Confederate Memorial Day

in Georgia
 
 

In 1874, the Georgia General Assembly approved legislation adding as a new public holiday "The 26th day of April in each year--commonly known as Memorial Day." April 26 marks the anniversary of the end of the Civil War for Georgia, for it was on this day in 1865 that Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's surrender to General William Sherman in North Carolina became official. Johnston had been in charge of Georgia's defense, so this day marked the end of the war for Georgia.

Exactly when Georgians began commemorating April 26 as Memorial Day is unclear, but the language of the 1874 act clearly recognizes that April 26 was already being celebrated as an unofficial holiday. The day of observance may trace to the women of Columbus, Georgia, who on April 12, 1866 organized a memorial association and began a campaign to have a special day for "paying honor to those who died defending the life, honor and happiness of the Southern women." Three days later, the Atlanta Ladies' Memorial Association was organized, and on April 26, 1866, the association held a Confederate memorial observance at Oakland Cemetery.

While Florida would later join Georgia in marking April 26 as Confederate Memorial Day, other states celebrated different dates. By 1916, ten southern states marked June 3--Jefferson Davis's birthday--as Confederate Memorial Day. Alabama and Mississippi celebrate the fourth Monday in April, while North and South Carolina celebrate May 10--the anniversary of Jefferson Davis's capture by Union troops--as Memorial Day.

Until 1984, Georgia observed as official state holidays:

The 1984 General Assembly changed state law with respect to public and legal holidays observed in Georgia. The new law (O.C.G.A. sec. 1-4-1) provides:

(a) The State of Georgia shall recognize and observe as public and legal holidays:
(1) All days which have been designated as of January 1, 1984, as public and legal holidays by the federal government; and
(2) All other days designated and proclaimed by the Governor as public and legal holidays or as days of fasting and prayer or other religious observance. In such designation the Governor shall include at least one of the following dates: January 19, April 26, or June 3, or a suitable date in lieu thereof to commemorate the event or events now observed by such dates.
(b) The Governor shall close all state offices and facilities a minimum of 12 days throughout the year and not more than 12 days in observance of the public and legal holidays and other days set forth in subsection (a) of this Code section and shall specify the days state offices and facilities shall be closed for such observances.

The result of the 1984 legislation was to drop the names of all official state holidays from the Georgia Code. In one sense, this eliminated any state holiday known as Confederate Memorial Day, Robert E. Lee's Birthday, or Jefferson Davis's Birthday--or Thanksgiving or Christmas. Rather, Georgia observes whatever federal holidays were observed as of January 1, 1984. Additionally, the governor is charged with selecting January 19, April 26, or June 3--or an alternative date more suitable--for commemorating any or all of the persons or events formerly recognized on those three dates.

For some time, the University of Georgia's Main Library has marked Confederate Memorial Day by placing the original Confederate Constitution on display. (To view images of portions of this historic document as well as find out it came to the University of Georgia Library, click here.) Each Confederate Memorial Day, the Confederate Constitution can be viewed from 9 am to 5 pm on the third floor of the University of Georgia's Library.
 

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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