Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-05-30
ORIGIN OF MEMORIAL DAY.
Circumstances Under which the OBJ .erv
ance of this Anniversary were
o igInally Suggested.

The following letter, originally sent tC
the New York Tribune from Washington
by Junius Simons, will not be uninterest.
ing at this time:
AS one knowing the facts, permit me to
say that the credit of first suggesting "Me-
mortal Day" belongs to Mrs. Henry S.
Kimball, Of West Philadelphia, Pa. The
suggestion was made by her in 1868 to
General John A. Logan, then command
er-in.chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kimball were old friends
OF General Logan. On their return home
from southern tour Mrs. Kimball wrote
to General Logan stating that she had
particularly noticed the southern women
decorating the graves Of their dead fallen
in battle, and suggested to him that, as
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic, he should have our heroic
soldiers, whose lonely graves were many,
scattered and unmarked, remembered in
the same beautiful way. The general was
deeply impressed with the idea. Soon af-
terward he wrote Mrs. Kimball thanking
her for the suggestion, and stating that
he felt that such touching tribute to his
dead comrades would undoubtedly me t
with general favor.
After carefully refecting upon how he
should give the matter practical shape he
stated his ideas to Gen. Chapman, of the
Grand Army of the Republic staff, and
requested him to formulate them in an
order. This order, modified and enlarged
by Gen. Logan himself, was issued to the
Grand Army Of the Republic as "Order
No. II" and May 80, 1868, was named as
the day it should go into effect. The or
der was generally we'll received through
out the country, and practically obeyed
by the Grand Army OF the Republic,
greatly to Gen. Logan's satisfaction, as
evinced in the following letter to Mrs.
Kimball, dated Washington, July 8, 1869:
My DEAR FRIEND-It is very gratifying
to me to hear, as l do day after day, from
my friends of the reception of my Order
No. IL. AS you observe, the custom is
beautiful one, and am confident that it
will not only never pass away from the
recollection of the American people, but
will more deeply ingraft itself in their
hearts, and each returning anniversary of
sacred decoration will increase i'm impress
sive devotion to our patriotic dead and
the crowns we weave for them of never
fading laurels and the beautiful flowers
strewn over their graves give dignity to
sentiments of love and ofhonor which bind
the past, the present and the future in
one continuous chain of admiration that
the life and service of even the humblost
private shall never be forgotten. Yours
truly. JOHN A. LOGAN
Twas clerk at the house of represen-
tatives and Gen. Logan's private secretary
at the time, and saw all the correspond
ence relating 10 the matter, heard Gen.
Logan tell his friends and other callers
that he was indebted to Mrs. Kimball for
the suggestion to decorate our soldiers
graves, saw him hand them Mrs. Kim
balls letter on the subject to read, and
heard Gen. Logan state to zen. Chapman
his views and wishes, out Of which Cor
der No. IL" grew, and during the presi-
dental canvass of that year, on which l
went with him, he received many encomi
ums wherever he went for the inaugura-
ton of Memorial day, and he never re-
Trained from giving Mrs. Kimball full
credit for the idea, feeling quite content
and appreciative for the share of honor
that naturally and properly flowed to him
for putting it into practical and perma-
nent operation.
Since then Memorial day has silently
matured into tender and welcome GUS
tom throughout our land, and has addi-
tionally endeared to the hearts of the peo-
pie the memory of that great hearted,
brave and brilliant soldier, orator and
statesman, John A. Logan.