Show HISTORY MEMORIAL DAY May DAY May 30 While the formal observance o of Memorial or Decoration Day dates from 1808 1868 it was observed several years before this date dale by the placing placing ing of oC flowers on the graves of soldiers The women of Columbus Mississippi placed flowers on the graves of both Union and ConCeder ale soldiers in 1863 1803 and a n number of other oilier instances are arc recorded On April 20 28 1865 1815 graves of sold sold- soldiers soldiers at nt Vicksburg were decorated with wilh flowers and later in the year yeara a number of women of Winchester Virginia formed the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Association On June 6 C this group decorated the graves of oC the dead delu in the crate cemetery in Winchester In May 1865 the Iho Grand Army of the Republic moved to decorate the thc graves of the Union soldiers on a II aday alay day lay to be he agreed upon throughout the country The thirtieth day oi or of May was designated as the day The observance of the day spread rapidly to all parts of the country The day lay was called Decoration day for many years but hut was gradually changed to Memorial day clay Starting Starling as liS a day dIY on which the graves raves of oi the soldier dead were decorated it has become a day on which friends place flowers on all nIl graves in in every cemetery in the country I |