In South Carolina, the 10th of May is recognized as Confederate Memorial Day.
From the May, 1893 issue of “Confederate Veteran,” the Origin of Memorial Day
It is a matter of history that Mrs. Chas. J. Williams, of Columbus, Ga., instituted the beautiful custom of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers, a custom which has been adopted throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams was the daughter of Maj. John Howard, of Milledgeville, Ga., and was a superior woman. She married Maj. C. J. Williams on his return from the Mexican War. As colonel of the First Georgia Regulars, of the Army in Virginia, he contracted disease, from which he died in 1862, and was buried in Columbus, Ga.
Mrs. Williams and her little girl visited his grave every day, and often comforted themselves by wreathing it with flowers. While the mother sat abstractly thinking of the loved and lost one, the little one would pluck the weeds from the unmarked soldiers’ graves near her father’s and cover them with flowers, calling them her soldiers’ graves.
After a short time while the dear little girl was summoned by the angels to join her father. The sorely bereaved mother then took charge of these unknown graves for the child’s sake, and as she cared for them thought of the thousands of patriot graves throughout the South, far away from home and kindred, and in this way the plan was suggested to her of setting apart one day in each year, that love might pay tribute to valor throughout the Southern States. In March, 1868, she addressed a communication to the Columbus Times, an extract of which I give:
“We beg the assistance of the press and the ladies throughout the South to aid us in the effort to set apart a certain day to be observed from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and to be handed down through time as a religious custom of the South, to wreathe the graves of our martyred dead with flowers, and we propose the 26th day of April as the day.”
She then wrote to the Soldiers’ Aid Societies in every Southern State, and they readily responded and reorganized under the name of Memorial Associations. She lived long enough to see her plan adopted all over the South, and in 1868 throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams died April 15, 1874, and was buried with military honors. On each returning Memorial Day the Columbus military march around her grave, and each deposits a floral offering.
The Legislature of Georgia, in 1874, set apart the 26th day of April as a legal holiday in obedience to her request. Would be that every Southern State observed the same day.
On May 10. 2010 I went to a little known graveyard in Columbia, SC.
There is a stone there that declares it to be the “Geiger Ave. Cemetery” but it is also known as the “Confederate Soldiers Home Cemetery” and the “Cottontown Cemetery”. It is right across the road from the Administrative building of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.
I spent some time looking around the graveyard and took these pictures:
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| Confederate Memorial Day |
I left flowers (Confederate Jasmine) on the grave of “Augusta Carmichael”.
Articles I have found about this lonely, abandoned graveyard:
http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/cemetery_story.htm
“Geiger Street aka “The Cottontown Cemetery” Cottontown sits just across the street from the SCDMH Administration Building. This cemetery was in use from 1827 to 1954. Although it was thought that about 1,300 people were buried in this well kept open field, the names of 1,723 people have been recorded in the database. A marker placed by SCDMH in the mid 80s identifies the grounds as “Geiger Ave. Cemetery.” A portion of the cemetery in the center is fenced off, with a gate. The remains of Confederate soldiers lay here. SCDMH patients are buried around the periphery. Stones are at ground level and a few have names.”
http://www.palmettoroots.org/ConfederateCem.html
In 1908 the General Assembly of South Carolina established a home for the infirmed and destitute Confederate Soldiers and Sailors. The home was located on the corner of Confederate Avenue and Bull Street at 1417 Confederate Avenue in Columbia. In 1925, wives and widows of Confederate veterans were allowed admission to the home.
Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Home 1925
The home was closed in 1957 due to a very low number of remaining residents. In later years the home was demolished. Today, there is a stone monument located on the original site on Confederate Avenue to commemorate the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home.
Confederate Soldiers Home Monument
CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS HOME
By an act of the General Assembly in 1908, an infirmary for was established on this site for the infirm and destitute Confederate soldiers and
Sailors of the state. In 1925, eligibility for admission was extended to wives and widows of
Confederate veterans. The home was closed in 1957 when too few residents remained.
Erected By
Wade Hampton Chapter, UDC
1970
A few of the Confederate Soldier’s Home former residents, along with some former State Hospital patients, are buried in a nearby cemetery. The name of the cemetery is the Geiger Avenue Cemetery, although most people know it as the Confederate Soldiers Home Cemetery.