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Williams was elected
Secretary of the Association. As secretary, Mrs. Williams was tasked with writing a letter to the ladies of the South to inaugurate an annual holiday to decorate the soldiers’ graves. It is for this letter that she is best remembered. She was also Trustee and Chairman of the Orphan Asylum and Trustee of the Georgia Memorial Association along with Mary Jane Green. She remained active in these organizations until the end of her life.
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260:(GAR). He was the person responsible for the observance of the first northern Memorial Day on May 30, 1868. Bellware and Gardiner point out that Logan knew about the southern holiday from the beginning, as evidenced by a speech on July 4, 1866, at Salem, IL that argued for the rights of the Freedmen while mentioned the southern observances two years before adopting the holiday in the north.
129:, they had four children Charles Howard, Caroline, Mary, and Lila. Charles pursued his career as a lawyer and Mary Ann supported a number of civic projects. Charles entered politics and represented Muscogee County in the Georgia House in 1859-1860 where he rose to be speaker of the Georgia House prior to the Civil War.
203:, Bellware and Gardiner provided evidence that her letter was published in cities outside of Columbus, Georgia. The External Links below contain pages from fourteen of the newspapers in Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina where the letter appeared.
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notably
Virginia, the tributes were observed on different dates. In Richmond, they decorated on May 31. In Winchester, they decorated on June 6 and in Petersburg, they decorated at Blandford Cemetery on June 9. Due to a typographical error, the holiday was also observed a day early in at least one location. The
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Mrs. Williams died on April 15, 1874, less than two weeks before the ninth observance of
Memorial Day in Columbus. Her funeral was held on April 16 and was attended by the Columbus Guards. Ten days later, at the end of the Memorial Day wreath laying ceremonies, the battalion of the Columbus and City
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on the
Georgia coast but gave up that command in order to lead troops in Virginia. Mary Ann joined the Soldiers Aid Society to support the local soldiers in the war effort. He returned to Columbus in February 1862 in very ill health. He died within a few days and was buried in the City Cemetery, now
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The new holiday was observed throughout the state of
Georgia on April 26, 1866, in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus and numerous other towns. Across the south, it was observed in Montgomery, AL; Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS, Louisville, KY, New Orleans, LA and others. In some locations, most
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apologized for the error in their April 25, 1866 edition. The ladies of
Columbus, MS reportedly observed the holiday on April 25, 1866, and also decorated the graves of Union soldiers, as well. Not all the observances were as noble. In Augusta, Georgia, officials did not allow African-Americans to
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at the Tyler home on the corner of 4th ave and 14th street. The building is long gone but a monument marks the spot. The officers elected were Mrs. Robert Carter, president; Mrs. Robert. A. Ware, vice president; Mrs. J. M. McAllister, second vice president, Mrs. M. A. Patten, treasurer and Mrs.
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The letter Mrs. Williams wrote to her two local newspapers was a request to the ladies of the South to set one day aside each year to decorate the soldiers’ graves. It was long on flowery language and was considered a "thrilling appeal". She did not sign her own name but closed the letter with
146:. Mary Ann continued her activities in the Soldiers’ Aid Society and inaugurated the Soldiers’ Home in Columbus. She was said to have visited her husband's grave frequently and was inspired by her young daughter who wanted to decorate the other soldiers’ graves with flowers as well.
125:. She was the daughter of Major Jack Howard. She married Charles J. Williams in 1847 when he returned from the Mexican–American War. Mary Ann had presented his regiment with a flag made by the ladies of the city when they left in 1846. According to the 1860 census of
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Marker on Second Ave in
Columbus, GA explaining Mrs. Williams' role as Secretary of the Ladies' Memorial Association in initiating Memorial Day (It wasn't called "Confederate" Memorial Day until after Logan inaugurated the northern version of the
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News of the impending observance spread to cities in the North. Bellware and
Gardiner were able to show that Mrs. Williams’ story had gone nationwide. Mrs. Williams’ plan was documented with brief notices in such papers as the
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The graves of the founder of
Memorial Day, Mary Ann Williams (left) and her husband Col. Charles J. Williams (right) in Linwood Cemetery, Columbus, Georgia.
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Light Guards stacked arms. Then, each soldier proceeded to Mrs. Williams’ grave and one-by-one laid a rose on her grave as they passed.
104:(also known as Mrs. Charles J. Williams) (10 August 1821 – 15 April 1874) was an American woman who was the first proponent for
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Marker on
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decorate the graves of Union soldiers which resulted in widespread negative press reports.
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376:. New Orleans: Confederated Southern Memorial Association/ The Graham Press. p. 135.
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199:"Southern Women". It was picked up by newspapers across the South. In
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394:. Columbus, Georgia: Columbus State University. pp. 46, 31.
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In early 1866, the Soldiers’ Aid Society was reorganized as the
331:. Columbus, Georgia: Gilbert Printing Co. 1898. p. 18.
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Chipley, W. D. (March 15, 1899). "Origin of Memorial Day".
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History of Confederated Memorial Associations of the South
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History of Confederated Memorial Associations of the South
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392:The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America
201:The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America
108:, an annual holiday to decorate soldiers’ graves.
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390:Bellware, Daniel; Richard Gardiner (2014).
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554:, Anderson Court House, SC, March 29, 1866
329:The History of the Origin of Memorial Day
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599:, Shepherdstown, WV, April 14, 1866
586:In Memory of the Confederate Dead,
577:In Memory of the Confederate Dead,
568:Woman's Honor to the Gallant Dead,
532:Woman's Honor to the Gallant Dead,
342:"Death of Mrs. Chas. J. Williams".
298:"Death of Gen. Chas. J. Williams".
280:"Death of Mrs. Chas. J. Williams".
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16:American proponent of Memorial Day
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19:For the Australian academic, see
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634:People from Columbus, Georgia
581:, Columbia, SC, April 4, 1866
500:, Atlanta, GA, March 21, 1866
491:, Memphis, TN, March 17, 1866
441:"Editorial and Other Items".
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518:, Oxford, MS, March 22, 1866
482:, Augusta GA, March 14, 1866
480:Tri-Weekly Constitutionalist
121:Mary Ann Howard was born in
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629:19th-century American women
563:, Selma, AL, March 30, 1866
536:, Macon, GA, March 26, 1866
359:The Columbus Daily Enquirer
344:The Columbus Daily Enquirer
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597:Shepherdstown Register
523:The Soldiers' Graves,
496:The Soldiers’ Graves,
357:"Ninth Memorial Day".
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489:Memphis Daily Appeal
595:The Southern Dead,
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505:The Southern Dead,
498:Daily Intelligencer
478:The Southern Dead,
302:. February 5, 1862.
95:Charles J. Williams
588:Wilmington Journal
543:Staunton Spectator
525:Tri-Weekly Courier
461:The New York Times
416:"We were in error"
234:American Traveler.
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579:The Daily Phoenix
570:Southern Recorder
457:"News of the Day"
443:New Orleans Times
361:. April 28, 1874.
346:. April 16, 1874.
284:. April 16, 1874.
127:Columbus, Georgia
102:Mary Ann Williams
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30:Mary Ann Williams
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79:(1874-04-15)
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619:1874 deaths
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232:and Boston
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608:Categories
264:References
194:The letter
58:1821-08-10
230:Daily Age
162:holiday).
142:known as
112:Biography
226:Courant
144:Linwood
67:Georgia
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428:2019
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52:Born
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