April 26th, Confederate Memorial Day, has been a legal holiday in Georgia since 1874.
The annual exhibition of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America will be displayed on Thursday April 26 at the UGA New Richard B. Russell Building on the second floor gallery Special Collections Libraries from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. located at: S. Hull Street.
Civil War letters, documents, artifacts and images from 1862 will also be displayed in observance of Confederate Memorial Day on the Campus of University of Georgia.
For more information, contact the Special Collections Libraries at 706-542-7123.
Ideal Memorial Day for Atlanta Confederates. Thin lines of Gray-Clad soldiers of the sixties were met with enthusiastic applause all along the route of the parade.—April 27, 1909, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
The State of Georgia has officially recognized April 26th as Confederate Memorial Day since 1874....And proclamations have been signed by governors, commemorating this sacred day of remembrance.
The 150th Anniversary “Sesquicentennial” of the War Between the States ”1861-1865” is now underway through 2015 and the Confederate History and Heritage Month Committee encourages everyone to make it a family affair and learn more about this important time in our nation’s past. See Georgia Division SCV Sesquicentennial Committee website.
Confederate Memorial Day commemorates the men and women of the Confederate States of America who came from all races and religions that include: Irish-born General Patrick R. Cleburne, Black Confederate drummer Bill Yopp, Mexican born Colonel Santos Benavides, Cherokee Born General Stand Watie, Jewish born Confederate Nurse Phoebe Pember and Cuban born Colonel Ambrosio Jose Gonzales.
Mrs. Charles J. Williams of Columbus, Georgia who was among those responsible for getting Confederate Memorial Day recognized as a legal holiday in Georgia by act of the Georgia legislature in 1874. For over 100 year’s members of the Ladies Memorial Association, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans have held annual Confederate Memorial day events on or near April 26th in Georgia and other states.
