The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1912-05-24

into the land Of memory. though
comparatively small number OF It's
veterans Btill survive to march In the
procession which IL part OF the
days observance.
The first Memorial or Decoration
day which these veterans OF the Grand
Army OF the Republic recall each year
was not. as II H. now IN most OF the
states and escn IA Alaska and Porto
Rico. legal holiday. II camo as the
result OF an order issued by Gen. John
a. Logan. national commander OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic, then a
young organization. II was In May.
1868. that Adiutant General n. z.
Chysman conferred with General Lo
gan concerning the matter OF having
tho Grand Army inaugurate the Gus.
, tom Of placing flowers on the graves
OF Union soldiers at some uniform
time. Following this conference Gen
eral Logan Issued an order setting
, aside May 80. 1868, for tho purpose
OF strewlng with flowers or otherwise
decorating the graves OF comrades
who died In defense OF their country
during the late rebellion and whose
bodies now lie In almost every city.
village or hamlet churchyard In the
land"
Chicago had tho FIRST celebration OF
n Decoration day under the auspices
OF the Grand Army organization In
1865. Two years before this, In let
/ ter which was printed March IL. 1866.
in the columns OF tho Columbus
! Times. n southern woman. Mrs Mary
Ann Williams Howard. widow OF u
confederate officer, Mai. John II. How
ard OF Milledgeylllc. Ga. had suggest
that April 90 OF that year be set aside
as the date ito wreathe graves OF our
martyrcd dead with flowers" The
/ suggestion was followed and that
date. April 90, Is now observed as
; Confederate Memorial day. and set
aside as a legal holiday. as Is May 30
! in other states, In four southern
states. Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia
and Florida Mrs Williams was great
/ ly beloved In the south, During tho
war she was as active In doing all she
could TO serve the southern side as
her husband and was the moving splr'
/ Il I'm putting into operation what were
! know. as "wayside houses" In which
care was given soldiers en- route TO
battienelds when she died at Co
lumbus, Ga. In 1874, she was buried
with military honors.
Two southern states, North Carolina
and South Carolina, observe May 10
as their memorial day. In New Mex
! leo II Is left TO the governor to APP
} poInt the day. As every state Is In
dependent in It's legislation, traditions
and customs. every state has power to
} appoint its own holidays, but despite
these variations, a spirit OF centrali2a'
ton or the growth OF a national spirit,
n YOU wish TO call II that, has aided
in bringing about an approximate uni
formity of date for Memorial day In
most OF the states, Thirty.four states
and Alaska. Porto Rico and the Dis
trict OF Columbia observe the 3oth OF
May as legal holiday dedicated to
the memory OF soldiers. Four south
ern states, as has been said, observe
the day on April &c, two on May TO-
II Is a good custom this, which
teaches each succeeding generation to
honor the courage, patriotism and 10y
nj sacrifice OF those who have pre-
coded Il. A nation which does this In
spirit every day as II does In special
ceremonies one Gay each year may
fearlessly face the future, confident
that It will be worthy OF the past,