Tag Archives: Confederate troops

One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed Slaves

Memorial Day was born out of necessity. After the American Civil War, a battered United States was faced with the task of burying and honoring the 600,000 to 800,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who had died in the single bloodiest military conflict in American history. The first national commemoration of Memorial Day was held in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, where both Union and Confederate soldiers are buried. Continue reading One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed Slaves