This is from "A History Of Columbus Mississippi During The 19th Century
By Dr. W. L. Lipscomb
FIRST DECORATION DAY.
When the war closed in 1865 the Confederate States of America died, surrounded by the graves of the brave soldiers who defended her, and took her place among the dead nations of the earth. There was no great national government to take charge of the ashes of her dead, and Mississippi was too poor and broken in spirit to erect memorials to perpetuate their names and commemorate their valor. In this the darkest hour of Confederate history, the Southern women, with a love truer than truth and stronger than death, continued to keep the grass that covered their dead wet with their tears, and strewed with evergreens and flowers the hillocks that marked the remains of the heroes of a loved, lost cause.
In the spring of 1866 Miss Matt Moreton, Mrs. J. T. Fontaine and Mrs. Green T. Hill—three ladies of Columbus whose names ought to be remembered as long as a Southern heart beats true to gratitude and honor and in loyalty to woman, whose virtues shine amid the tears and whose actions make this world glorious amid the gloom of despair and the ashes of death—were in the habit of visiting Friendship cemetery and cleaning off as best they could the weeds and briers and decorating with flowers the neglected graves of the Confederate dead. This beautiful custom, inaugurated by them, found a hearty response in the breasts of the ladies of Columbus and resulted in a determination to make the decoration of the soldiers' graves an annual occurrence, and the first celebration to take place was April 25, 1866. An account of that event is herewith copied from the Mississippi Index, April 26, 1866, James A. Stevens, local editor: "The procession of yesterday in honor of the Confederate dead, was large and imposing. First marched in twos, the young ladies and girls, dressed in immaculate white, each bearing her bouquet or chaplet of flowers. Next came tne matrons dressed in mourning; like the others with flowers in their hands—their black dresses typical of the .Southern heart in gloom for its beloved dead—the fair flowers emblematic of woman's admiration and affection for all that was gallant and chivalrous in patriots. Lastly came the procession of carriages bearing the elderly ladies.
"Arriving at the cemetery the ladies assembled around the graves of the soldiers in the form of a square; from the center of the ground, an elaborate and eloquent address was delivered by Rev. G. T. Stainback, and following it, a fervent prayer by Rev. A. S. Andrews. The ladies then performed the beautiful and touching duty of decorating the graves with flowers.
"There were over 1400 graves to be decorated. Through exertions and appeals of the kind ladies superintending the good work, all these graves had been neatly cleaned off; so that after the decoration was completed, "God's Acre" of heroes looked as if freshly blooming with a thousand flowers —bearing up to Heaven a fragrant and beautiful evidence of woman's love, tenderness, and appreciation.
"We were glad to see that no distinction was made between our own dead and about forty Federal soldiers, who slept their last sleep by them. It proved the exalted, unselfish tone of the female character. Confederate and Federal— once enemies, now friends—receiving this tribute of respect."
Thus was established a custom which has become national in its adoption—Decoration Day—having its origin with the ladies of Columbus, under the leadership of its prime movers, Miss Matt Moreton, Mrs. J. T. Fontaine, aud Mrs. Green T. Hill. Columbus also claims the distinction of being the first to decorate the graves of both Confederate and Federal soldiers alike. And in this connection we copy the following extract from a Mobile paper: "Some days since we published a letter from "Private"—a well known and high- toned merchant of our city—approving the course of the Mobile Cadets in sending a wreath to the Federal graves on "Decoration Day;" and claiming for the ladies of Columbus the originating of this act of peace to the dead. The Columbus "Index" copies "Private's" letter and our comments upon it, and thus speaks for itself: 'This note from "Private" is correct, save that the lady—one of the sweetest women with whom God ever blessed the earth—volunteered, of her own mind, to strew flowers upon the Federal graves. The "Index" in its report at the time, alluded to the magnanimous deed in words of praise, and North and South, this first act of floral reconciliation was discussed in terms of praise and censure.