Sunday - May 30, 2004
Daily Dose
Quote Of The DayIt is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.
-- Robert E. Lee (1807 - 1870)
On This Day In History
May 30, 1868 - Civil War Dead Honored On Decoration Day
By proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first major Memorial Day observance is held to honor those who died "in defense of their country during the late rebellion." Known to some as "Decoration Day," mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
The 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances that had taken place in various locations in the three years since the end of the Civil War. In fact, several cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Mississippi; Macon, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; and Carbondale, Illinois. In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon B. Johnson, declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo--which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866--because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.
By the late 19th century, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day, and after World War I, observers began to honor the dead of all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. It is customary for the president or vice president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. More than 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually. Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day.
Thanks to The Quotations Page and The History Channel.
Historical Note: What is now Arlington National Cemetary was once home to Robert E. Lee. The mansion and surrounding land were owned by his wife Mary Anna Custis Lee. The mansion was constructed in 1802 by George Washington Parke Custis, who was the adopted grandson of George Washington. The US Government confiscated the property on January 11, 1864. Arlington National Cemetery was established by Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs, who commanded the garrison at Arlington House. He appropriated the grounds June 15, 1864, for use as a military cemetery. His intention was to render the house uninhabitable should the Lee family ever attempt to return. Neither Robert E. Lee, nor his wife, as title holder, ever attempted to publicly recover control of Arlington House. They were buried at Washington University (later renamed Washington and Lee University) where Lee had served as president.
Posted by The Skipper
on 05/30/2004 at 02:24 AM
Filed Under: • Humor •
• Comments (3)
•
Trackbacks (0) •
Permalink • Five Most Recent Trackbacks:
LAST POST FOR THE DAY AND A LAST FUN THING FOR THE ADULT KIDDIES. CHECK IT OUT.
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Mazurland Blog
While my wife and I are at work all day, I imagine that our dog and cat, which are locked in a 150 square foot family room all day, are…
On: 11/19/08 04:21
The first colour photographs from the German front line during World War One.
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Macker's World
WOW! Now this presents a new perspective on World War I: color photos from the German side: Given today's film speeds and grain quality, I can only imagine that what…
On: 11/15/08 11:19
Too True!
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Macker's World
Now here's a parody of a parody: If Parker & Hart were around, I'm sure they'd be OK with this. HAT TIP: BMEWS
On: 11/09/08 11:38
Twas the Night Before
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at The Chronicles Of A Rogue Jew
A friend of mine emailed this to me. He said he got it from the Barking Moonbat Monitor. Enjoy! ‘Twas the night before elections And all through the town Tempers…
On: 10/30/08 12:38
Banned from using Hoover or hot water under health and safety rules. (ere we go again matey)
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Goldwater Girl's Weblog
Perhaps some of BHO’s civilian security force (which will be funded as well as the military) can cook up something like the Elf and Safety over in the UK. This…
On: 10/23/08 09:48
DISCLAIMER
THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.
Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:
It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.
- Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
- Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
- Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
- Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere
THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.
RSS 2.0 
Atom 
