The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-04-25
op1c1oN OF MEMORIAL DAY
ATLANTA Journal

,,,oroment or custom; to the lie'io
sod Thought. dropped into the iur-
row rows of opportunity and popular ap,
nroval whose terminating a u u
growth far exceed, perhaps the 0i'e
inal idea. rro.
Reflections of this kind are pro,
duced by the approach OF the 'O'n o ~
April, the day SO generally opsoi'o ~
az memorial day, when the heroes Oh
onr lost cause are remembered in song
and story and fragrant flowers are
laid tenderly upon their graves
"a little cid" has "led' 10 inns
The hands of little Lila Williams
we're the first to adoron with MOWERS
the graves of our unknown soldiers IN
the cemetery of Columbus, Ga
After her father, Col. Charles D.
Williams, of the First Georgia reg
MARS. had been laid to rest there MS
little daughter would daily accom-
,.,v her mother thither and as the
s,,-t.broken widow would linger AZ
,hs sacred spot, the little child ouS-
led herself in plucking' weeds rom
off what she called, my soldiers
graves IN d adjoining them WIFI
flowers. ,l
This was the seed-thought which
caused the mother, Mrs. Mary Howard
Williams, to write the etter herewith
amended. The writer Of this account
was a close friend and to her MIS-
Williams read the letter in manu-
script before sending it to the once
of The Columbus Times in winch
paper it was at once published
The suggestion struck popular
chord and all over our dear Con1ed-
eracv was speedily endorsed u
adopted.
Probably to many another loyal
heart had the beauty and appropriate
ness of such tribute occurred, but the
fire of enthusiasm caused by n )
mothers eloquent appeal, was struck
into fame from the spark Of love ana
tenderness in the heart Of the uncon-
scious child. The | e t t g + was as
follows:
Columbus, Ga. Mar. IL, 1868.
"To The Columbus (Ga. Times:
"Messrs. Editors-The ladies are
now and have been for several days
engaged in the sad but pleasant duty
of ornamenting and improving thai
portion of the city cemetery sacred te
the memory of our gallant Confeder'
ate dead, but we feel it is an unfinished
work unless day be Set apart an
nually for its especial attention. W.
cannot raise monumental shafts ant
inscribe thereon their many deeds O.
heroism, but we can keep alive th'
! memory of the debt we owe them D!
dedicating at least one day in eacl
year to embellishing their humble
graves with flowers.
9 Therefore, we beg the asslstanc
of the press and the ladies through
out the South to aid us in the effor
to set apart certain day to be oh
=, served from the Potomac to the Nj
Grande, and be handed down throug
tim e as religious custom OF tn
70 South, to wreath the graves OF GU
- martyred dead with flowers, and "
, propose the Goth day Of April as tn
=. day.
), Let every city, town and villae
:. join in the pleasant duty. Let a
- alike be remembered from the hero
~ of Manassas to those who expire
y, amid Thine death throes of our ha
N lowed cause.
10 We'll crown alike the honor'
tv resting places of the immortal JAG
: son in Virginia, Johnston at Shilol
Cleburne in Tennessee and the he
of gallant privates who adorned O
ranks. All did their duty, and to {
nd we owe our gratitude.
re Let the soldiers graves for tn
ties day, at least, be the Southern mec
les to whose shrine her sorrowing womt
re like pilgrims, may annually bri
ira their grateful hearts and floral off
he ings. And when we remember
RS. thousands who we're buried with tn
ie- martial cloaks around them with(
Christian ceremony of interment
aid would invoke the aid of the m
the thrilling eloquence throughout
IN land tu inaugurate this custom by
ill livering on the appointed day t
o. year eulogy Oh the unburied d.
of our glorious Southern army. tt
ry- died for their country. Whether til
lest country had or had not the right
Ind demand the sacrifice is no longe
one question for discussion. We lie
that for nations to decide in
end future That it was demanded,
cas- that they fought nobly, and fell /
sacrifices upon the country's altar
are entitled to their countrys gr
,,as tude none will deny.
hnt 1.-THE proud banner under VIII
low they rallied in defense of the hol
20 and noblest cause for which he
Of fought or trusting women prayed
,lit. been furled forever. The country
hat which they suffered and died has
nv no name or place among the natl
no of the earth.
Legislative enactments may
be made to do honor to their men
MI, les, but the veriest radical that
non traced his geneaogy back to the
~ of the Mayfower could not refus
900 the simple privilege of paying he