Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-05-22
One Of the First
Decoration Days
Grave of Young Southernes
Scene of Service That
Drew Attention.

F-@@ @ASf wi AAaAuNAAAs LaAAAlOl
booming. hearts swelling AMI
tears rislng, as millions pay tribute tC
Americas war dead, on May 80. an
aged Southern woman, sitting at the
window Of her little home In Peters
burg, Va, win remember a memorial
day that antedated the famous Order
No. IL" BY which Gen. John A. Logan,
as commander-in-chief Of the O. A. r.,
established the national custom, writes
Ernest G. Pollard In the New York
World.
Miss Nora Fontaine Maury David
son, Petersburg residents claim. dec
Grating the grave Of Southern patriot
and the sight Of the wreaths anr fiags
on the Confederate graves at Peters
burg, as described by Mrs. Logan to
her husband. suggested TO him the Idea
he carried out in Order No. IL and
later By bill In congress.
Mrs. Logan, In her "Reminiscences
Of Soldiers WIFE" tells the story Of
her visit to Petersburg. and OF the re-
sulting action Of General Logan. but
she does not mention having seen or
heard Of Miss Davidson Mrs. Logan
died but recently.
This is the story, however. as Miss
Davidson's friends tell it. and II Is a
firmly rooted tradition Of the town.
In Spring Of 1855.
In the spring Of 1866, Petersburg.
the historic old Virginia city % miles
from Richmond. the scene Of some OF
the bloodIest fighting In the Civil war,
was under martial law, and occupied
by Federal troops. One day in March
a squad of soldiers on duty were as
t0nished by the appearance OF the
Confederate flag at the head OF a pro-,
eession Of pretty girls. IN stlEEIy
starched white dresses and black
sashes. marching out. Of the @COnfed-
crate school," a select seminary for
young ladies, conducted by Miss Nora
Davidson. Miss Davidson carried the
big nag and, In addition, each girl
wore small flag on her shoulder
Haiti" ordered the officer In charge
The futtering line stood still The
officer demanded the surrender Of the
big flag Miss Davidson refused He
warned her that she might be arrested
and imprisoned She merely remarked:
.sCome, young ladies'" and the white
gowned procession marched calmly |
past the dumfounded soldiers and
climbed into two waiting omnIbuses.
A young man. a friend Of Miss Da-
Fsdson's brothers, climbed up beside /
the driver of the first omnibus and, /
taking the flag, shouldered 1t himself. I
The old negro driver touched his whip
to tie horses and the buses started
The commanding officer, recovering
from his establishment. leaped upon his
horse and galloped In front Of the con-
veyance and. covering the young man
with his revolver, demanded the sur
render OF the flag. The boy refused
and the officer shot him dead The
flag wrapped itself about his body as
be fell to the ground.
The street was instantly filled with
excited citizens and the Federal sol
Tiers carried the body away and bur
ed Ii within the hour, without cere-
nony, but Miss Davidson and her girls
followed 1t to the cemetery and when
he soldiers had left they scattered
Iome Of the flowers they carried on
he mound and marked the place with
Tags and stood In a circle while Miss
Davidson led in prayers. II was then
ate evening, but the remaining flow
rs were carried through the city again
o the old BIandford cemetery, where
leep ~The Blue and the Gray" A
hort service was held and the graves
decorated with flowers and small flags.
Custom Continued.
The custom was thereafter contin-
ed. Two years later. IN March, 1868.
'ol. Charles L. Wilson, editor Of the
'hIcago Journal, invited a party con-
lstlnR OF his niece, Miss Anna Wilson
later Mrs. Horatio May, Miss Far
ar, his nancee. General Logan and
IRIS. Logan, all Of whom are now dead.
} accompany him on visit TO the
attlefields around Richmond.
Il was bleak March day and snow
as falling when the party visited
landlord cemetery, In Petersburg. AS
ley entered they paused 10 let large
r0up OF school girls ana their teacner
ass out. They had seen the girls and
le young woman arise from their
nees on the damp earth where they
I'd been praying. and now they saw
le graves strewn with flowers and
altering little Confederate fAgs.
As Is we'll known, when Mira Logan
turned TO Washington she told her
ashand Of the old cemetery and the
,wer-strewn graves and he declared
would establish the custom as q :
.rsnanent one. As communicable
lief OF the Grand Army OF the Re
lbllc he issued Order No. IL. which n
} afterwnrd called ~the proudest act h
my life AS member Of congress u
ON Illinois, he introduced the bill 3
me q, 1858. and It was uzanimouslg 4
opted-