​

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, emerged after the American Civil War as a way to honor Union soldiers who died in battle. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, head of a Union veterans’ group, issued General Order No. 11 calling for a national day of remembrance. May 30 was chosen as the date, and the first national observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery, where thousands gathered to lay flowers on the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.).

 

But years before that official proclamation, a lesser-known yet profound tribute took place in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865, just weeks after the Civil War ended. According to historian David W. Blight, newly freed African Americans organized a large memorial event to honor Union soldiers who had died in a Confederate prison camp located on the former Washington Race Course. The freedmen and women exhumed the mass graves, gave the soldiers proper burials, built an arch labeled “Martyrs of the Race Course,” and held a parade of nearly 10,000 people, including 3,000 Black children singing “John Brown’s Body” (Blight, 2001; New York Times, 2011).

​

While this Charleston observance was largely forgotten by mainstream history for over a century, it is now recognized by many scholars as the first Memorial Day-style commemoration. It underscores that Memorial Day’s roots are not only patriotic but also entwined with themes of emancipation, gratitude, and a newly claimed civic voice by freed people.

​

Today, Memorial Day honors all Americans who have died in military service, evolving into both a solemn day of remembrance and the unofficial start of summer. Traditional ceremonies include the laying of flags and wreaths, moments of silence, and community gatherings. Yet, as we reflect on its history, the day also invites us to remember those first powerful steps toward national healing—whether led by generals or freedmen with flowers in their hands.

​

Sources

·       U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). Memorial Day. https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/

 

·       Blight, D. W. (2001). Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. Harvard University Press.

 

·       Blight, D. (2011, May 30). The First Decoration Day. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html

 

·       National Archives. (2023). Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance. https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/memorial-day

​