New-York tribune., 1882-08-14
LETTERS From THE PEOPLE.
HISTORY OF DECoRATIoN DAY.

TO The razor of The Tribune.
SIR In recent number OF your journal yo1 say that
decoration Day grew at first, naturally enough out
Of the pathetic custom Of a few Southern women, who
had lost husbands and in the war and who found
comfort as did Mary Of Old in going TO the grave to
weep there" This is a touching idea bat allow me to
say that it is not true National cemeteries were III
augaed and finally established under the auspices OF
Major General George II. Thomas, commanding the
Army Of the Cumberland. Tennessee and Kentucky
were frequently fought over during the civil war
scarcely a mile Of the railway running north and south
from the Tennessee to the Cumberland rivers AMI
thence to the Onto bat what marked by the graves
OF our fallen heroes Toward the close Of the struggle
these graves scattered about everywhere became OMEN
siyc to than one, especially Whee oaI'.e
had been fought, as shiloh neither contestant having
time or opportunity to care FOR its dead The hrSt
National Cemetery WIS established Stone RIVER after
the battle OF that name Then followed those at SHILOH
Pitt ttbur. Landing. Fort Donelson. Chattanooga etc
General Thomas took special interest in these Gene
trcs approving OF every expenditure that ~ deemed
necessary forward their proper estaolshment ana
il Is 10 hin alone indebted for the system ont OF
which has grown the humanz!ng custom Of Decoration
Day.
could tell OF some interesting facts IN connection With
the custom Of caring for the dead In 1854 think 1t
WAS Governor Cox, OF Ohio. knowing that I WIS en-
lyed IN the TAX Of gathering up the remains Of our
fallen heroes In the Military Division Of the Tennessee
wrote ME at Nashville, requesting me ~ recover the
bodies OF three young volunteer eOdies belonging 10 an
Ohio regiment taken prisoners and executed under
pathetic circumstance The story was that these boys
for they were boyscOnoeIved the Quxouc idea or
creeping into the Confedl rate lines at Atlanta before
the civ was takpn by the Union forces and watching
their opportunity jumping upon tram OF Itced cars
and taking il 10 Chattanooga The idea apparently
fcasble and these boys pshed their purpose or
srizing train in the temporary absence OI the
en- n.ineer. but unfortunately they forgot that the
Telegraph faster than steam and the tram wac inter
ccpted and thrown OH the track, and its daring con
hoy ~
tried by drum head eourt-narti. and condemned to
shot and their bodies buried where they could not be
found again The sentence was carried Ouy. IL was
under these circumstances that Governor Cox wrote
me- and as | chanccd 20 have under my orders an
| officer "A former cOmrade OF John Brown IN hs cele-
brated Kansas raid who had n fancy like odd Nor
tality for dealing with the dead sent him with q
burial party after Atlanta had fallen, to hnd OUT II
po,-iblc where bows had been done TO death MAJOR
whitman at last discovered old farmer VINO hai
Witnessed the execution lie led the Major 20 small
stream OF running water and pointing To certain
,Yace aid .sThe men were laid there" whitman
went 10 work turned the current Of the stream and
there sure enough the remains which, strange 10
saw were Identified by the buttons on their UNI
forms the third by breast pin with the Masonic
emblem OF the square and compass all ~ Whlch were
seut 10 Governor Cox. ordered the remains 10 NJ re-
moved To CHATTANOOGA and Inferred in the centre OF the
National Cemetery there a fitting testimonial oi
the courageous but i'll timed bravery OF the young
j L. DONALDSON. late Bvt. Major General.
Carlsbad, Bohemia, June 26, 1882.