Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1911 — STORY OF ORIGIN OF MEMORIAL DAY. [ARTICLE]

STORY OF ORIGIN OF MEMORIAL DAY.

German Soldier Whose Name Is Forgotten First Suggested Decorating Graves of Comrades. TO an unknown German, a one time resident of Cincinnati and a veteran of the civil war. belongs the primary credit of suggesting a national Memorial day; to General John A. Logan, soldier-states-man and third commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and to Norton P. Chipman. adjutant general of the national organization, belongs the honor of promulgating the first order. In the original orders issued from the Grand Army headquarters by General Logan, May 30 was designated as what has since been termed Memorial day. The order was issued early in May. 1868. and since that time May 30 has become a holiday and is observed by every Grand Army post in the Union. General Logan’s order, setting May 30 as Memorial day. was eagerly carried out, and the first observance of the day was widespread. General Logan was elected commander in chief at an encampment held in Philadelphia in January. IS6B. He established headquarters in Washington. Early in May of that year Adjutant General Chipman received a letter from a member of a Cincinnati post in which the first suggestion for Memorial day was made. General Chipman, who is living in California, does not remember the name of the writer who described himself as a German who had served as a private in the Union arniyi' This soldier wrote that in his native country it was a custom of the people to assemble in the spring and scatter flowers on the graves of the dead. “Would it not be a good idea to have the Grand Army of the Republic inaugurate such an idea and set aside a day in spring in memory of the Union dead?” he wrote. General Chipman regarded the suggestion most favorably, and accordingly he drew up a rough draft of a general order carrying the suggestion into effect This he laid before General Logan, who heartily approved of the idea. General Logan suggested that May 30 be made the date for the observance of Memorial day, his idea being that at that date spring flowers could be procured in profusion, even in the most northern states and in New Eng-1 land. There were several conferences 1

on the subject between General Logan and General Chipman. It is related that General Logan was so enthused with the idea of a general Memorial day that he added several paragraphs to the draft of the order drawn by General Chipman. which in the history of the Grand Army of the Republic is known as general order No. 11. At first the wisdom of General Logan’s order was doubted by many persons. who urged as an argument that the setting aside of a Memorial day would unnecessarily keep alive memories of the war and foster enmities. However, the objections were not strong enough, and the first Memorial day was generally observed, even by posts that had been Instituted* in the south. In Washington the first Memorial day was observed by appropriate services in Arlington cemetery. Feeling still ran high at the capital then, but a great crowd went to Arlington. General James A. Garfield, who later became president, was the orator of the day. President Johnson was present and others who attended the ceremonies included General Grant General W. S. Hancock. General O. O. Howard and General Elkin.