The First Decoration Day in Hudson, 1868

This year, Memorial Day, which is now observed on the last Monday in May, falls on the date it was originally meant to be observed, May 30, a day chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle and it was an optimal time for flowers to be in bloom. On May 5, 1868, almost exactly three years after the end of the Civil War, General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the fraternal organization of Civil War veterans who had fought for the Union, issued a proclamation calling for "Decoration Day" to be observed nationwide and annually on May 30. The first Decoration Day was observed on May 30, 1868.

For several days prior to May 30 in 1868, this notice appeared in the Hudson Evening Register.

On May 28, 1868, a further appeal to the ladies of Hudson, to volunteer not only the flowers from their gardens but also their flower-arranging talents, appeared in the Register.

There is more to report about the first Decoration Day in Hudson, and Gossips will do so as the weekend continues.

COPYRIGHT 2016 CAROLE OSTERINK