The Secret Specialist: William Chester Ruth and the Invention of Modern Farming

On May 1, 1865, thousands of newly freed Black Americans gathered at a former Confederate prison camp in Charleston, SC. They properly reburied 257 Union soldiers who had died in captivity, dedicating the site as “Martyrs of the Race Course.” Led by 3,000 Black school children carrying armfuls of flowers, this historic procession is recognized by historians as one of the very first Memorial Day celebrations—then called “Decoration Day.” This weekend, we honor all who made the ultimate sacrifice,