Confederate Memorial Day marked in city where Civil War began

[Alberto_Balsalm]

Confederate Memorial Day was marked Thursday in the city where the Civil War began with a somber, reflective ceremony in which dozens of descendants of Southern troops described where their ancestors fought and many of them died.

About 100 people gathered on Charleston’s Battery as a wreath was placed at a monument dedicated to the Southern defenders of Charleston. From that spot, one can look across Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter where the April, 1861 bombardment of the Union-held fort plunged the nation into Civil War.

Those attending, many of them mebers of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, wore not Confederate gray but seersucker suits and straw hats under the warm May sun. About three dozen walked to the front of the gathering one at a time and then, some choking with emotion, gave the names, ranks and units of their ancestors and where they fought.

The group then sang “Dixie” and a group of Confederate re-enactors fired a cannon at nearby White Point Garden.

A holiday to honor Southerners who fell fighting for the South is officially observed in nine states of the old Confederacy, but are held at different times of the year.

In the Carolinas, Confederate Memorial Day is May 10th, the day Gen. Stonewall Jackson died in 1863 after he was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville. In South Carolina it is an optional state holiday for state workers and the General Assembly recessed to mark the day.

Earlier Thursday, about 80 people attended a memorial service at Charleston’s Huguenot Church during which they pledged allegiance to the United States, South Carolina and Confederate Flags.

“I salute the Confederate Flag with affection, reverence and undying remembrance to the cause for which it stands,” the Confederate pledge says.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...9FU_story.html

I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.

-Ulysses S. Grant

[Šñøü†ê®]

The South was NEVER a foe. The Rothchilds played this country like a bitch.

[Alberto_Balsalm]

[86Dùde]

What he's saying is some people made a lot of bank during the civil war and they didn't live in the south.

[86Dùde]

All the bombardment and they only killed a horse.

[BooRadley]

How can you pledge allegiance to both the US flag and the confederate flag?

For that matter, how can you pledge allegiance to a flag?

[Šñøü†ê®]

Theoretically, the Confederate Flag represents freedom relatively speaking, but I agree fluck all flags, stripes, stars of david, normal stars, fluck 'em all! Freedom is not having a flag to rally around.

[Pints with Plato]

As Tom Berenger, who played Gen. James Longstreet in Gettysburg, said, "the South should have freed the slaves, then fired on Fort Sumpter..."

[86Dùde]

How can you pledge allegiance to both the US flag and the confederate flag?

For that matter, how can you pledge allegiance to a flag?

I don't pledge to either. I had a fond idea of flying a Gladsen over an upside down U.S. but my wife said "hell and NO".

[Pints with Plato]

The American flag has been a battle flag commemorating wars of belligerence and violence, and has, in it's latter years, become a symbol of imperialism and tyranny. I'm quite proud to not pledge allegiance to it nor the government it represents.

Hock, ptui.

[86Dùde]

Hell yeah. People cling to it like it is some kind of benevolent torch that washes away misdeeds worldwide in it's wake. Nothing could be further from the truth. It took the end of the cold war to make that apparent.

[queenlillian1962]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...9FU_story.html

I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.

-Ulysses S. Grant

Why don't the Southern states get together and honor thier dead on the same day or just Honor them on memorial day?

[86Dùde]

I don't have a good answer for that. It's more prevalent in the east in VA,SC for example.