Mary Jane Green

Mary Jane Green. Founder of The Ladies Memorial Association for proper burial of Confederate dead. At the age of 70, Mary Jane Green joined Atlanta Chapter 18 United Daughters of the Confederacy as a charter member on the record of her own service. The UDC stipulated that a woman could join “who can give proof of personal service and loyal aide to the Southern cause during the war.” So what did Miss Green do to make her eligible?, Her story begins numerous years prior to 1895. Fierce and bloody battles happened on May 14 and 15, 1864 , the Battle of Resaca. The Confederates did not have time to bury their dead and many bodies had little to no dirt over them, while others were placed in shallow makeshift graves., When the Green family returned to the home in 1866, they were amazed at the graves that were scattered on their property, some with even bones exposed. Moved by this site, Mary Jane decided that these Confederate soldiers would receive the proper burial they deserved in a Confederate soldiers' cemetery. She had no idea where she would get the land or funds, so she formed the Ladies Memorial Association on July 4, 1866 to help make her vision a reality, Mary Jane petitioned and appealed to the women of Georgia to send aid to bury her heroes. She then compiled a list of names and regiments of the dead of other states and had this published in many different newspapers across the South. Money began coming in from the war-torn South until $2,000 was raised. Mary Jane also received heartfelt letters from mothers, daughters, wives and sisters of the fallen men that expressed their thanks to her for giving their loved ones a proper burial., Mary Jane's father gave her 2.5 acres for the Confederate cemetery. Now with land and the funds, she began the painstaking process of re-interring the dead. The burial plots were pre-planned and arranged so that each state would have her dead in one area. The unidentified were placed in a central location around large granite cross stating “To the Unknown Dead.”, This project which had begun in July, 1866 was completed in October of the same year, with the dedication being held on October 25. This cemetery tied as the first exclusive Confederate cemetery in the country, with the other being in Virginia., Faced with a debt of $500, Mary Jane traveled to Atlanta to petition the Georgia General Assembly for the money. The members listened to this patriotic, courageous lady when she stated she “prayed the Legislature would help them.” Mary Jane was the first known lady to appear before a Georgia Legislature. Her petition granted her not only the $500 that was requested, but an additional $3,500. The Legislature asked Mary Jane that once she was finished at Resaca to undertake the reburial of the Confederate dead at Chickamauga., This brings us back to the beginning of the story. Miss Green wrote on her UDC application, “I am the daughter of John F. Green. My present address is Atlanta, GÁ.I was born in Georgetown, SC.I was in Confederate service in 1864 as Matron in the Ocmulgee Hospital, Macon, Georgia, Dr. Chaille of New Orleans, Surgeon, in charge, I had under my care a ward of 70 men, sick and wounded. After the war, I was engaged in the burial of those who fell at Resaca and later was appointed by the State (Georgia) to remove the dead from the battlefield of Chickamauga also.”, Mary Jane Green died on January 2, 1924 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta., Note The Confederate soldiers removed from the Chickamauga Battlefield were buried at the Marietta Confederate Cemetery located in Marietta, Georgia., Captions: , Left: Mary Jane Green , Center: Dedication of UDC commemorative marker at the Resaca Confederate Cemetery.