Confederated Southern Memorial Association (Confederated Southern Memorial Association (U.S.);

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

CSMA; est. 1900) was a

Neo-Confederate Neo-Confederates are groups and individuals who portray the Confederate States of America and its actions during the American Civil War in a positive light. The League of the South (formed in 1994), the Sons of Confederate Veterans (formed 1896 ...

women's organization of unified memorial associations of the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. It was composed of 70 women's memorial associations, which had formed between 1861 and 1900. The CSMA was established at

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, on May 30, 1900. At that meeting, the women stated that they were unwilling to lose their identity as memorial associations, or to merge themselves into the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, a ...

. Instead, by this union of all Memorial Associations, it was believed that the women of the South would perpetuate more certainly the purposes for which each association had been individually laboring, and would more firmly cement the ties which already existed between them. An increase in membership and more intelligent knowledge of the history of the Confederate Cause would also be the natural result of annual meetings.

History

Ladies' Memorial Associations (1861-1900)

Immediately after the fall of the

Confederacy A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

, the women of the South, reacting to social values, returned to their homes and conservative sex roles, creating a place of security for their returning soldiers. But they also mobilized and commenced their memorial work with

Ladies' Memorial Association A Ladies' Memorial Association (LMA) is a type of organization for women that sprang up all over the American South in the years after the American Civil War. Typically, these were organizations by and for women, whose goal was to raise monuments ...

s in their States and or regions. Some of these Associations were formed as far back as 1861. Since then, they built monuments and celebrated each year with ceremonies and decoration of the graves. Each association worked on in its own plan of Memorial, emulated and encouraged by the efforts of other States.

CSMA establishment (1900)

Early in the spring of 1900, at a regular monthly meeting of the Southern Memorial Association of

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, Arkansas, Washington County, and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. The city ...

, on motion of Miss Julia A. Garside (later Mrs. W. B. Welch), it was decided to endeavor to organize all Memorial Associations of the South into a general federation, the object being to commemorate the work already done and to insure its continuance. The Corresponding Secretary was instructed to write to associations elsewhere and ask their cooperation. Cordial responses were received and arrangements made for delegates from each association to meet at the

United Confederate Veterans The United Confederate Veterans (UCV, or simply Confederate Veterans) was an American Civil War veterans' organization headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was organized on June 10, 1889, by ex-soldiers and sailors of the Confederate Sta ...

(UCV) Reunion at Louisville,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. A meeting was held at the Galt House, May 30, 1900, at which time, the organization was established, delegates from thirteen associations being present. The following officers were elected for a term of three years: President, Kate Walker Behan (Mrs. W. J. Behan), of White Castle, La.; Recording Secretary, Miss Daisy M. L. Hodgson, New Orleans, La.; Corresponding Secretary, Miss Sue H. Walker, Fayetteville, Ark.; Historian, Mrs. Sarah Polk Blake, and a Vice President from each, of the States represented. A Committee on Constitution and By-Laws was appointed. At a subsequent meeting the same was submitted and adopted. The Constitution provided that this organization would be called "The Confederated Southern Memorial Association", and that its object would be, "Strictly Memorial and Historical".

Work

The work of the Association was memorial and monumental. The care of the graves of the Confederate dead and the erection of monuments to their memory was the special trust of the Association. As the veteran women of the Association died, younger women joined the ranks to continue the work begun by their female members. Those who joined later were just as enthusiastic and eager to take up the work as those who had been engaged in it for years. In addition to the general work of the Confederation, the Associations gave evidence of renewed interest in local work by increased membership, regular meetings, and interesting programs for Memorial Day exercises.

Publications

An important undertaking of the CSMA was the collection and compilation of the histories of all the memorial associations, to preserve them in book form. A copy of this book, ''History of the Confederated Memorial Associations of the South'', would be placed in all the Confederate Museums and principal libraries.

Notable members

* Kate Walker Behan, president, CSMA *

Virginia Frazer Boyle Virginia Frazer Boyle (February 14, 1863 – December 13, 1938) was an American author of prose and poetry. Interested in the Confederacy, she wrote several novels and more than 100 poems that took up various aspects and presented inspirational p ...

, poet laureate, CSMA * Margaret Wootten Collier, official biographer, CSMA *

Margaret O'Connor Wilson Margaret O'Connor Wilson ( O'Connor; also known as Mrs. A. McD. Wilson; 1856–1942) was an American civic leader and philanthropist. Prominent in civic and patriotic organizations in Atlanta for many years, she was also known also for her religi ...

, president general, CSMA

Associations enrolled in the CSMA

* Southern Memorial Association — Fayetteville, Arkansas * Ladies' Memorial Association — Montgomery, Alahama * Ladies' Memorial Association — Camden, Alahama * Ladies' Memorial Association' — Gainesville, Alahama * Southern Ladies' Memorial Association — Florence, Alahama. * Ladies Memorial Association — Boligee, Alahama. * Union Springs Memorial Association — Union Springs, Alahama * White House of the Confederacy — Montgomery, Alahama * Ladies' Memorial Association — Pensacola, Florida * Ladies' Memorial Association — Quincy, Florida * Ladies' Memorial Association — Atlanta, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Augusta, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Columbus, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Marietta, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Waynesboro, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Albany, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Athens, Georgia * Washington Memorial Association — Washington, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Resaca, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Brunswick, Georgia * Ladies' Memorial Association Morgan County — Madison Georgia * Ladies' Mernorial Association — Rome, Georgia * Hancock Ladies' Memorial Association — Sparta, Georgia * Sandersville Memorial Association — Sandersville, Georgia * Americus Memorial Associatiton — Americus, Georgia * The Ladies' Memorial Association — Thomson, Georgia * The Eliza Easlon Shannon Memorial Association — View, Kentucky * Ladies' Confederate Memorial Association — New Orleans, Louisiana * Junior Confederate Memorial Association — New Orleans, Louisiana * Jefferson Davis Monument Association — New Orleans, Louisiana * Confederate Memorial Association — Baton Rouge, Louisiana * Confederate Cemetery Memorial Association — Vicksburg, Mississippi * Beauvoir Memorial Association — Greenwood, Mississippi * Jefferson Davis Home Memorial Association — Biloxi, Mississippi * Ladies' Memorial Association — Natchez, Mississippi * Confederate Memorial and Literary Society — St. Louis, Missouri * Sterling Price Memorial Association — Jefferson City, Missouri * State Monument Association — Springfield, Missouri * Blandford Memorial Association — Mexico, Missouri * Samuel S. Harris Memorial Association — Cape Girardeau, Missouri * Ladies' Memorial Association — Nevada, Missouri * Ladies' Memorial Association — Raleigh, North Carolina * Beaufort County Memorial Association — Washington, North Carolina * Ladies' Memorial Association — Fort Mill, South Carolina * Ladies' Confederate Memorial Association — Charleston, South Carolina * Ladies' Memorial Association — Knoxville Tennessee * Ladies' Memorial Association — Memphis, Tennessee * Southern Mothers — Memphis, Tennessee * Sul Boss Memorial Association — Waco, Texas * Confederate Memorial and Literary Society — Richmond, Virginia * Hollywood Memorial Association — Richmond, Virginia * Junior Hollywood Memorial Association — Richmond, Virginia * Oakwood Memorial Association— Richmond, Virginia. * Junior Oakwood Memorial Association— Richmond, Virginia. * The Warren Memorial Association — Front Royal, Virginia * Ladies' Memorial Association— Petersburg, Virginia * Manassas Memorial Association— Manassas, Virginia * Lynchburg Memorial Association — Lynchburg, Virginia * Ladies' Memorial Association — Danville, Virginia * Memorial Aid Association — Portsmouth, Virginia * New Market Memorial Association — Lexington, Virginia * Ladies Memorial Association — Winchester, Virginia

''History of the confederated memorial associations of the South'' (1904)

Alice Whiting Waterman (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Alice Whiting Waterman Amarintha Snowden (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Amarintha Snowden Annie Foster Leonard Garrard (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Annie Foster Leonard Garrard Caroline Blount Phelan Beale (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Caroline Blount Phelan Beale Daisy M. L. Hodgson (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Daisy M. L. Hodgson Eliza Bilisoly (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Eliza Bilisoly Estelle M. Hodgson (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Estelle M. Hodgson Evelyn Carter (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Evelyn Carter Fannie Barker Galloway (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Fannie Barker Galloway Julia Garside Welch (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Julia Garside Welch Lizzie Pollard (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Lizzie Pollard Lucy Mina Otey (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Lucy Mina Otey Lucy Norvell Otey (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Lucy Norvell Otey M. Louise Benton Garner-Graham (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, M. Louise Benton Garner-Graham Mary Ann Williams (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png,

Mary Ann Williams Mary Ann Williams (also known as Mrs. Charles J. Williams) (10 August 1821 – 15 April 1874) was an American woman who was the first proponent for Memorial Day, an annual holiday to decorate graves of soldiers. Biography Antebellum years ...

Mrs. C. A. Rowland (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Mrs. C. A. Rowland Mrs. F. A. Timberlake (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Mrs. F. A. Timberlake Mrs. J. C. Lee (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Mrs. J. C. Lee Mrs. J. D. Walker (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Mrs. J. D. Walker Sophie Gilmer Bibb (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Sophie Gilmer Bibb Sue H. Walker (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Sue H. Walker Theodosia Taylor Worthington Valliant (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png, Theodosia Taylor Worthington Valliant Varina Davis (History of the confederated memorial associations of the South, 1904).png,

Varina Davis Varina Anne Banks Davis ( Howell; May 7, 1826 – October 16, 1906) was the only First Lady of the Confederate States of America, and the longtime second wife of President Jefferson Davis. She moved to the presidential mansion in Richmond, ...

References

{{authority control 1900 establishments in Kentucky Cultural history of the American Civil War Lost Cause of the Confederacy Organizations based in the United States Women's organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Louisville, Kentucky