The Origin of Memorial Day
From the May, 1893 issue of "Confederate Veteran"

It is a matter of history that Mrs. Charles. J. Williams, of Columbus, Georgia., 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 Major John Howard, of Milledgeville, Georgia, and was a superior woman. She married Major 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, Georgia.

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 fathers and cover them with flowers, calling them her soldiers' graves.

After a short time 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 1866, she addressed a communication to the Columbus Times, an extract of which I give:

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 1866, set apart the 26th day of April as a legal holiday in obedience to her request.

Contributed by Marion D. Lambert -
scvblue@ix.netcom.com
1st. Lieutenant Commander,
John T. Lesley Camp 1282
Sons of Confederate Veterans