An effort is underway for Memorial Day services in Sampson County to no longer include mention of the Civil War.
Retired educator Larry Sutton, who is also president of the Sampson County Chapter of the NAACP, brought the idea to Sampson County Veterans Services Director Ann Knowles and County Manager Allen Vann during a meeting Thursday morning.
“It wasn’t worked out by far, but we are having a conversation about my concerns over the Civil War,” Sutton told The Sampson Independent in a phone interview. “My question is, should the Confederate veterans be part of a Memorial Day service here in 2026?”
Specifically, Sutton is advocating for the removal of the names of soldiers from Sampson County who died during the Civil War, which are usually read aloud as part of the annual Memorial Day event at Veterans Park.
“My concern is a question that comes down to: ‘Should Confederate Civil War veterans be honored at a Memorial Day service because at the time of their deaths, they were no longer Americans?’” Sutton related. “Why would we want to honor people who were basically traitors?”
He added that he’s well aware that the long-deceased veterans have descendants that are still around the area, and acknowledged that he knew many would not be happy with his efforts.
“He did not just want the Confederate soldiers’ names removed but the Union soldiers also,” Knowles said. “He did not want any names from the Civil War called during the Memorial Day ceremony. I tried to explain that there were Black and white soldiers that died in the Civil War, and that we do not know the race of any of the soldiers’ names that we call out for the Civil War Registry.”
When asked how the idea to change the Memorial Day ceremony came about, Sutton responded, “It came about from participating in Memorial Day services in the past. I know the names are read of those who have fallen, but when it comes to the Civil War, they don’t say whether they were Confederate or Union soldiers, and I just feel like this process should be stopped.”
Sutton said he would accept the Civil War veterans’ names being called if Knowles were to read a disclaimer prior to the list. She declined to do so, however, stating, “We honor all soldiers that lost their lives in service.”
Knowles did agree to contact the State Archives, which is where the list of Civil War soldiers was gleaned from in the late 1970s. “I am not expecting them to give me a list that will not be the same as I have already received,” she stated.
In addition to Knowles, Sutton and the county manager, the meeting was attended by members of the Sampson County Veterans Council, including the council’s president, Sgt. Major Willie Mitchell (retired, US Army), and past presidents, Sgt. Major David D. Underwood, Sgt. Robert Brown, and Marshall Thornton. Vann deferred comment on the meeting to Knowles, stating that he was tied up in budget meetings for the rest of the week. Of the others present, only Thornton commented during the meeting, saying he felt the ceremony should remain as is. “All who fought should be recognized,” he said.
Knowles stressed that this year’s Memorial Day ceremony will continue as it has for the past 30-plus years. “There has been a Memorial Day program in Sampson County to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to our country, since there have been VFW and American Legion posts in this county,” she said. “We will continue to honor all veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice to our country at a Memorial Day program, and we invite everyone to come to the program to remember those who gave their life for our country.”
She said she plans to meet with Sutton again when she receives more information from the State Archives.
Sutton, for his part, plans to speak at the county commissioners meeting in May to further state his concerns on the matter. “It’s just a conversation right now,” he said. “And it’s a conversation I hope will continue for some time through various platforms.”