After the civil war, women's groups in the South decorated the graves of their lost confederate loved ones. In 1867 the following hymn was written and dedicated to ..."To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead".
Words by G.W.R.
Music by Mrs. L. Nella Sweet
Kneel where our loves are sleeping, Dear ones days gone by,
Here we bow in holy reverence, Our bosoms heave the heartfelt sigh.
They fell like brave men, true as steel, And pour’d their blood like rain,
We feel we owe them all we have, And can but weep and kneel again.
CHORUS
Kneel where our loves are sleeping, They lost but still were good and true,
Our fathers, brothers fell still fighting, We weep, ‘tis all that we can do.
VERSE 2:
Here we find our noble dead, Their spirits soar’d to him above,
Rest they now about his throne, For God is mercy, God is love.
Then let us pray that we may live, As pure and good as they have been,
That dying we may ask of him, To open the gate and let us in.
CHORUS
Kneel where our loves are sleeping, They lost but still were good and true,
Our fathers, brothers fell still fighting, We weep, ‘tis all that we can do.
Now most of the Memorial Day history sites say it doesn't matter who started it, well yes and no. Realistically the creation of Memorial Day was started because of the Civil War. Even though General Logan declared on May 5, 1868 that May 30th would be a day to remember the Union and Confederate Soldiers who had died, most Southern States did not recognize this as their "Memorial Day" until it was changed to include all those who had died in wars past after World War I. Some Southern states still have a separate day to remember those who died for the Confederacy in addition to the Federal Memorial Day.
"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic." General Logan - May 5, 1868
In 1915 Moina Michael created her own poem inspired by In Flanders Fields by John McCrae:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
This started the wearing of a poppy on Memorial Day. It's a tradition that still lives on though isn't supported as it used to be. So when you see a Veteran selling a poppy....Buy one...
In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed. All Americans at 3:00 p.m. are supposed to give a moment of silence or play taps in remembrance of those who have died in Wars.
There have been many attempts to change Memorial Day back to May 30th rather than the current last Monday in May. In 2002 during their Memorial day address the VFW stated: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
So, at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, stop for a moment and pause to reflect on those who have died in Service of our Country. Doesn't matter whether you agree with the political motives behind any of these wars, it's about remembering men and women who are fellow Americans died. I think it's also important to remember that the creation of this day stemmed from the Civil War, and to never forget that division almost destroyed us.
If you want more information two very good sites:
US Memorial Day Org
POW/MIA history of Memorial Day
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