Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Fayette marks Confederate Memorial Day The Fayetteville City Council issued a proclamation last week designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month, and recognizing April 26 as Confederate Memorial Day. CMD is an official Georgia State holiday, and has been since 1874. Fayetteville joins Fayette County and the towns of Brooks and Tyrone in issuing the proclamations. In addition, The governors of Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama have issued similiar proclamations. In the Atlanta area, Cobb County and the city of Marietta, Rockdale County, and many others also have issued the proclamations. Activities for the month in Fayette include the marking of approximately 250 Confederate graves (only about 1/4 of those known in Fayette) with C.S. flags; a trip to Charleston, S.C., by a contingent of Fayette Countians to attend the burial service of the crew of the Confederate submarine Hunley; and the observance of Confederate Memorial Day in Fayetteville Monday at 7 p.m. at the Gazebo at Heritage Park. The CMD service will include reenactors, bagpipes, a children’s parade of Confederate state flags, keynote address by official Henry County historian Gene Morris, and a memorial service in the old Fayetteville Cemetery with artillery and rifle salutes. The service is free and open to the public.