Confederate Monument in Cynthiana
Encyclopedia
The Confederate Monument in Cynthiana is located on the outer edge of Cynthiana, Kentucky
in Battle Grove Cemetery. It was the first monument to the Confederate States of America
dedicated in the State of Kentucky
, and long believed to be the first Confederate memorial anywhere. Due to the 32nd Indiana Monument
having been moved from its original location, the Cynthiana monument is the oldest monument still standing at its original location, located where the second Battle of Cynthiana
started, in the then-new town cemetery.
The Cynthiana Confederate Monument Association, a group of women, spearheaded the movement to build the monument, although the money required to build it came from men. It was built in 1869 by the Muldoon Monument Company of Louisville, Kentucky
, at the cost of $2,200. The white marble
obelisk
stands 22 feet (6.7 m) high on a four square foot limestone
base three feet high (25 feet high combined), with a Confederate flag
draped atop it. The graves of 47 Confederate veterans who died during the Civil War
, many of whom are unknown, and a substantial number of John Hunt Morgan
's 2nd Kentucky Cavalry who twice raided the town of Cynthiana during the War, were transferred from another cemetery to encircle the monument. David M. Snyder died in 1896, and per his wishes to be buried with his companions, was placed as part of the circle. The Cynthiana monument set the tone of many of the first Bluegrass monuments in the Confederacy, being reminiscent of death, particularly grave markers. This is best represented by the Confederate Monument of Bowling Green
, Confederate Monument at Crab Orchard
, Confederate Monument in Georgetown
, and the Confederate Monument in Versailles
.
On the back of the monument is a verse from the Bivouac of the Dead
, which six other monuments would also include a verse from.
The Cynthiana Democrat said the monument was not just for the local citizenry, but "for every man and every nation, whose children and whose people have shed blood in defense of their Homes, in defense of their country, in defense of Justice and Truth".
The dedication ceremony for the monument, held on May 27, 1869, involved a parade, speeches, and food. Colonel W. C. P. Breckinridge gave the dedication speech, highlighting the virtue of the Confederate cause and the bravery of its soldiers.
On July 17, 1997, the Cynthiana monument was one of sixty-two monuments included in the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS.
Cynthiana, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile...
in Battle Grove Cemetery. It was the first monument to the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
dedicated in the State of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and long believed to be the first Confederate memorial anywhere. Due to the 32nd Indiana Monument
32nd Indiana Monument
The 32nd Indiana Monument, also known as the August Bloedner Monument, is located in Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. It honors the fallen soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as the "1st German," at the Battle of Rowlett's Station, near...
having been moved from its original location, the Cynthiana monument is the oldest monument still standing at its original location, located where the second Battle of Cynthiana
Battle of Cynthiana
The Second Battle of Cynthiana included three separate engagements during the American Civil War that were fought on June 11 and 12, 1864, in Harrison County, Kentucky, in and near the town of Cynthiana. This was part of Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's 1864 Raid into Kentucky...
started, in the then-new town cemetery.
The Cynthiana Confederate Monument Association, a group of women, spearheaded the movement to build the monument, although the money required to build it came from men. It was built in 1869 by the Muldoon Monument Company of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, at the cost of $2,200. The white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
stands 22 feet (6.7 m) high on a four square foot limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
base three feet high (25 feet high combined), with a Confederate flag
Flags of the Confederate States of America
There were only three flag designs adopted, with later, minor variants made to those designs, that served as the official national flags of the Confederate States of America and used during its existence from 1861 to 1865...
draped atop it. The graves of 47 Confederate veterans who died during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, many of whom are unknown, and a substantial number of John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
's 2nd Kentucky Cavalry who twice raided the town of Cynthiana during the War, were transferred from another cemetery to encircle the monument. David M. Snyder died in 1896, and per his wishes to be buried with his companions, was placed as part of the circle. The Cynthiana monument set the tone of many of the first Bluegrass monuments in the Confederacy, being reminiscent of death, particularly grave markers. This is best represented by the Confederate Monument of Bowling Green
Confederate Monument of Bowling Green
The Confederate Monument of Bowling Green, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is among the sixty-one monuments of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission, all of which became part of the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997...
, Confederate Monument at Crab Orchard
Confederate Monument at Crab Orchard
The Confederate Monument in Crab Orchard in Lincoln County, Kentucky, near Crab Orchard, Kentucky, commemorates the fallen Confederate soldiers of nearby states. Many of those buried here died at the Battle of Wildcat Mountain....
, Confederate Monument in Georgetown
Confederate Monument in Georgetown
The Confederate Monument in Georgetown is within the Georgetown Cemetery of Georgetown, Kentucky. It is an unpolished granite obelisk that is twenty feet tall, surrounded by the graves of eighteen former Confederate soldiers. The various reliefs upon the obelisk include crossed cannons, crossed...
, and the Confederate Monument in Versailles
Confederate Monument in Versailles
The Confederate Monument, in the city cemetery of Versailles, Kentucky, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS....
.
On the back of the monument is a verse from the Bivouac of the Dead
Bivouac of the Dead
The Bivouac of the Dead is a poem written by Theodore O'Hara to honor his fellow soldiers from Kentucky who died in the Mexican-American War...
, which six other monuments would also include a verse from.
The Cynthiana Democrat said the monument was not just for the local citizenry, but "for every man and every nation, whose children and whose people have shed blood in defense of their Homes, in defense of their country, in defense of Justice and Truth".
The dedication ceremony for the monument, held on May 27, 1869, involved a parade, speeches, and food. Colonel W. C. P. Breckinridge gave the dedication speech, highlighting the virtue of the Confederate cause and the bravery of its soldiers.
On July 17, 1997, the Cynthiana monument was one of sixty-two monuments included in the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS.