At the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln designated Aug 6, 1863, as a national day for “Thanksgiving, Praise, and Prayer” for the Union Army’s recent successes. This early proclamation set a precedent for America’s national holiday, and the observance soon settled on the final Thursday in November with communities across the north turning their attention to observing the day.1
In Elkton, on that Thursday in August, businesses suspended operations, the Cecil Whig noted. At the Methodist Episcopal Church, the congregation heard Rev. Curtis preach a sermon of thanks for the occasion. However, the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches had no services — the ministers were absent.
“The divines who minister in those churches being afflicted with ‘Secesh” generally” found it convenient to be absent when thanks in a public manner were recommended to be offered for triumphs of the “national army over thieves, pirates, and traitors,” the editor remarked. Nonetheless, those churches were made to contribute in a measure as their bells rang out merrily, joyfully praising the “Giver of All good by some of our union boys.”
Some of Elkton’s young folks, escaped the heat of the day, going down the Elk River on a fishing excursion.
Once the President settled on a regular holiday of Thanksgiving, he and Governor Bradford invited the first observance on Nov 26, 1863. The Whig hoped that all the churches would have services on that last Thursday and take up a collection to benefit the nation’s defenders. However, “the majority of the ministers of the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches in the county” were so disloyal that they always found “petty excuses” to evade the observances of the day set apart by the President.”
The editor expected nothing better of them, he remarked. Perhaps, he hoped, “the loyal men and women of the denominations cursed with rebel ministers – ministers in the service of the Devil and Jeff Davis . . .” would adopt some method of responding on this national holiday to the appeal.2
In November 1864, the newspaper reported that “this New England Sunday was observed in our town by services in most churches and good dinners after church. A show of suspending business was made and the stores semi-closed, according to the Whig.3
