The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-31
ORIGIN OF MEMORIAL DAY.
New York Times,

New York Times.
May 80 is Memorial day, the day when
pious hands the country over will place
floral tributes upon the graves of the dead
of the civil war. The following version of
the origin Of the custom is told by a vet
eran who wore the blue:
'It was just forty years the 18th of last
April" said he. Two little girls-children
of Michigan army chaplain-were the
first to lay spring flowers on a soldiers
grave dug in Virginian soil. and from that
little act of childish impulse grew up the
custom which is now nationally observed
North and South.
Il was a member of the Second Regi-
ment, Michigan Infantry, Col. ]. b. Rich
ardson commanding. which saw most of
the fighting of the army of the Potomac
until the war was well-nigh ended. The
chaplain of the regiment was Franklin
May, a Methodist minister, who resigned
his charge at the first call to arms and
marched to the front. There were three
Mays in the regiment, brothers-two cap
tains and the chaplain, for war blood
seemed to run in their veins. Three Mays
did L say? Four, for there was the cap
tains wife, and no pluckier patriot served
the Union cause than the woman who fol-
lowed him to camp, first at Arlington and
Alexandria and then at point near Mount
Vernon, which was known Camp Mich
Igan. She brought with her their two
daughters, Josephine, aged thirteen, and
Ella, perhaps five years younger.
lone spring day at Camp Michigan-it
happened to be April -. the first anniver-
sary of the fall of Sumter-the little girls
were wild-hower gathering. Their hands
were filled when they came across a grave
"a rough, unmarked mound that had
closed in over some Northern boy for whom
taps had sounded that first twelve-month.
oh, let's put our flowers on this grave
cried Josephine. He is a soldier boy.
In a trice the two were down on their
knees heaping nosegays over that bare
light at their happy contrivance. They
must have had in mind the little acts OF
remembrance they had seen at the grave
sides in the grass gro wn cemetery at home.
ION their way home the little ones
planned TO go next day, gather armfuls of
flowers and put them on all the graves
When they were about to set out on the
morrow, Josephine told Mrs. May of their
project, and the sweet thoughtfulness of
this child fancy appealed TO the older wom-
an as il only could have appealed 10 a
mother who knew a hospital camp al first
hand and had folded the hands of more
than one young fellow in his last sleep.
With her companions, Mrs. Evans, young
| Red Cross nurse, Mrs. May Joined the
/. children in gathering flowers. and together
/ they placed the blossoms on thirteen graves
all that they found, Union and Confed-
/ crate alike. among the thousands that later
| were 10 rest at Arlington and along the
/ shores of the Potomac.
The next year they did the same thing.
and the next. each time in May, and now
/ for the soldiers who fell at Fredericksburg
/ and other battles, in the old Dominion.
/ What they did was noticed and soon others
\ began 10 do the same. There was OppOr-
\ tunity for all. Tor a the months went by
/ graves were multiplying faster than ever
\ in history, and before the close of the
/ war the custom had spread quite widely.
I'm 1865 Gen. John A. Logan issued that
/ famous order OF his as commander-in-
/ chief of the @. A. r.. which set apart May
! 30 as Memorial day-a date chosen late I'm
! the spring in order TO give the flowers a
/ chance 10 outfiank every snOwbank In the
/ North however late the spring. Since then
| legal holiday.
There has been some controversy here
and there as TO what source 10 attribute