It’s not like government workers need another day off, or people need another celebration turned into a marketing extravaganza. But Tuesday was a holiday in Florida, and some people are bothered that it went unnoticed.
April 26 is Confederate Memorial Day in Florida, a day commemorated in seven other states across the South, although not all on the same date.
Historically, April 26 was the day Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union Gen. William T. Sherman in one of the last actions of the Civil War.
But in Florida law, April 26, as Confederate Memorial Day, is recognized along with 20 other days as a legal holiday.
That list includes the ones that first come to mind, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day and Independence Day.
Yet is also encompasses every Sunday and some lesser known occurrences — like Flag Day, Pascua Florida Day (when Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida) and Susan B. Anthony’s birthday.
Confederates do well on the state’s holiday calendar: in addition to Confederate Memorial Day, the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis are also recognized as legal holidays.
“It’s just not right,” said Donald Barber, executive director of the Ocala-based Sovereignty Action Committee, a group that advocates for stricter adherence to the Constitution and states’ rights.
“They are just as much veterans as anyone who fought in World War I, World War II Vietnam. It’s wrong and would be the same as if we forgot [the national] Memorial Day.”
State Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, concurred with Barber.
“I think he’s right and I’m sympathetic to that view. I’m not sure why we’re not observing it. It’s a blind spot in our history,” Baxley said.
“Every other group in America is allowed to celebrate their history and their ancestors, unless their relatives were Confederate soldiers. Then, we’re expected to be quiet about that.”
“They were defending their families and their homes. Why can’t we show our appreciation for that,” Baxley added.
The arrival of April has stirred interest in the Civil War. April 12th marked the 150th anniversary of the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history, which began with the Rebel attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
As was noted in a proclamation adopted last week by the Marion County Commission that declared April as Confederate History Month, Florida “lent” more troops to the Confederate cause than any other Southern state.
According to the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, more than 15,000 Florida troops fought for the Confederacy — the highest percentage of available men of military age from any Confederate state.
About 5,000 Floridians — or roughly one of every three soldiers — died in service to the Confederacy, the museum’s Web page points out.
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