Confederate Soldiers Monument (Durham, North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Confederate Soldiers Monument |
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|---|---|
| “The Boys Who Wore Gray” | |
| Year | 1924 |
| Medium |
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| Dimensions | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Condition | Partially removed |
| Location | Durham, North Carolina, United States |
| 35°59′38″N 78°53′56″W / 35.993953°N 78.899012°W | |
The Confederate Soldiers Monument was a memorial in Durham, North Carolina. People also called it "The Boys Who Wore Gray". It honored soldiers from Durham County who fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. On August 14, 2017, the statue was damaged by protestors and taken away from public view.
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What Did the Monument Look Like?
The monument was a bronze statue of a male soldier. He wore a uniform and carried a weapon. This statue stood on a base made of granite. The base also had two lampposts. There was a stack of four cannonballs next to it.
The base had words carved into it. On the front, it said, "In memory of "The boys who wore the gray". The right side read, "This memorial erected by the people of Durham County". The left side stated, "Dedicated May 10th, 1924".
Why Was the Monument Built?
The monument was put up in 1924. It was placed in front of the Old Durham County Courthouse in Durham, North Carolina. The dedication ceremony happened on May 10, 1924.
A group called the United Daughters of the Confederacy wanted the statue built. They could not pay for it themselves. So, public money was used to pay for it. This money came from local county taxes. The state government had to approve this plan.
What Happened to the Monument?
On August 14, 2017, protestors pulled the statue down. It was badly damaged during this event. This happened as part of many protests across the country. These protests followed a violent event in Charlottesville, Virginia.
More protests took place on August 18, 2017. During these protests, someone taped a piece of paper over the inscription. It made the words read "In shame of "The boys who wore the gray". Other messages were also written on the base.
The Durham police put the damaged statue into storage. A state law called the Cultural History Artifact Management and Patriotism Act of 2015 makes it hard to move or change such statues. This law says changes need permission from the North Carolina Historical Commission. It also says statues can only move to a similar public spot nearby.
What's Next for the Monument?
A special group was formed to decide what to do. It was called the Durham City-County Committee on Confederate Monuments and Memorials. This committee met in April 2018. They looked at the remaining base of the monument. They also looked at other Confederate memorials in the area.
In early 2019, the committee suggested a new idea. They recommended displaying the damaged statue inside a county building. They felt showing it in its broken state would tell an important story. Their plan also included leaving the original base where it was. They wanted to add outdoor markers there. These markers would honor Union soldiers and enslaved people. The Durham County Commission still needs to approve this idea.
County officials removed the base of the monument. This happened between midnight and 3:00 AM on August 11, 2020. It was taken to a secret location.
Images for kids
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The monument in 2005
