In here letter to the President, Hale continued, "You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution."
Unlike several of his predecessors who ignored her petitions, President Lincoln responded to Mrs. Hale's request immediately. Lincoln's proclamation set the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise" for the entire nation.
And so today, the first national day of Thanksgiving was observed by many of the Union troops stations at New Iberia. The dinner eaten that day was only slightly better than usual. However, public services were held and most of the troops of the Fourth Division of the Thirteenth Corps participated.
Unlike several of his predecessors who ignored her petitions, President Lincoln responded to Mrs. Hale's request immediately. Lincoln's proclamation set the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise" for the entire nation.
And so today, the first national day of Thanksgiving was observed by many of the Union troops stations at New Iberia. The dinner eaten that day was only slightly better than usual. However, public services were held and most of the troops of the Fourth Division of the Thirteenth Corps participated.
A platform was erected in an open field for the speakers. Instrumental music was played by one of the brass bands in the division. All of the speakers expressed their full confidence in the Union cause and their eventual Union victory.
Charles Johnson shared this memory of the service:
At the close of the service all joined in singing the Doxology, and the air rang with a full chorus made up of thousands of male voices.
