Tag Archives: South

Observing Confederate Veterans Day

Confederate veterans

The South Endures on Confederate Veterans Day

The War Between the States ended over one hundred forty years ago, but the legacy of its history lives on to this day. The flag of the Confederacy still flies over many homes, businesses and public properties everywhere, a testament to Southern pride and loyalty.

Various southern states have long been in favor of proclaiming a Confederate Veterans Day in honor of the soldiers, leaders and political figures who supported Southern rights during that long, bloody war, though the tradition has not caught on in great numbers. Even if the day is not declared a national holiday, there are a vast number of Southern political figures and supporters that would like, at the very least, for school children to learn about the military figures and political leaders of the south during that difficult period of American history. Today, honoring such veterans is also commonly known as Confederate Memorial Day, and is observed at different times in various southern states, depending on the veteran or southern political leader who happens to hail from each particular state.

During the years leading up to the Civil War, the country endured growing pains. After all, the United States was less than one hundred years old. States’ rights conflicted with federal beliefs and regulations, which ultimately brought the country to the brink of a crucial test. While the issue of slavery and the right to own slaves was at the basis of the disagreement that eventually split the United States in half, issues of states’ rights to govern themselves without interference of the federal government was also put to the test.

The Civil War broke out in 1861 and ended in 1865, after losses of vast numbers of men who fought for both the North and the South. It has long been accepted, and understood, that both Northern and Southern points of view are an important lesson for Americans to remember. America was founded on individual and national freedom, and for all Americans, the right to choose is a time honored tradition and way of life. Many great leaders came from the South, a testament that their Northern brothers could well attest to. Many generals enjoyed long and close relationships before the tensions of war forced them to choose sides and represent their native states.

In the Southern states, Confederate Veteran’s Day is a day when Johnny Reb’s are honored and saluted for their devotion and loyalty to the Southern Cause. While the harsh feelings brought about the war slowly mended over generations, Southerners still feel an immense sense of pride in their soldiers and honor their memory on this day. Flowers and small Confederate flags are placed on the graves of Civil War veterans and local events serve to keep their memory alive. Though the day is not considered a national holiday, Southerners nevertheless observe the day in their own way, which they have been doing since 1865.

The War Between the States was a difficult time for all Americans who were forced to choose between loyalty to their state or allowing a federal government to determine the course of their future. The history of issues that culminated in the War Between the States is long and complicated, but one thing is for certain. Every soldier who fought in that war, for North or South, considered himself or herself an American.

The memory of those who dared to fight, and die, for what they believed in, is strongly honored in the South to this day. Confederate Veterans Day is meant to serve as a reminder that all Americans, despite beliefs or heritage, deserve the right to have a say in how they are governed.

Who Celebrates on Lee-Jackson Day

Lee-Jackson Day

The South Celebrates on Lee-Jackson Day

The War Between the States ended in 1865, but the legacy of the South lives on every year when Lee-Jackson Day is celebrated in Virginia every January 20th. The day is meant to observe the strength of conviction and loyalty felt by General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson to their native state during the wrenching years that temporarily drove our nation apart.

General Robert E. Lee is considered one of America’s finest military leaders, and is admired by both Southerners and Northerners alike. While the nation was divided into Yankee and Confederate, both General Lee and Jackson were forced to divide their loyalties between national duty and duty to their own states. It was not an easy decision for either man to make, but they stood by their convictions and remained loyal to their states. The war is long over, and Americans throughout the nation recognize the importance of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in American history. Though they fought for the Confederacy, they continue to be considered Americans, as all who fought in the war, and the passage of time has allowed wounds and scars to heal.

While celebrated mostly in Virginia and parts of the South, Lee-Jackson Day also reminds all Americans that though many of us have our differences, we are still One Nation Under God. The Confederate flag still flies in many locations in the south, alongside the flag of the United States, a legacy from the Civil War that will most likely continue into the distant future. In the south, Lee-Jackson Day is celebrated with speeches and parades. Displays of Civil War period attire and weaponry delight locals and visitors who are interested in history, and schools around the country teach children about the two greatest leaders of the South during the Civil War.

The original celebration of Lee-Jackson day occurred in 1889, designed mainly to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee. The foundation of the celebration is held at the Lee-Jackson memorial in Baltimore, Maryland and is attended by throngs of citizens who also remember the thousands of Americans killed during the Civil War, from both sides. Patriotic organizations, veterans groups and those belonging to the Sons or Daughter’s of the Confederacy groups also attend, as well as Americans throughout the country who find themselves visiting either General Lee or Jackson’s birthplaces on that date. Civil War reenactment groups also participate, holding mock battles and maneuvers for observers, as well as parades and formal ceremonies honoring both the American and Confederate flags. Beloved songs of the South are sung, and southern foods are generally on the bill of fare as are other entertainments.

Military and civilian groups are welcome to attend these ceremonies, and are invited to join in. Historical battalion and battle flags are in abundance, as are period costumes and artifacts, and the sound of cannon and musket fire often echo over the rolling hills of the south on this day. Southern pride still runs deep, and while celebrating the legacy of two of America’s greatest military leaders, all Americans can appreciate the sacrifices and dedication to all of the men and women who served their country during the War Between the States.

The courage of both men is a testament of American strength and duty, admired by all during the Civil War and the years since its end. Because the American Civil War was such a difficult period in our history, people everywhere take the day to remember the valuable lesson obtained from the dark years when brother fought brother and the nation split in two. Since the Civil War ended in 1865, the United States of America has stood as one, never to be divided again. Southerners and Northerners are all Americans.