Where and how did Anna Ella Carroll Day begin?

The first memorial ceremony for Anna

Ella Carroll was held in 1894 shortly after her burial. They were

conducted annually at her graveside by Union Veterans from the

Delmarva region of Maryland. After World War I as their numbers

dwindled they were joined by Army Veterans and later still by

members of The Daughters of The American Revolution (DAR).

Inspired then by the upcoming 100TH

Anniversary of The Civil War, The Salisbury (Maryland) Times

reported on February 6, 1959 "This past summer the Maryland Society

of Pennsylvania unveiled a monument at her grave at Old Trinity

Church, near Church Creek, Maryland." And, on Aug. 13, 1958,

Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor of Maryland, proclaimed Aug. 29,

1958 as Anna Ella Carroll Day in Maryland. This may be only the

beginning. With the great anniversary of the Civil War but a short

time in the future, we can expect to hear more about the role Miss

Carroll played in saving the Union."

It was at this time an effort was

underway within the Maryland State Legislature to have Anna Ella

Carroll Day declared a State Holiday. The first series of

observances which started in 1894 continued for more than 70 years

after her death. Although they faded sometime during the late

1960's many citizens in Dorchester County never gave up hope that

one day Miss Carroll would receive the congressional recognition

she unjustly deprived of by politics as usual in Washington,

DC.

It Dorchester County Maryland where

she lies buried, country school "marms" quietly supporting Women's

suffrage while not wanting to disagree with husbands chose to

simply include her story within their studies about Civil War

history; this continued locally into the 1970's.

Anna Ella Carroll Day was reborn in

2010, only by coincidence in time for the Sesquicentennial (150TH)

Observance of The Civil War, when a group Dorchester County

citizens discovered that a full length motion picture based on her

true life story had recently been made. After contacting the

producer (Bruce Bridegroom), he came to Dorchester County for them

to see his film and he allowed them to critique it. In a heartfelt

gesture he gave them the right to host its World Premiere which was

held on November 20th 2010 at The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Resort

in Cambridge. It was at that time directors of the Women in

Military Service to America National Memorial at Arlington

Cemetery, The Maryland Women's Heritage Center in Baltimore, and

descendants of the Carroll Family asked the group to further

represent Anna Ella Carroll during our nations observance of the

Sesquicentennial of The Civil War. Thus, Anna Ella Carroll Day was

reborn.