The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-29
Memorial Day.

How many people know that the
term " Decoration Day." which ninety
nine out of every hundred of them use
in referring to May 30, is really mis-
homer, in that the Grand Army of the
Republic, which selected that date
originally for the annual remembrance
of the patriotic dead of the nation, and
therefore to whom must be conceded
the authority for it's appropriate name,
entitled it Memorial Day." and so es.
tablished it in the constitution of the
order, When later the Confederate
veterans of the South selected April 26
as their day to pay similar tribute to
the Southern soldier dead. they chose
the title Decoration Day" to individ-
ualize their day as distinct from that
chosen by the veterans of the Union
army aud navy.
The Grand Army, while really born
upon the battlefield in '65 of the desire
of certain comrades in arms of Illinois
and Western regiments to perpetuate
the fraternity, patriotism and comrade-
ship ingrained in the soldier during his
four years of campaigning in the field,
did not assume national importance un-
til the fall of 1066-the first encamp-
ment being held at Indianapolis No.
vember 20 of that year. New York
and Pennsylvania were the only states
of the Eastern country represented in
that body, and the movement did not
fairly spread over New England until
the spring of '67. The first Memorial
Day observed by the order was May 30,
1868, following the session of the Sec
ond annual encampment, held in Phia-
delphia in January of that year, at
which encampment the constitution of
the Grand Army of the Republic was
further revised and completed. "The
National Encampment hereby estab.
fishes Memorial Day, to be observed
by the members of the Grand Army OF
the Republic, on the Both of May an
nually, in commemoration of the deeds
of our fallen comrades. When such
day occurs on Sunday, the preceding
day shall be observed, except where
by enactment, the succeeding day is
made legal holiday, when such day
shall be observed Thus reads Ar.
ticle XIV of the instrument referred to
An interesting point in connection
with this is found in resolution
adopted by the national encampment o.
the order held in Providence, r. l., in
June, 1877. The committee on resolu
tions then reported that: "Inasmuch al
there is some difference of opinion az
to the intent and meaning of Memorial
Day, this encampment hereby calls at
tention to the language of Chapter V.
Article XIV, of the rules and regula
tons, and does therefore resolve, tina
the Grand Army of the Republic seek
thus to preserve the memories of thos,
only who fought in the defence of thu
national unity" Corporal Tame
took the floor to second the adoption o.
the resolution of the committee, ant
the resolution was adopted without di
vision. There is interest in this il
view of what is to transpire in Chicago
at the dedication of the Confederate
monument. 1t is still retained in tn,
Grand Army constitution of to-day
and the only other resolution of amen
datory form is that of the national en-
campment of the succeeding year
"That all flags hoisted on Memoria
Day be at half.mast."
The Grand Army did not copy thei
idea from that of the South. Their,
had been in individual instances, soutl
as we'll as north, earlier decoration O
the graves of the soldiers, occasiouall,
in different communities, but Their
was no unified observance of a day O
commemoration throughout the countr,
until the year 1868, when the Nationa
Memorial Day was established by tn
action of the Grand Army of tn
Republic, setting apart the Both of May
The South caught the spirit of the ide
and followed with its "Decoratio
Day" on the Goth of April, that dat
being chosen because of the earle
blooming of the flowers and develop
meut of the vernal beauty of the bud
ding spring in the southern states
Boston journal.