#john a. logan

[spoke9]

Thought of The Day | No.42

“”Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”” Albert Schweitzer Rosebud journal for personal growth

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[spoke9]

Thought of The Day | No.41

“Music is the medicine of the mind.” John A. Logan Rosebud journal for personal growth

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[streetsofwashington]

Logan Mausoleum by StreetsofWashington Via Flickr: Stereoview of Gen. John A. Logan's mausoleum at the Soldiers Home National Cemetery. The monument was designed by Alfred Mullett, the architect of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

[noelcollection]

On May 30th, 1868, Decoration Day was nationally celebrated for the first time by a proclamation from General John A. Logan. The day was influenced by cities throughout the U.S. who honored veterans locally. On this day, Americans honored soldiers who died in the Civil War by adorning their graves with flowers. Decoration Day is now known as Memorial Day.

The images above show John A. Logan and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This cemetery for veterans has had Memorial Day events every year, starting with the the first Decoration Day in 1868.

Images from: John Alexander Logan's The great conspiracy: its origin and history. A. R. Hart & Co. ..., 1886.

Call number: E459 .L64 1886

Catalog record: https://bit.ly/2L8jU89

John V. Hinkel's Arlington: monument to heroes New and enlarged edition. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970.

Call number: F234 .A7 H6 1970

Catalog record: https://bit.ly/2H2Cs7e

[lincolncollection]

Memorial Day, 1900-1910

What we know today as Memorial Day—a day to remember the men and women who died while serving in the country’s wars—originated after the Civil War as Decoration Day. It was a day for family members and others to honor the Union war dead by decorating their graves with flowers. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the organization of Union Civil War veterans, called for the nationwide, annual observance of Decoration Day. The first observance was on May 30th that same year—a date chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular Civil War battle.

By the early 20th century, the preferred name for the holiday had gradually changed from “Decoration Day” to “Memorial Day.” But the focus of remembrance remained the Civil War. These Memorial Day pamphlets from the first decade of the 20th century reflect that focus. They were published by the Illinois Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction as guides for public school observances. The pamphlets are part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection and can be viewed online in their entirety by clicking on the links in the text below.

The pamphlets pay tribute, not only to the Union dead, but also to the war’s “Three Great Sons of Illinois”—Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and John A. Logan. The poem on the back cover of the 1910 pamphlet praises the state and its “great sons.”

The 1902 pamphlet sets these guidelines for school observances of the holiday. “The Memorial day program should not be a glorification of war….The work of the Grand Army was good, chiefly, because it extended the area of peace, prosperity, and freedom….In the spirit of peace on earth, ‘with malice toward none; with charity of all,’ therefore, should the Memorial day lesson be given in the common schools.” The pamphlet contains 18 pages of selections from the writings and speeches of Lincoln, Grant, and Logan.

The 1903 Memorial Day guide adds commemorative poetry and reminiscences from two Union veterans to a selection about Lincoln and a speech by Grant.

The back cover is an illustration of the recently restored Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Lincoln graces the cover of the 1906 pamphlet, which includes his Gettysburg Address and tributes to soldiers from Grant and Logan. There are also photographs of the military group sculptures on the Lincoln Tomb representing the Union navy, artillery, infantry, and cavalry. In addition, there is a notice of the formation of a new veterans’ organization made up of both Union and Confederate veterans and several tributes to “the Blue and the Gray”—all presented as a fulfillment of Grant’s “prophecy” that “we are on the eve of a new era, when there is to be great harmony between the Federal and the Confederates.”

In recognition of his role in establishing Memorial Day, the 1909 guide pays homage to John A. Logan, “the great volunteer soldier of Illinois.” Its 35 pages include a “Sketch of John A. Logan,” tributes from Illinois politicians, and photographs of Logan memorials.

The 1910 guide focuses on Grant, offering biographical notes, portraits, poetry, and tributes. The pamphlet’s introduction explains, “And in thus showing our respect for our great soldier and commander, we shall also show our respect to all those brave men whose courage and devotion made the name of Grant worthy of our honor.”

The second decade of the 20th century would see a new war—a world war—that would expand the focus of Memorial Day beyond the Civil War.  As tensions increased between European powers and those nations raced to arm themselves, the 1911 “Memorial Day and Peace Day” guide looks ahead with hope for peace but offers a warning of the possible necessity of war: “Let us make Memorial Day a great Peace Day….Let us beget a firm opposition to every hasty impulse to arms. Let us show the sad and horrible features of war. But in doing all this let us not forget that there have come times in the history of our country when men with warm hearts and clear heads, men who loved peace and hated war, had to use the strong arm in order that right might prevail and a more permanent peace be established. They are our greatest soldiers of peace. Let us honor their work and revere their memories.”

[streetsofwashington]

Logan Statue dedication (1901) by StreetsofWashington Via Flickr: On April 9, 1901, an elaborate ceremony was held at Iowa Circle for the unveiling of the new bronze statue of Maj. General John A. Logan, sculpted by Franklin Simmons. In attendance was President McKinley, seen giving his address in this stereoview. "Statue and pedestal present an appearance pleasingly different from any other in Washington," the Washington Post observed. "The pedestal is one of the most artistic in the Capital, and both horse and rider convey an impressing sense of dignity and strength."

[raemd95]

"A Call To Political Responsibility": The Roots And Lessons Of Memorial Day

“A Call To Political Responsibility”: The Roots And Lessons Of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a peculiarly appropriate holiday for our times. Its origins lie in the Civil War, which resulted from the failure of a deeply polarized political system to settle the question of slavery.

Reading the history of the period leading up to the war is jarring because its political conflicts bear eerie similarities to our own — for the sharp regional differences over how the federal…

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