America At 250: Decoration Day/ Flowers For The Brave

 

 

 "Once again flowers we gather,
On these sacred mounds to lay;
O'er the tombs of fallen heroes
Float the stars and stripes today."
-Flowers For The Brave"
E.W. Chapman

 

Decoration Day 
(May 1899)
Image courtesy/Library Of Congress Blogs
 

 "What We Would Have In The Community We Must Put Into The Schools."

The beautiful custom of decorating the graves of soldiers should have its lessons 
for the schools. Decoration Day committees may secure an ample supply of bouquets
 if they will adopt the plan of certain Grand Army Posts in the larger cities.  

Instead of requesting donations of flowers from the citizens at large, all the schools of the
 village, town, or city, may be listed in the good work of providing them, representatives 
of the committees visiting the various schools some days before the flowers are wanted 
 and speaking of the propriety of the children's doing what they can to furnish them.

The boys and girls will at once be interested. The bouquets may be brought to schools
on the afternoon proceeding Decoration Day, to be called for by local committees.
Thousands of bouquets may thus be obtained. The entire locality is laid under
contribution for flowers, and in the most effective way possible.

 The children-each boy or girl-has done something, or, has decided that he or she can
do nothing, for the observance of the day-and thus, has come into personal contact 
 with the thought of gratitude due, and honor, paid, to the patriotic dead.

The teachers call the attention of their schools to the meaning of the day, under
circumstances most favorable to producing a lasting impression. The story of war
is retold; the meaning of the great struggle is taught as the lesson of the hour;
and in every way the result is profitable for all. 
-J.P McCaskey

 

Decoration Day is now called Memorial Day and observed
every year on the last Monday of the month of May.

Decorating the graves of the war dead began in the aftermath of the American Civil War. 
One of the first occurred in Columbus, Mississippi on April 25, 1866 when a group 
of women, many widows, mothers, sisters, and daughters, visited a cemetery to  
 decorate the graves of  Confederate soldiers who fell in the Battle of Shiloh. 

While in the cemetery grounds, the women noticed, and became disturbed by
 the sight of the neglected graves of the Union soldiers there. They decided
to decorate the graves of these men as well.  Thus, Decoration Day became
part of the healing process within a nation recently torn apart by war.

 

"Flowers For The Brave"
 Flag Of The Free Collection
Favorite Songs And Hymns
(1907)
 Published by J.P. McCaskey
Lancaster, Pennsylvania