The daily sentinel., 1908-05-30

MEMORIAL
Especial to The Sentinel.


Washington, May 30.-Although
there are many versions of the origin
of Memorial Day, historians of the
national capital agree that today's
observance marks the fortieth ann
versary of its acceptance by the
Grand Army of the Republic.
General John A. Logan, comman-
! der-in-chief of the Grand Army of the
Republic, instituted general Memoir
ial day observance in 1868. Credit
| for the idea has been assigned to a
number of persons since the custom
has become so firmly fixed in the ma
tional life.
| 1t is said that during the spring of
| 1868 Adjutant General Chapman, of
the Grand Army of the Republic. re-
ceived letter from former federal
soldier, then residing in Cincinnati.
| The writer stated that in Germany,
his native country, it was the custom
of the people to gather each spring
and strew the graves of their dead
with flowers.
| General Chapman, this report has
it, was so much pleased with the sug
gestion that he made out the draft of
an order upon the subject and pre-
sented it to General Logan, then COM
| manderlin-chief of the Grand Army.
| The result was General Logan's ia
nous Memorial da..
| Credit for the suggestion has also
been given to 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 super
intendent of the schools of Charles
ton. s. c., devoting himself especially
to organizing a system of education
for colored youth
+, While engaged in this work, 1T 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 gi-
gantic conflict that resulted in their
| freedom.
One April day he was advancing
| this idea in little church that was
J crowded with negro children. One
of the colored girls suggested that
they go INN ed 'ately. gather armfuls
of flowers and place them on tbs
| graves.
| This set Mr.. Redpath to thinking
of what might be accomplished by
general move of such sort. In the
end he instructed the children to tell
their friends that on May day the
, graves of Union soldiers around
Charleston would be decked with
, flowers.
! Greater even than Mr.. Redpath had
hoped was the response. More than
10000 persons 1t is stated, gathered
at the federal cemetery, and the
graves were literally covered with
4, spring flowers.
| Still another statement of the
origin of the custom has it that the
burial of young soldier in New
York state suggested the idea. 1t
was on a beautiful MAY day when
the sorrowing relatives and friends
| gathered about the open grave be-
meath the blossoming boughs of
| fruit tree.
| When the solemn committal rites
were over and the last shovelful of
earth had been cast on the mound,
the wind swept with strong breath
| through the overhanging boughs, and
a veritable snowfall of sweet, white
| blossoms descended upon the young
hero's resting place.
| Tradition has it that when, years
J later, this story was repeated to Cen
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 me-
mortal tribute by a custom that had
already been followed several years
| by the women of the south.