Confederate Monument (Franklin, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Confederate Monument |
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| Chip | |
The Confederate Monument in 2016
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| Year | 1899 |
| Medium | Italian marble |
| Location | Williamson County Courthouse, Franklin, Tennessee |
| 35°55′31″N 86°52′08″W / 35.92528°N 86.86889°W | |
| Owner | United Daughters of the Confederacy |
The Confederate Monument, also known as Chip, is a statue located in Franklin, Tennessee. You can find it on the grounds of the Williamson County Courthouse. It was put in place in 1899. The monument is made of Italian marble and shows a single Confederate soldier standing on top of a tall column. This area was important during the American Civil War, as the Battle of Franklin took place nearby.
Contents
History of the Monument
Building the Monument
The Confederate Monument stands very tall. The soldier statue itself is about 6 feet, 6 inches high. It sits on a column and base made of granite and marble, which together reach about 37 feet, 8 inches. The entire monument cost nearly $2,700 to build in the late 1890s.
The monument was officially dedicated on November 30, 1899. It was put up by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). This group was made up of women who worked to remember and honor Confederate soldiers. They helped fund cemeteries and wrote books about the war. Important people attended the dedication, including Confederate General George Gordon and Tennessee Governor Benton McMillin.
Keeping the Monument in Good Shape
The City of Franklin has worked to keep the monument looking good over the years. It was restored in 1980, costing $750. The city restored it again in 2010. At that time, the mayor, John Schroer, said that the monument was "an important piece of the city of Franklin."
Discussions About the Monument
In August 2017, people started talking about whether the monument should stay or be moved. Some people signed a petition asking for it to be removed. Others signed a petition to keep it in place. Both petitions gathered thousands of signatures.
Moving the monument is not simple. Franklin's city administrator, Eric Stuckey, explained that a law called the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act prevents the city from moving it without permission. This permission must come from the Tennessee Historical Commission. As of December 2018, the discussion about the monument's future was being handled in court.
What the Monument Says
The monument has several messages carved into its stone. Here are some of the main parts:
- "ERECTED TO / CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS / BY FRANKLIN CHAPTER / NO. 14 / DAUGHTERS OF / THE CONFEDERACY / NOV. 30, A.D. 1899"
* This part tells us who built the monument (the Daughters of the Confederacy) and when (November 30, 1899). It also says it was built for Confederate soldiers.
- "IN HONOR AND MEMORY / OF OUR HEROES / BOTH PRIVATE AND CHIEF / OF THE / SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY. / NO COUNTRY EVER HAD / TRUER SONS, / NO CAUSE / NOBLER CHAMPIONS, / NO PEOPLE / BOLDER DEFENDERS / THAN THE BRAVE SOLDIERS / TO WHOSE MEMORY / THIS STONE IS ERECTED.”
* This message honors the soldiers of the Southern Confederacy. It calls them "heroes," "truer sons," "nobler champions," and "bolder defenders."
- “WOULD IT BE / A BLAME FOR US / IF THEIR MEMORY PART / FROM OUR LAND AND HEARTS / AND A WRONG TO THEM / AND A SHAME TO US. / THE GLORIES THEY WON / SHALL NOT WANE FROM US. / IN LEGEND AND LAY, OUR HEROES IN GRAY / SHALL EVER LIVE / OVER AGAIN FOR US.”
* This part talks about the importance of remembering the soldiers. It suggests it would be wrong to forget them and that their stories should live on.
- “WE WHO SAW AND KNEW THEM WELL / ARE WITNESSES / TO COMING AGES / OF THEIR VALOR / AND FIDELITY. / TRIED AND TRUE. GLORY DROWNED / 1861-1865"
* This final section states that those who knew the soldiers can tell future generations about their bravery and loyalty. The dates 1861-1865 refer to the years of the American Civil War.
The monument also includes a special marker from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This marker notes that in 1931, the monument was 648.82 feet above sea level.
