Reflections on the First Memorial Day - May 30, 1868

by Jim Kenaston

James Augustus Kenaston

1864

One of my great, great, great grandfathers, James Augustus Kenaston, was among those to observe the first Memorial Day on May 30, 1868. James was one of fifteen of his extended family members to serve in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a member of the United Brethren Church and held to its doctrine of “conscientious objection.” In light of this, he enlisted on June 1, 1864 to serve as a medic with Company H of the 44th Regiment of the Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He served in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was put in charge of a convalescent camp for the 54th Regiment stationed there. On September 15, 1864, due to his own ill health at the time, he was given an honorable discharge. He received $21.67 for his 100 days of service.[1]

The first Memorial Day sought to help console the families of an estimated 620,000 soldiers who died in the line of duty on both sides of the war. Within James’ extended family there was much need for consolation. Three family members had been wounded in battle (James’ brother-in-law at the Siege of Vicksburg, a nephew at the Battle of Gettysburg, and another nephew at the Battle of Lookout Mountain). Three other extended family members died of wounds sustained in battle (a brother at the Siege of Vicksburg, a nephew at “The Wheatfields” of Gettysburg, and yet another nephew at the Battle of Cold Harbor). Two more of James’ nephews are believed to have died of disease while serving in the Union Army (one in Georgia and the other in Tennessee).[2]

We do not have a clear picture of why each member of the family fought for the Union Army. Whatever their views were on the issues of the day, it may be that they, much like ourselves, were simply a product of their time and happened to live in a place where their service was required. Alternatively, they may have been quite deliberate in their choices. Whatever the case, we wonder whether their generation could have found another way to resolve their conflicts. Subjugating the south by force did not change many hearts, but rather led to a hundred years of simmering resentments and the imposition of Jim Crow laws throughout the region. That is not to say that racism found no expression in the north, as it clearly had and still does, even to this day.

The point of this background is not to launch into a discussion for or against reparations, the eugenics movement, the organization Black Lives Matter, Critical Race Theory, or other such topics that come to mind. While I have my opinions surrounding these things, it may be more useful to shift away from politics (or political theater) and toward the condition of our hearts and how we might avoid recreating the mistakes of the past.

With the Civil War we saw southerners who were willing to dehumanize others in order to justify a status quo of relative comfort for themselves. We also saw northerners who were content to exploit the southern economy for the sake of industrialization (and a status quo of comforts within their own region). Neither side deeply questioned the life of comfort they each sought. We might question ourselves along these lines, and how our lifestyle status quo may be denying the very life or livelihood of others, as well as the prospects for future generations.

Christians are taught to “pick up your cross and follow Christ” and to “pray for those who persecute you,” yet we currently seem more bent on defending our perceived rights in the public square and maintaining our standard of living. Perhaps we think we will bring about the kingdom of God through power politics and the subjugation of our political enemies. This approach did not lead to peace for the generation that fought the Civil War and commemorated the first Memorial Day.

These questions are as hard for me as it may be for others, though how do we imagine that we will advance Christ’s kingdom by seeking to overpower our political enemies by force of will? How might we begin to help change hearts instead? Can we participate in society (and in the public square) for the benefit of others while letting go of our self-serving agendas? Or more basically: during our limited time on this earth, what does it mean to “pick up our cross to follow Christ”?

As we pause to honor those we have lost to our past wars, perhaps we should consider these questions anew, hoping to avert further such tragedies while we seek to solve the pressing problems of today.

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1, 2 Kenaston, Jim and Warren, Judy K. (2020) A Bird’s-Eye View: Reflections on Our Shared History. Retrieved from: Chapter 9: Nicholas Yager.