First Memorial Day in U.S. Plaque in Charleston, S.C.

From the same article as the previous four blog entries on Memorial Day.

FIRST MEMORIAL DAY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, May 1, 1865.

At the time of the Civil War, Hampton Park was the site of the Hampton Racecourse, which was owned by the South Carolina Jockey Club and was one of the most famous racetracks  of the antebellum  South.  In late  1864, this site became a large open-air prison for thousands of Union troops evacuated from Andersonville, GA. prison in advance of Sherman's March to the Sea.

Before Charleston fell in February 1865, several hundred of the prisoners died and were buried in mass graves.  In an effort led by African-American churches in April 1865, the dead were reinterred in orderly graves enclosed by a picket fence.  Over the gate was written: "Martyrs of the Racecourse."

In May 1, 1865, a parade in honor of the prisoners of war who died here took place with ten thousand participants, according to contemporary sources.  Nearly 3,000 were school children from the new Freedman's Bureau Schools.

The children led the parade, carrying armloads of flowers  and singing patriotic songs.  They were followed by  women's organizations, church leaders, Unionists, recently emancipated  slaves and Union troops, including members of the 54th Massachusetts.

The soldiers were late buried at Beaufort and Florence National Cemeteries or in their hometowns.  

Annual events to honor the dead of both sides of the Civil War eventually became known as Memorial Day.  The event that occurred in what is now Hampton Park is acknowledged by most historians to be  the first Memorial Day  in the United States of America.

--Old Secesh

Forrest's '64 Railroad Raid-- Part 4: Sherman, Forrest, Hood and the SS Sultana

Atlanta had fallen on September 2, and Forrest was hoping to draw Sherman away from that city to go after him.  It didn't work.  Sherman was getting ready for his March to the Sea and Savannah.

Forrest hated Sherman and Sherman hated him.  

The Confederate general in charge of the Army of Tennessee, John Bell Hood, and Forrest did not get along at all.  At one time Forrest supposedly threatened Hood, saying that if he were any more of a man, he'd take him.  That was referring to Hood's loss of the use of one hand and loss of a leg in battle.  

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The Blacks captured at the Battle of Athens were made up mostly of ex-slaves from around that town.

Forrest burned the Freedman's Camp at the John Brown plantation.  John Brown, not the abolitionist at Harper's Ferry was a general in the Confederate Army and later Tennessee governor.

Blockhouses were made of wood.

Gene Salecker got interested in Forrest's1864 raid because many of the captured Union soldiers were aboard the ill-fated SS Sultana when it blew up and sank.  He has written a book about the Sultana titled "Destruction of the Sultana:  The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History."

--Old Secesh

'Beast' Butler Discussion-- Part 1: Lincoln's 'Right Hand' Man?

On Saturday August 22, 2020, the McHenry County (Illinois) Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) discussion group had our second outdoor, social distanced and masked meeting since this virus thing hit. This was held outside at Panera Bread in Algonquin, Illinois.  We haven't had a regular meeting since early March as they are in the Woodstock Library and that has been closed and now closed to meetings.

But, it sure is good to get back with like-minded folk, so I have enjoyed these two meetings immensely.

Our topic on August 22 was Union General Benjamin Butler.  We had one guy there who had done a lot of research on the good (or was it bad) general and knew a whole lot of stuff.

These are some of the things we talked about to the best of my ability to write them down:

**  Butler (BB) was always under the direct command of Abraham Lincoln.

**  BB was a political general, not from West Point.

**  New Orleans had the U.S. mint there which made coins.  Lincoln wanted it which was why he sent BB there.

**  There were chamber pots and spittoons with BB's face at the bottom for folks who didn't like him.

**  Lincoln would try out things he wanted to do with BB before he himself would try it.

**  Lincoln was looking into sending freed slaves back to Africa.

**  Henry Clay was the founder of a movement to return freed slaves to Africa.

Enough Civil War Stuff for You?  --Old Secesh

Shorpy Civil War Photo: Freedmen in Richmond

From the Nov. 1, 2015, Shorpy "Free At last: 1865.

June 9, 1865.  "Negro freedmen by canal-- group of contrabands at Haxall's Mill, Richmond."  By Alexander Gardner.

Lots of ruins can be seen in the background.

--Old Secesh