Lizzie Rutherford
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Elizabeth “Lizzie” Rutherford Ellis | |
|---|---|
 from Columbus Enquirer, May 1, 1898 | |
| Born | June 1, 1833 |
| Died | March 31, 1873 Columbus, Georgia, United States |
| Resting place | Linwood Cemetery, Columbus, Georgia |
| Spouse | Capt. Roswell Ellis |
Elizabeth Rutherford (later known as Mrs. Roswell Ellis) (1833-1873) was an American woman who is associated with the founding of Confederate Memorial Day, which itself is the forerunner of Memorial Day an annual holiday to decorate soldiers’ graves.
The basis for most biographies of Lizzie Rutherford is A History of the Origin of Memorial Day as Adopted by the Ladies’ Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia, a revised history of the Memorial Day holiday published in 1898. These biographical sketches include the one in the New Georgia Encyclopedia by David S. Williams[1] and Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends by Lucian Lamar Knight[2] as well as shorter references like that in Race and Reunion by David Blight.[3] Few delve any deeper.
Elizabeth Rutherford was the daughter of Adolphus S. Rutherford and Susan Thweatt, born in Columbus, Georgia, on June 1, 1833. Her father was a clerk of the court and represented Muscogee County at the secession convention in 1861, along with Henry Benning and James N. Ramsey. She was active in soldiers’ welfare issues as Secretary of the Soldiers’ Aid Society as well as working personally with the wounded soldiers at local hospitals.[4]
Post-Civil War
Lizzie remained active with the Soldiers’ Aid Society until it the group was reconstituted as the Ladies’ Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia (LMA) in early 1866.
The LMA, represented by its secretary and Lizzie's cousin, Mrs. Mary Ann Williams (also known as Mrs. Charles J. Williams) wrote a letter to the press proposing a new annual holiday to decorate soldiers’ graves and signed “Southern Women.”
The holiday was inaugurated across the South on April 26, 1866, with wide newspaper coverage in the North. Several stories focused on the observances in Columbus, Mississippi and Macon, Georgia where Union graves were also decorated. The observance in Augusta, Georgia also received a lot of press when a group of former slaves were refused permission to decorate Union graves in that city. On July 4, 1866, General John A. Logan mentioned the observance in a speech in Salem, Illinois.
The observances were repeated in 1867 and 1868. Logan, now commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, adopted the holiday for the North on May 30, 1868. The April 26th version of the holiday became known as "Confederate Memorial Day" thereafter. Later that year, Lizzie married Captain Roswell Ellis of the Columbus Guards on November 24, 1868.
Lizzie died on March 31, 1873, and was honored by the soldiers whose welfare she had supported during the war. Mrs. Williams died a year later. Both were honored at subsequent Memorial Day observances.
During their lifetimes, it appears that neither lady personally sought credit for the founding of the holiday. However, after her death, Mrs. Williams was immediately credited for the origination of the holiday.[5]
