05/22/2026
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us for last weekend’s 162nd Anniversary of the Battle of New Market! With beautiful weather and fantastic turnout, it was a meaningful few days of learning, reflection, and connection as we remembered the events of May 15, 1864.
Speaking of remembrance: did you know that Memorial Day may have roots right here in New Market? Let’s dive into the holiday’s history for another Fun Fact Friday!
Historians have long noted that Memorial Day grew out of the wave of ceremonies that followed the Civil War and commemorated its immense human cost. Some even point to New Market as a possible birthplace of the holiday. In his U.S. Army Center of Military History book, The Battle of New Market, Lt. Col. Joseph Whitehorne suggests that one of the earliest Southern memorial observances took place here on May 15, 1866, just two years after the battle.
Other historians, however, trace the first “Decoration Day” ceremonies to places like Columbus, Georgia, or Waterloo, New York. No matter the exact origin, these early acts of remembrance quickly spread. By May 30, 1868, Decoration Day was observed nationally, marked by a large ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery honoring thousands of Union and Confederate dead. A century later, the Memorial Day holiday was officially established by Congress on the last Monday in May, where it remains today.
This Memorial Day weekend, the Museum and Battlefield grounds will be open for all who wish to walk the battlefield, reflect, and remember those who gave their lives, whether here at New Market or in other conflicts across our nation’s history. We hope you’ll join us.
(Image: Ceremony at the 54th Pennsylvania Monument; credit: VMCW staff.)
