Luke Merritt on Confederate Memorial Day
Many people don't realize this but since 1866, the Southern States have celebrated Confederate Memorial Day which happens to be April 26th in Florida this year... Andrew restored entire Union Army cemeteries & today when visitors go to this Confederate States Army Cemetery, they will see that every single Monument has been restored !!... Additionally, each broken tombstone has been reset and now stands in their proper position !!!
The Good Cemeterian, 2018
The Good Cemeterian, 2018
☆ Confederate Memorial Day is observed on April 26th in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi...
☆ It is observed on May 10th in North & South Carolina, on May 30th in Virginia, and June 3rd in Kentucky... The Holiday has been observed widely but not officially since 1866...
☆ April 26th marked the first anniversary of Confederate General Johnston's surrender to Union Major General Sherman...For many in the Confederacy, that date in 1865 marked the end of the Civil War...
Georgia native Luke Merritt was born on September 27th 1836...When Mr. Merritt is born, Andrew Jackson occupies the Oval Office while serving as the seventh President of the United States...
☆ Interesting events that occurred in Mr Merritts birth year of 1836 included...
▪ On January 5th, 1836, Davy Crockett arrives in Texas, which at this time is not part of the United States...
▪ On February 23rd 1836, the Battle of the Alamo begins in San Antonio, Texas...It ends on March 6th... By the end of the battle 189 Texans perished and nearly 1600 Mexicans died...
▪ On June 15th, 1836 Arkansas is admitted as the 25th state in the Union...
▪ On August 1st, 1836, the Abolition Riot of 1836 in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court takes place when two fugitive slave Women are freed from the courtroom by spectators...
▪ On October 15th 1836, Alexander Twilight becomes the first African American elected to public office, joining the Vermont House of Representatives...
▪ On December 7th, 1836 Martin Van Buren defeats William Henry Harrison in the Presidential election to become the 8th President of the United States...
Luke enlisted to serve the Confederate States Army on May 6th 1862... Mr. Merritt served as Private in Company F, Florida 7th Infantry...
Luke married his Wife Catherine Whitman in 1874... The couple had 4 children... Luke supported his family through farming...
Luke Merritt passed away on October 13th 1920...
Although Difficult to read, the top of Mr. Merritt's Monument reads: "A Confederate Veteran"
☆ Luke Merritt☆
☆ Beloved Husband & Father ☆
☆ Confederate States Veteran ☆
...Before & After...
published by: Jen armbruster
The Good Cemeterian Historical Preservation Project, 2018