The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-06-04
MEMORIAL DAY
At THE CAPITAL
ANNIVERSARY GENERALLY OBJ
SERVED AT WASHINGTON.
TIE ORIGIN OF THE OCCASION,
Many Versions Given, but Historians
Agree that this Is Fortieth.
Gen. John A. Logan One
Of the First

Washington, May 30.--Memorial
Day was generally observed in the
national capital today and all gov
ernment business was at a standstill
Parades and pilgrimages to the Gem
eteries in the vicinity. in which the
Grand Army and other patriotic bod
les and officials of the war and navy
departments participated, marked the
day.
Although there are many versions
of the origin of Memorial Day, his.
torians of the national capital agree
that to-day's observance marks the
fortieth anniversary OF its acceptance
by the Grand Army of the Republic.
General John A. Logan, commanders
in-chief Of the Grand Army of the
Republic, instituted general Memorial
Day observance in 1868. Credit for
the idea has been assigned to num-
Der of persons since the custom has
become so fixed in the national life.
1t is said that during the spring of
1868 Adiutant General Chapman, of
the Grand Army of the Republic, re-
ceiyed letter from a former federal
soldier. then residing In Cincinnati.
The writer stated that in Germany,
his native country. it was the Gus
tom of the people to gather each
spring and strew the graves of their
dead with flowers. tt aa .-F.s.
fGenerai Chapman, this report has it,
was so much pleased with the sug-
gestion that he made out the draft of
sented it to General Logan. then com
mander-in-chief of the Grand Army.
The result was General Logan's fam.
GUS Memorial Day.
Credit for the suggestion has also
been given James Redpath, news
paper man of Kansas. Boston and
New York. Soon after the close of
the war Redpath was appointed by
Generals Hatch and Saxton as superin.
tendent of the schools of Charleston,
s. c., devoting himself especially to
organizing a system of education for
colored youth.
While engaged in this work, it is
related, Mr.. Redpath began to talk
with the little negro children about
decorating the graves of their friends
and defenders who fell in the gfgan-
~ :. Lsso.,E ss l.---.iffat -eifat resutrd IN their
iIeedom. u day he was advancing
one Al a little church that was
c. ~ 1aeagith negro children. One of
the colored girls suggested that they
go Immediately, gather armfulls of
flowers and place them on the graves
This set Mr.. Redpath to thinking of
what might be accomplished by gen
eral move of that sort. In the end he
instructed the children to tell their
friends that on May day the graves
of the Union soldiers around Charles
ton would be decked with flowers.
Greater even than Mr.. Redpath
had hoped was the response. More
than 10000 persons, it is stated, gath
cred at the federal cemetery, and the
graves were literally covered with
spring flowers.
Still another statement of the or.
igin of the custom has 1t that the
burial of young soldier in New York
State suggested the idea. 1t was on
beautiful May day when the sorrow
ing relatives and friends gathered
about they open grave beneath the
blossoming boughs of a. fruit tree.
When the solemn committal rites
were over and the last shoyelful OF
earth had been cast on the mound.
the wind swept with strong breath
through the overhanging boughs, and
veritable snowfall of sweet, white
blossoms descended upon the young
hero's resting place.
Tradition has it that when, years
later. this story was repeated to Gen
eral Logan the idea of an official
Decoration Day took shape in his
mind.
The late General Joseph Wheeler
always insisted that General Logan's
attention was attracted to such mem.
orial tribute by a custom that had
already been followed several years
by the women of the south.
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