The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-06-02
The Origin of
Memorial Day

1t may be interesting to the readers
of the observer" to know that MEM
orial Day." now observed throughout
the North and the South, had its ORR
gin in Columbus, Mississippi, on April
20, 1866. The following poem was
inspired by an incident which occurred
there, the finland river" being the
Tombigbee, upon whose banks the
beautiful little city is situated
The Blue and the Gray
BY the flow of the inland river,
Whence the fleets of iron have fled,
Where the blades OF the grave-grass
culver,
Asleep are the ranks Of the dead;
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day:
Under the one, the Blue;
Under the other, the Gray.
These in the robings Of glory,
Those in the gloom of defeat.
All with the battle blood CORY,
In the dusk of eternity meet;
Under the sod and the dew.
Waiting the judgment day:
Under the laurel the Blue;
Under the willow, the Gray
From the silence Of sorrowful hours,
The desolate mourners go,
Lovingly laden with flowers
Alike for the friend and the foe;
Under the sod and the dew
Waiting the judgment day:
Under the roses, the Blue;
Under the lilies, the Gray.
So with an equal splendor
The morning sunrays fall,
With a touch impartially tender,
On the blossoms blooming for all;
Under the sod and the dew.
Waiting the judgment day:
'Broidered with gold, the Blue;
Mellowed with gold, the Gray.
So when the summer calleth
On forest and field of grain,
With an equal murmur falleth
The cooling drip of the rain:
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day:
Wet with the rain, the Blue;
Wet with the rain, the gray.
Sadly, but not with upbraiding,
The generous deed was done;
In the storm Of the years that are
fading
No drawer battle was won;
Under the sod and the dew,
Woi4irrr tho i,,Jcr11an,,t dow.
Under the blossoms, the Blue;
Under the garlands, the Gray.
No more shall the war-cry sever,
Or the winding rivers be red;
They Danish our anger forever
When they laurel the graves of our
dead
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day:
Love and tears for the Blue;
Tears and love for the Gray.
By Francis Miles Finch.
Referring to history of Columbus,
Mississippi, by DR.. W. L. Lipscomb, /
find this statement:
"In the spring of 1866 three ladies of
Columbus were in the habit of visit
ing Friendship Cemetery and of
clearing off as best they could the
weeds and briars, and decorating with
flowers the graves of the Confederate
dead.
"This beautiful custom, inaugural
ed by them, found hearty response
in the breasts of the ladies of Column
bus, and resulted in determination
to make the decoration of the soldiers
graves an annual occurrence. The
first celebration took place April 20,
| 1866.
"The columbus Index of April
26, gives an account as follows:
The procession of yesterday, in honor
Of the Confederate dead, was large
and imposing. First marched in twos
| the young girls and ladies, dressed Ill
| immaculate white, each bearing bou-
| 1uet or chaplet of flowers. Next came
| the matrons, dressed in mourning,
and bearing flowers in their hands.
Lastly came the carriages bear
ing elderly ladies. Arriving at the
cemetery, the ladies assembled around
the graves of the soldiers in the form
Of a square. :. An elaborate and
eloquent address was delivered by
Rev. G. r. Stainback, and, following
it, fervcnt PRAYER by Rev. A. S. An
1rews. The ladies then performed
The beautiful and touching duty Of
decorating the graves with flowers
-. We were glad to see that nc
distinction was made between oul
own dead and about forty Federal sol.
diers who sleep their last sleep be
side them. It proved the exalted, un'
There is more Catarrh in this section OF
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