In Charleston, South Carolina, a group of African Americans, freed slaves, and Union soldiers came together to honor the Union dead who fell at the Washington race course prisoner of war camp. They organized a procession and ceremony, laying flowers on the graves of the 257 Union soldiers who died in the camp. This event, which took place on May 1st, 1865, is considered to be the first Memorial Day in the United States, and it marked a significant moment in American history as African Americans came together to remember and honor the sacrifices of their fellow soldiers.
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