Gathering of Civil War Union (Grand Army of the Republic) members on Memorial Day (Decoration Day): First Row, L-R: [Eph Peugo], Lot Flemming, Jasper Hargrave, Levi Wilkinson, Lafe Hollis, Thomas Lamar, Robert Jeffries, George Houghland, [George Baum], [G.T. York], John Toule, [Dquere Goad], Col. Joe Armstrong, Second Row: [Thomas Deven with son], [Ben Hemmingway], Fred Riggs, Eph Rowe, [W.M. H. Allen], [Dr. Chas Parkes], Rev. Wells, [Larry Richardson], Gus Wilhelms, [James Hart], James McCutchan, John Bateman, Third Row: Mr. Wilkinson, [Henry Klusenklaus], W.M. McCool, John C. Shafer, [Charles Dillinghand], Alpha Mathews, Ed Meece, [W.W. Horton], W.M. Nixon, James N. Mclarlla, Abe Houghland, Fred Katser, [John Iquire Adimire], Pete Korb, Jeff Peters, Crit Reed, Issac Ude (Color Bearer), Joseph Trimble, Lew Demmey, Robert Hudsow, Mr. Wilkinson, Wash West Fall, [Fred Billups], Thomas Youngblood, Thomas Stanton, Virge Pate, [Capt. W.M. Donaldson], and three drummer boys.Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land, he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn't the anniversary of any particular battle. (http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2_