Show MEMORIAL DAY Petersburg Va claims the distinctIon of being the orIginator of Memorial Day now generally observed on one date or another throughout the United States On June 9 1864 General Kautz with Federal cavalry cavalry- cavalrymen cavalrymen men marched on Petersburg then unguarded except for a few Confederate pickets HastIly old men and boys of the home guard were gathered together to oppose the Federals and pal partially cheeked checked theIr advance untIl an army of Confederate cavalry ar- ar 11 of the defenders being killed The next year on the fIrst anniversary of the battle the pea peo- these th ese d dead ea d In I n 1868 l ms ese ea n l ms 11 pIe n of P Petersburg rl decorated Jp the graves m-aves m of Mrs Irs Logan wIfe of General John A Logan then Commander of th G A R happened to VISit Petersburg on its memorial day and was so impressed with the beautIful trIbute of flowers and flags that she suggested to the general that it should be made a nation nation- national al custom The next year he issued an order for the e of May 30 by the veterans of the G A R and the custom 1 continued In the South April 26 is observed in Alabama Georgia and Florida FIOl ida May 10 In North and Carolina the second FrIday m in May in Tennessee and June 3 in LOUIsiana While Virginia observes the natIonal date May 30 Peters Peters- Petersburg Petersburg burg still keeps its custom of decorating Its graves glaves on June 9 also thus having two memorial days each year Thus according to the claim of that city the wide nation J yearly early trIbute to the dead veterans of both North and South had its ts origin in the commemoration of the valor of that heroIc lIttle band of Petersburg defenders |