Friday, May 14, 2010

The Man Who Gave Us Memorial Day


You've probably never heard of John A. Logan, but he was well known in his day. He's mentioned in the Illinois state song along with Lincoln and Grant, and he's one of only 32 people ever to have lain in state in the U.S. Capitol. A successful general in the Union Army during the Civil War, he became part of the "Radical Republicans" in Congress, where he personally managed the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. In 1884, the Republicans made him their vice-presidential candidate on an unsuccessful ticket with James G. Blaine. He is best remembered today as the man who led the call for the establishment of Memorial Day as a national holiday. He is himself memorialized by a bronze equestrian statue, dedicated in 1901 by President William McKinley, in the middle of Washington, D.C.'s Logan Circle Park.

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