Street" [Wauchula, Florida]
(Black & white photoprint). Tallahassee, Fla.: State Archives of
Florida, Florida Memory. 1912. RC21281. Retrieved December 20,
2016.
Gore, Leada (October 16, 2015). "Georgia Does Away With Confederate
Memorial Day, Robert E. Lee Birthday". The Birmingham News.
Birmingham, Ala. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
Jackson, Ed (n.d.). "Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Georgia".
GeorgiaInfo. Atlanta, Ga. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
Napier, Cameron Freeman (2013). "Confederate Memorial Day".
Encyclopedia of Alabama. Ramer, Ala. Retrieved December 20,
2016.
Ruiz, Myra (May 11, 2015). "Historians Explain Reason for Observing
Confederate Memorial Day". WYFF-TV. Greenville, S.C. Retrieved
December 20, 2016.
Russonello, Giovanni (April 27, 2017). "Trevor Noah Has a Hard Time
With Confederate Memorial Day". The New York Times. Retrieved April
27, 2017.
v t e
Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States
January
New Year's Day
New Year's Day (federal)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (federal)
Confederate Heroes Day (TX)
Fred Korematsu Day
Fred Korematsu Day (CA, FL, HI, VA)
Idaho Human Rights Day (ID)
Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial, DC area)
Kansas Day (KS)
Lee–Jackson Day
Lee–Jackson Day (formerly Lee–Jackson–King Day) (VA)
Robert E. Lee Day
Robert E. Lee Day (FL)
Stephen Foster
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (36)
The Eighth (LA, former federal)
January–February
Super Bowl Sunday
February American Heart Month Black History Month
Washington's Birthday/Presidents' Day (federal) Valentine's Day
Georgia Day (GA)
Groundhog Day
Lincoln's Birthday
Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NJ, NY, WV)
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
National Freedom Day (36)
Primary Election Day (WI)
Ronald Reagan Day
Ronald Reagan Day (CA)
Rosa Parks Day
Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO)
Susan B. Anthony Day
Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal)
February–March
Mardi Gras
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday (religious)
Courir de
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (religious)
Super Tuesday
March Irish-American Heritage Month National Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women's History Month
St. Patrick's Day (religious)
Spring break
Spring break (week)
Casimir Pulaski Day
Casimir Pulaski Day (IL)
Cesar Chavez Day
Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal)
Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA)
Harriet Tubman Day
Harriet Tubman Day (NY)
Holi
Holi (NY, religious)
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA)
Maryland Day
Maryland Day (MD)
National Poison Prevention Week
National Poison Prevention Week (week)
Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI)
Saint Joseph's Day
Saint Joseph's Day (religious)
Seward's Day (AK)
Texas
Texas Independence Day (TX)
Town Meeting Day (VT)
March–April
Easter
Easter (religious)
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday (religious)
Passover
Passover (religious)
Good Friday
Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, religious)
Easter
Easter Monday (religious)
April Confederate History Month
420 Day
April Fools' Day
Arbor Day
Confederate
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (AL, MS)
Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust
Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week)
Earth Day
Emancipation Day
Emancipation Day (DC)
Thomas
Jefferson's Birthday
Jefferson's Birthday (AL)
Pascua Florida (FL)
Patriots' Day
Patriots' Day (MA, ME)
San Jacinto Day
San Jacinto Day (TX)
Siblings Day
Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night (religious)
May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (federal)
Mother's Day (36)
Cinco de Mayo
Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Milk Day (CA)
Law Day (36)
Loyalty Day (36)
Malcolm X Day
Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal)
May Day
Military Spouse Day
National Day of Prayer
National Day of Prayer (36)
National Defense Transportation Day (36)
National Maritime Day (36)
Peace Officers
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (36)
Truman Day
Truman Day (MO)
June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month
Father's Day (36)
Bunker Hill Day
Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA)
Carolina Day
Carolina Day (SC)
Emancipation Day
Emancipation Day In
Texas
Texas /
Juneteenth
Juneteenth (TX)
Flag Day (36, proposed federal)
Helen Keller Day
Helen Keller Day (PA)
Honor America Days (3 weeks)
Jefferson Davis Day
Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL)
Kamehameha Day
Kamehameha Day (HI)
Odunde Festival
Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA)
Senior Week (week)
West
Virginia
Virginia Day (WV)
July
Independence Day (federal)
Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial)
Parents' Day
Parents' Day (36)
Pioneer Day (UT)
July–August
Summer vacation
August
American Family Day (AZ)
Barack Obama Day
Barack Obama Day (IL)
Bennington Battle Day (VT)
Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI)
Lyndon Baines Johnson Day
Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX)
National Aviation Day
National Aviation Day (36)
Service Reduction Day (MD)
Victory over Japan Day (RI, former federal)
Women's Equality Day
Women's Equality Day (36)
September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Labor Day
Labor Day (federal)
California Admission Day
California Admission Day (CA)
Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36)
Constitution Day (36)
Constitution Week (week)
Defenders Day
Defenders Day (MD)
Gold Star Mother's Day
Gold Star Mother's Day (36)
National Grandparents Day
National Grandparents Day (36)
National Payroll Week (week)
Native American Day (CA, TN, proposed federal)
Patriot Day
Patriot Day (36)
September–October Hispanic Heritage Month
Oktoberfest
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah (religious)
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (religious)
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month
Columbus Day
Columbus Day (federal)
Halloween
Alaska Day (AK)
Child Health Day (36)
General Pulaski Memorial Day
German-American Day
Indigenous Peoples' Day
Indigenous Peoples' Day (VT)
International Day of Non-Violence
Leif Erikson Day
Leif Erikson Day (36)
Missouri Day (MO)
National School Lunch Week
Native American Day (SD)
Nevada Day
Nevada Day (NV)
Sweetest Day
White Cane Safety Day
White Cane Safety Day (36)
October–November
Diwali
Diwali (religious)
November Native American Indian Heritage Month
Veterans Day
Veterans Day (federal)
Thanksgiving (federal)
Day after Thanksgiving (24)
Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, WV, proposed
federal)
Family Day (NV)
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (religious)
Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial)
Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA)
Obama Day
Obama Day (Perry County, AL)
December
Christmas
Christmas (religious, federal)
Alabama
Alabama Day (AL)
Christmas
Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC)
Day after
Christmas
Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX)
Festivus
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (religious, week)
Indiana Day
Indiana Day (IN)
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa (religious, week)
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36)
New Year's Eve
Pan American Aviation Day (36)
Rosa Parks Day
Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR)
Wright Brothers Day (36)
Varies (year round)
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha (religious)
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr (religious)
Ramadan
Ramadan (religious, month)
Legend: (federal) = federal holidays, (state) = state holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (week) = weeklong holidays, (month) = monthlong holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
Portals Access related topics
American Civil War portal
Culture
Culture portal
Holidays portal
Find out more on's Sister projects
Media from Commons Source texts from Wikisource Data from Wikidata
Authority control
LCCN