Memorial Day Names: Shiloh & Sheridan

Memorial Day–formerly  known as Decoration Day–was first observed on May 30, 1868, shortly after the Civil War, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, so that the  roots of the holiday were very much entwined with the War Between the States. It’s always celebrated on the last Monday of May–a date close to the day of reunification of the country after the Civil War.

In the course of this deadly and divisive war, there were over a thousand soldiers who reached the rank of general, many of them becoming national heroes, and namesakes for babies born during and after the war. There were countless little Grants and Lees, just as there were Lincolns and Jeffersons and Davises.  Looking at the rolls of officers on both sides, we find some interesting names–both first and last, as well as names attached to battlegrounds– that could still be inspiring today.

UNION GENERALS’ FIRST NAMES

ABSALOM
ADIN
ALBION
ALPHEUS
AMIEL
AUGUST
CASSIUSCUVIERDARIUS
EBENEZER
EMERSON
EMORY
ERASMUS
GREEN
GUSTAVUS
ISHAM
JASPER
JEREMIAH
JUSTUSKENNERLAFAYETTE
LORENZO
MARCELLUS
NAPOLEON
ORLANDO
ORRIS
PLEASANT
REGISROMEYNSPEEDSULLIVANTHEOPHILOUSTRUMAN
ULYSSESZEALOUS

CONFEDERATE GENERALS’ FIRST NAMES

ALPHEUSARMISTEADBIRKETT
BRAXTON
CADMUSCARNOTCLAUDIUS
CULLENELKANAHEPPAEVANDER
GUSTAVUS
JUBAL
LEONIDASMAXCY (sort of cute)OTHOTHEOPHOLUSTURNER
TYREE
ZACHARIAH
ZEBULON

SOME SURNAMES FROM BOTH SIDES

ASHBYAUGURBAIRD
BARNUM
BEE
BERRY
BOWEN
CLAYCULLUMDEWEY
DUNCAN
EATON
EGAN
FRAZER
FROST
GRAHAM
LOGAN
MAURYMAXBYMcCLELLANMEADE
PAXTON
PERRY
POE
QUINBY
RIPLEY
ROUSSEAUSAXTONSHEPARD
SHERIDAN
SORRELSPRAGUESULLY
SWEENY
TUCKER
VINTON

CIVIL WAR BATTLE-RELATED NAMES

AMELIA (SPRINGS)ANDERSON
AUBURN
BAXTERBRISTOECHANTILLYCORINTHDALTON
DOVER
MARIETTAMcALLISTERPHILIPPISABINE (PASS)SHILOHSUMPTER