Wednesday, April 18, 2001

The Gen. LaFayette McLaws Camp 79, Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), will be sponsoring its annual observance of Confederate Memorial Day on Thursday, April 26, with a special ceremony at the gazebo at Heritage Park in Fayetteville. The service will begin at 7 p.m., and will feature bagpipes, presentation of the Confederate colors, and a keynote address by James Fowler. Mr. Fowler is a Georgia history teacher in the Coweta County school system, and he is a member of the Commander John McIntosh Kell Camp 107 SCV of Spalding County.

After the address, lead by the color guard and reenactment honor guard, the audience will walk as a group to the old Fayetteville cemetery. The featured event of the evening will be a presentation of Southern state flags by local Fayette school children, each honoring one of their Confederate ancestors from the various states. After the presentation of the state flags, there will be a cannon salute, and the playing of taps.

Confederate Memorial Day, a legal holiday in Georgia since 1874, is celebrated each year on April 26 and was the inspiration for national Memorial Day. The day was created as a tribute to the approximately 224,000 Confederate soldiers, sailors and marines that were killed or died in service during the war. Of this number, some 400 were Fayette Countians. More Fayette soldiers died in the Confederate service than all other American wars combined. In later decades, the day was celebrated as a tribute to all Confederate veterans.

The observation of Confederate Memorial Day is the culmination of various activities honoring Southern heritage in April as it is officially designated as Confederate History and Heritage Month by various state and local governments. This year the town of Tyrone issued proclamations to that effect for the fourth consecutive year. The SCV will also be sponsoring a Confederate history display at the Tyrone library beginning on April 16, and running through the end of May.

The Gen. LaFayette McLaws Camp 79, SCV, of Fayette County will be placing Confederate flags on the graves of approximately 250 Confederate veterans prior to Confederate Memorial Day. If any local citizen knows of a Confederate grave that they would like to have marked with a flag, the SCV will gladly supply a flag.

There will be a reception afterwards at the Hollingsworth House, and the public is invited, and encouraged to attend both functions. For more information please contact Scott Gilbert at skgbama@aol.com, or call 770-716-5344.

Scott K. Gilbert, Commander

Gen. LaFayette McLaws Camp 79

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