n
n
n
nPostednon May 28, 2016
n
n
n
n
n
nInnan earlier post, I wrote about a group of formerly-enslavednpeople who cared enough to honor Union soldiers’ ultimate sacrificenthat they took it upon themselves to endure a horrible task…one of the many post-Civil War events that led to the modern-day Memorial Day in thenUnited States.
n
n
n
n
n
nHerenis another Memorial Day precursor:
n
n
n
JulianPierpont was the wife of the Governor of Restored Virginia (whichnbecame West Virginia) – and Francis Pierpont became the Provisional Governor of allnof Virginia right after the Civil War. The Pierponts had supportednAbraham Lincoln and the Union Army throughout the war, and now theynlived in what had been “enemy territory” – in Richmond,nVirginia.
JulianPierpont was the wife of the Governor of Restored Virginia (whichnbecame West Virginia) – and Francis Pierpont became the Provisional Governor of allnof Virginia right after the Civil War. The Pierponts had supportednAbraham Lincoln and the Union Army throughout the war, and now theynlived in what had been “enemy territory” – in Richmond,nVirginia.n
n
n
nAnd that had to be uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that some ex-Confederates burned the Pierpont’s library!
n
n
n
n
n
nGovernornPierpont followed a policy of forgiveness to all who had served innthe Confederate government or military – none of that “enemy”nstuff for him! And that made many Unionists upset. With people on both “sides” against them, things must have felt really awkward in that place and time!
n
n
n
n
n
 |
| Every year re-enactors portray Pierpont’s Decoration Day. |
n
nInnthe middle of all that awkwardness, in May of 1866, Julia Pierpontnnoticed that the graves of Union soldiers looked run down andnneglected. One of Pierpont’s friends was a teacher from New York whonwas working in Richmond teaching at a new school for African American children. Pierpontntalked this teacher, Miss Woolsey, into helping her decorate the Union soldiers’ graves. They gathered together the Pierpont children, Miss Woolsey’snstudents, and as many friends as would come, and they tidied the graves and then decorated them with flowers.
n
n
n
n
n
nThis good deed was met with both applause and criticism. I think it was really brave fornPierpont to do this!
n
n
n
n
n
nJulianPierpont’s “Decoration Day” is said to have inspired another,nlarger Decoration Day, held a few weeks later; this one was focusednon decorating the graves of Confederate soldiers. As news of thenDecoration Days spread, more and more similar events followed.
n
n
n
n
n
n
These days,nof course, we call Decoration Day “Memorial Day,” and it is about honoring those who served and died in any of the U.S. armed forces, at any time (not just during the Civli War). We always celebrate Memorial Day on the last Mondaynof May, and Julia Pierpont Day is celebrated the Saturday beforenMemorial Day, by getting veterans’ graves ready fornMemorial Day.
These days,nof course, we call Decoration Day “Memorial Day,” and it is about honoring those who served and died in any of the U.S. armed forces, at any time (not just during the Civli War). We always celebrate Memorial Day on the last Mondaynof May, and Julia Pierpont Day is celebrated the Saturday beforenMemorial Day, by getting veterans’ graves ready fornMemorial Day.n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n n
n
nAlsonon this date:
n
n
n
n
n
| n
n
n |
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nSierranClub Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nFeastnDay of St. Bernard of Montjoux
n
n
n
nSlugsnReturn from Capistrano
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAnniversarynof the introduction of Jell-O
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAnniversarynof the Battle of the Eclipse
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nNationalnPolka Festival
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nPlannahead:
n
n
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
nMayn holidays
n
-
nMayn birthdays
n
-
nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
n
n
n
n
n
nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
nJunen holidays
n
-
nJunen birthdays
n
-
n Historicaln anniversaries in June
n
n
n
n
n
n