The Confederate dead who now reside at Soldiers’ Rest at Cedar Hill Cemetery will be remembered Sunday with a special program presented by the John C. Pemberton Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

“The program starts at 2 p.m. and is part of the observance of Confederate Memorial Day, which is Monday,” said Edward Campbell, commander of the Pemberton camp. “Gov. Phil Bryant has declared April Confederate Heritage Day because the Civil War began and ended in April, and so we’ve been doing more programs this month.

Confederate burials in Soldiers’ rest include representatives from every state of the Confederacy and several northerners who joined the southern fight. Among the ranks is Gen. John S. Bowen who died of disease following the 47-day Siege of Vicksburg in 1863.

“We have selected a soldier from each of the states represented in Soldiers’ Rest,” he said. “Each member has researched a soldier’s life and will give a brief program on that soldier. Not all of them were involved in the siege, but were involved in some way in the Vicksburg Campaign.”

Some of the soldiers presented during the program might have been wounded at other battles in the campaign — Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, Champion Hill, Big Black River or Raymond, he said.

“Vicksburg was a hospital city, so they may have died of their wounds or from disease in the hospital here,” Campbell said.

The Confederate Memorial Day program is in its second year, Campbell said.

“We hope to make it an annual event.”

People attending the event are asked to being lawn chairs. The program will be moved to the Disabled Veterans of America building at 216 Miller St. in the event of rain.