The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-08-18

IL Is MS desire TO see IL
among the most richly endowed in
stitutions in the world. Already dona-
tions received br the trustees have
aggregated $4,000, 900.
ORIGIN OF THE CUSTOM.
How the Decoration of Soldiers
Graves was Instituted.
1t is a matter of history that Mrs.
Charles j. Williams, of Columbus, Ca,
instituted the beautiful custom Of de-
corating graves with flowers-a custom
which has beentadopted throughout tho
United States. Mrs. Williams was the
daughter OF Major John Howard, of
Columbus, Ca, and was u superior
woman She combined tho loveliest
womanly traits Of character with that
~self-reliance and determination gen.
orally attributed to the sterner sex.
She was literally educated in the best
schools of Charleston, S. c., and Phila-
delphia, and was accomplished in
music, painting n languages. She
married Major G. j. Williams on his
return from the Mexican a He
was a lawyer Of high standing and
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives about the time the war broke
out. While colonel of the First Georgia
Regulars in the army of Virginia he
contracted disease from which he died
in 1862 and was buried in Columbus,
Ga. Mrs. Williams and her little
daughter visited his grave every day,
and often comfOrted themselves by
wreathing it with flowers. While the
lost ones, the little girl would pluck
the weeds from the unmarked soldiers
graves near her fathers and cover
them with flowers, calling then. "her
soldiers ~eraves," and say they had no
one else to care for them. After q
short while the dear little girl was
summond 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 patriots
graves throughout the South, far
from home and kindred, and in this
setting apart n day in each year that
love might pay tribute to valor through
out the Southern States.
In March, 1866, she addressed q COM
munication to the daily paper OF
Columbus suggesting our Memorial
Day" custom. She then wrote to the
Soldiers Aid Societies, and they
responded and reorganiZcd. She lived
long enough to see her plan adopted as
a religious custom of the South, and
observed from the Potomac TO the Rio
Grande.
Mrs. Williams died April Is, 1874,
and was buried with military honors,
The following is the original com
municiation written by Mrs. Williams
to the Columbus (Ga.) Times, suggest
ing the memorial day custom
COLUMBUS, Ga, March II, 1866
The ladies are now n have been for
several days engaged in the sad but
pleasant duty OF ornamenting and i'm.
proving that portion of the city come
terry sacred to the memory of our gal
liant Confederate dead, but we feel il
an unfinished work unless q day be set
apart annually for its special attention
We cannot raise monumental shafts
and incribe thereon their many deeds
of heroism, but we can keep alive the
memory Of the debt we owe them by
d~edicating at least one day in each
year to embellish their humble graves
with flowers. Therefore, we beg the
assistance OF the press and the ladies
throughout the South to aid US in the
effort TO set apart "a certain day to be
observed, from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande, and be handed down through
time as a religious custom of the & ,it'
to wreathe the graves of our mart &c,
dead with flowers and we propose III
26th day OF April as the day. Let every
city, town and village join in the pleas.
ant duty. Let all alike be remember
ed, from the heroes Of Manassas to
those who expired amid the death
thrOes Of our hallowcd cause. Wen
crown alike the honored resting places
of the immortal Jackson in Virginia,
johnson at Shiloh, Cleburne in Ten
nessee and the hosts OF gallant privates
that adorned our ranks. All did their
duty, and to all we I'VE our gratitude.
Let the soldiers graves, for hat day at
least, be the Southern Mecca to whose
shrine her sorrowing women, like
pilgrims, may annually bring their
grateful hearts and floral offerings.
AND when we remember the thousands
who are buried with their martial
cloaks around them" without Christian
ceremony or i%nterment, we would in
woke the aid OF the most thrilling
~eloquence throughout the and to in
augurate the custom by delivering on
the appointed day this year q eulogy
on the unburied dead Of our glorious
Southern army. They died for their
country. Whether or not their country
had o. had not the right to demand
1no edcFliCo Is no longer Il question
for discussion. We leave that for ma
lions to decide hereafter, but that
these men laid their lives upon their
country's altar, and are entitled to
their country's gratitude, none will
deny.
The proud banner under which they
rallied in defense OF the hOliest and
noblcst cause for which the heroes
fought, or trusting women prayed, has
been furled forever. The country for
which they suffered and died has now
no name or place among the nations Of
the earth. Legislative enactrnents
may not be made to do honor to their
memories, bus the v~eriest radical that
ever traced his genealogy back to the
deck OF the May Flower could not re.
fuse us the simple privilege Of paying
honor to those whodied defending the
life, honor and happiness of the South
ern women.
The New York Recorder SAYS:
st would seem that William Wal