Civil War monuments were erected in many Westchester communities to honor the soldiers' bravery. In Mount Vernon, the soldiers' monument was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1891. The statue is eight feet high and shows a soldier standing at parade rest.

Memorial Day itself stands as a monument to Civil War dead. Formerly called "Decoration Day," in 1867 Memorial Day was designated by the third commander-in-chief of the GAR, John Logan, as a day to decorate the graves of Union veterans.

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