Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1922-05-29
ME- MORTAL DAY
HISTORY GIVEN
FOR FIRST Time
N. E. A. Correspondents
Spend Much Time in
Research to Find
Origin.
STORY LITTLE KNOWN
Few People Know How Ma
tional Holiday Came
to Be.

The Frceman-JOurnal tells here fol
the first time how Memorial day go,
its start. in an article which represents
weeks of research on the part of the
Nea correspondents. 1t seems strange
that so little attention has been paid
in history to the beginning of day
which is now being observed all over
the world.
Columbus. Ga. May 29.-To the
women of Columbus, Ga, belongs the
honor Of having conceived Memorial
day as we know it today. The first oh
servance was on April 26, 1866.
Charleston, IS g.. had previously
held form of Memorial exercise on
May l, 1865. consisting Of dedication
ceremonies on the ground where 257
Union soldiers We're buried. Ten
thousand persons attended the eXer-
cises, which We're arranged by James
Redpath, general superintendent OF
education. But as this gathering was
called for the single purpose of dedi-
eating cemetery, it could hardly be
regarded us the first Memorial Day.
There were no festivities in con-
nectiOn with the first Memorial day in
Columbus. This was I, day of sad
memories"
From 1861 to the end of the war
Columbus had Il Ladies Aid society, its
purpose being to care for soldiers, ill
or wounded, who might come home or
who could be reached in the field. In
January, 1866. shortly after the
end of the struggle. Miss Lizzie Ruth
erford asked Mrs. Jane Martin. a resi-
dent of Greensville who was visiting in
Columbus to join number of other
women at Linwood cemetery in looking
after the graves of soldiers who had
died in Columbus hospitals.
The duty of devotion finished, Miss
Rutherford and Mrs. Martin discussed
the Significance of the work they have
been doing in the cemetery.
Let us continue the Ladies' Aid
Miss Rutherford.
Meeting Called.
Within Il few days in January of
1865. she called Il meeting of the society
at the home Of Mrs. John Tyler The
house still stands. Those present were
Mrs. Robert Carter. president; Mrs.
X. \. Ware. Mrs. William &. Voolfolk.
Mrs. Clara Nj. Dexter. Mrs. j. NJ. Nc
Allistcr, and Mrs. Charles j. Williams.
Neither Miss Rutherford nor Mrs.
Martin were able to attend, both being
out of the city.
This meeting formed itself into the
first Ladies Memorial association, with
Mrs. Carter 'aS president
Nothing was done toward selecting
the date for Memorial day until Miss
Rutherford returned. To her was given
the honor of choosing the date. She Sc
lcctcd April 26. giving two reasons
first. that it was Il day of sad mem
ories. the date upon which General
Joseph f. Johnson surrendered his
army to the Fcder;llS. an act
that sealed the fate of the Confeder-
acy: second it was a date when flow
crs would be plentiful.
Witness Describes it.
Death has claimed all the women
who attended the january meeting.
There is one person alive. however.
who has a personal knowledge of the
gathering. She is Mrs NJ. T.. Gray.
daughter of Mrs. Tyler. Because she
was only IA, her mother did not per-
nit her to come into the room. but she
attended the first exercises held the fol
lowing April 26 ut the st. Luke Meth
odist church.
Rapidly Miss Rutherford's idea
spread through the south. Mrs. John
A. Logan. wife Of General Logan. com
of the q. \. X. learned
of the practice while visitn. in the
south. At her urgent request. General
,oyan issued an order to all Grand
Army posts to celebrate Memorial day
on May 20, lS'iS.
As the years passed, state after
statc has. by an act of lcgislatnre.set
n side one day each spring as Memorial
day. While most states celebrate May
80. others have set aside April ~.
May 10. and June ;.
The American Legion is now urging