Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Indianapolis) facts for kids
North face of the monument in 2017
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| Coordinates | 39°43′51″N 86°08′38″W / 39.73074°N 86.14397°W |
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| Location | Garfield Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, US |
| Material | Granite |
| Width | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Height | 35–40 feet (11–12 m) |
| Completion date | 1912 (at Greenlawn Cemetery) 1928 (moved to Garfield Park) |
| Dismantled date | June 8, 2020 |
The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was a large stone monument. It stood in Garfield Park in Indianapolis for almost 100 years. This monument honored Confederate soldiers who died as prisoners of war at Camp Morton. It was about 35 feet (11 m) tall. This made it the most noticeable Confederate memorial in Indiana, a state that supported the Union during the Civil War. In June 2020, the city of Indianapolis took the monument down. This happened after many discussions. It was part of a national movement to remove Confederate memorials. This movement grew during the Black Lives Matter protests.
Contents
What Was Camp Morton?
The Civil War began in 1861. Soon after, the Indiana State Fairgrounds became Camp Morton. It was a training camp for Union soldiers. In 1862, the U.S. government took over the camp. They turned it into a prison for Confederate soldiers.
Camp Morton quickly became one of the largest prison camps. At its busiest in 1864, it held nearly 5,000 prisoners. Conditions were very tough there. There was not enough space, poor sanitation, and not enough food. Many prisoners got sick and did not get good medical care. Because of this, many prisoners died. By the end of the war, over 1,700 prisoners had died at Camp Morton.
About the Monument
The monument was made of white granite. It was about 35–40 feet (11–12 m) tall and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. It was placed near the south entrance of Garfield Park.
On the front of the monument, there was an important message. It said the monument was built by the United States. It marked the burial place of 1,616 Confederate soldiers and sailors. These soldiers died as prisoners of war. Their exact graves could not be found. The monument also had six large bronze plates. These plates listed the names and military groups of the soldiers who died.
History of the Monument
How the Monument Started
After the Civil War, some Confederate soldiers' bodies were returned to their families. But 1,616 soldiers were buried together in a large grave. This grave was at Greenlawn Cemetery.
In 1909, a former Confederate general named William C. Oats visited Indianapolis. He tried to find the specific graves of the soldiers. But he could not, because a fire had destroyed the old records. So, General Oats suggested building one monument. This monument would list the names of all the soldiers.
In 1909, a company called Van Amringe Granite Company was chosen to build it. The U.S. Congress gave $6,000 for the project. In 1911, the monument was dedicated at Greenlawn Cemetery. About 300 people attended the Memorial Day service.
Moving the Monument
In 1919, Indiana Senator Harry Elliott Negley suggested moving the monument. He thought it should be in a public park. Officials looked at a few parks, including Garfield Park. They decided Garfield Park was the best new home.
The monument was moved from the cemetery to Garfield Park. It was officially re-dedicated on Memorial Day in 1929. The bodies of the Confederate dead were moved again in 1931. They were reburied at a new spot called the Confederate Mound. This new spot is in Crown Hill National Cemetery. A small grave marker was placed there, but it did not list names. There was talk of moving the monument to Crown Hill Cemetery too, but it never happened.
Caring for the Monument
In the early 1990s, a group called the local Sons of Confederate Veterans wanted to move the monument. They wanted it to be at Crown Hill Cemetery. This would place it closer to the actual graves of the soldiers. They were not able to move the monument. However, their efforts led to a new memorial being placed at Crown Hill. This new memorial was installed in 1993. It has 10 new markers with bronze plaques. These plaques list all the soldiers' names and their military groups.
In 2014, the Sons of Confederate Veterans worked with Indy Parks. They planned to fix up the monument, which was getting old. The Indy Parks board agreed to let the group raise money for the repairs.
In 2015, the Friends of Garfield Park started a new audio tour. This tour included information about the monument. Special markers were placed in the park for the tour.
Taking the Monument Down
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After public discussions in 2017, the Indy Parks and Recreation board suggested removing the monument. But the city did not provide money or plans to take it down at that time.
On June 4, 2020, there were many protests in Indianapolis. These protests were part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Mayor Joe Hogsett then announced that the city would remove the monument. He said the monument belonged in a museum, not a public park. He also said that no museum had offered to take it.
City workers dismantled and removed the monument on the morning of June 8, 2020. The monument was originally built in 1912 for Greenlawn Cemetery. It honored Confederate soldiers who died at Camp Morton. In 1928, some public officials worked to move the monument to Garfield Park. They wanted it to be more visible. The decision to remove the monument was made in 2017. But it was not funded until Mayor Joe Hogsett announced its removal in 2020.
Images for kids
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North face of the monument in 2017
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Inscription on the monument
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Modern tour marker near the monument's former site
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Plaque listing names on the monument
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A construction crew breaking up the monument's base in June 2020
