Confederate War Memorial (Dallas) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Confederate War Memorial |
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Confederate War Memorial seen in 2007
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| Year | 1896 |
| Dimensions | 20 m (65 ft ) |
| Location | Dallas, Texas, United States |
| 32°46′32″N 96°47′59″W / 32.775559°N 96.799631°W | |
The Confederate War Memorial was a tall monument in Dallas, Texas. It was about 65 foot (20 m) (20 meters) high. The monument honored soldiers and sailors from Texas. These individuals fought for the Confederate States of America (CSA) during the American Civil War.
The monument was officially opened in 1897. Its first stone was placed the year before. It was first located in Sullivan Park, which is now called Old City Park. This park is near downtown Dallas. In 1961, the monument was moved. It went to Pioneer Park Cemetery, close to the Dallas Convention Center.
In 2017, many Confederate monuments were being removed. The City of Dallas created a group to decide what to do with this memorial. In February 2019, the Dallas City Council voted to remove it. However, a court stopped the removal. In June 2020, the court allowed the city to remove the monument. It was then put into storage. The monument was taken down later that same month.
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What Does the Confederate War Memorial Look Like?
The monument was made from granite and marble. The figures on it were made of Italian marble. A tall pillar, 60 feet high, rose into the sky. A Confederate soldier statue stood at the very top.
The letters "CSA" were carved on the front of the base. This stands for Confederate States of America. Below these letters was the word "Confederate." There was also a special stone dedicating the monument. A small medal of William Lewis Cabell was also on the base. He was known by his nickname, "Old Tige."
The other three sides of the monument honored different military groups. These were the cavalry (soldiers on horseback), infantry (foot soldiers), and naval forces (sailors). Around the base were statues of important CSA generals. These included Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Albert Sidney Johnston. There was also a statue of Jefferson Davis, who was the president of the CSA. These men were leaders of the Confederate States of America. This group of states left the United States, which led to the American Civil War in 1861.
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Albert Johnston
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Robert E. Lee
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Stonewall Jackson
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Jefferson Davis
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Confederate Soldier
Messages on the Monument
The monument had several messages carved into its sides. On the south side, below the medal, it said something about "Southern cannon." The north side had an anchor and spoke about "Confederate seamen." It also said, "This stone shall crumble into dust ere the deathless devotion of Southern women be forgotten."
The west side had crossed swords carved on it. The message there was about "Confederate sabreur," which means a cavalry soldier. The east side showed crossed rifles. The message on this side praised "Confederate infantry."
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Cavalry inscription
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Infantry inscription
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Naval inscription
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Memorial dedication inscription
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Daughters of Confederacy inscription
The History of the Monument
The monument was designed by Frank Teich. He was made an honorary member of the Dallas chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) in 1896. This group helped dedicate the first stone of the monument on June 25, 1896.
Thousands of people attended the monument's dedication on April 29, 1897. Many Confederate veterans were there, including Colonel William Lyne Crawford. The Texas governor, Charles Allen Culberson, also attended.
Katie Doswell Cabell was president of the Texas Division of the UDC at this time. Her father, William Lewis Cabell, was honored on the monument. He was a Confederate veteran and served as mayor of Dallas three times. His grandson, Earle Cabell, was mayor of Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
The monument was moved in 1961. This happened because of construction on the R.L. Thornton Freeway. It was moved from Sullivan Park to Pioneer Park. The monument was rededicated on April 29, 1962. Earle Cabell was expected to be there.
The Dallas UDC chapter started a project to fix up the monument in 1992. It was rededicated again on October 12, 1997. Before it was removed, many thought it was the oldest public sculpture in Dallas.
In 2017, events in Charlottesville, Virginia, led to many Confederate monuments being removed. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings asked a group to decide what to do with the memorial. In April 2018, a group called Return to Lee Park formed. They filed lawsuits to stop the removal of this memorial and another statue.
On February 13, 2019, the Dallas City Council voted to remove the War Memorial. Even though Pioneer Park Cemetery is historic, the city decided the monument had no real connection to the cemetery. It had been moved there long after the last person was buried in 1921. After the vote, the monument was covered and blocked off.
Another statue, Robert E. Lee on Traveller, was later removed and sold. The money from that sale was planned to pay for the War Memorial's removal. However, in June 2019, Return to Lee Park again stopped the removal. They argued the city had not followed certain laws. A judge agreed and stopped the removal indefinitely.
In May 2020, the killing of George Floyd led to many protests across the United States. Some protests involved damaging or removing Confederate monuments. On June 11, 2020, the city asked the court for permission to remove the War Memorial quickly. They worried about people getting hurt if the monument fell during a protest.
The next day, the court allowed the immediate removal of the monument. It was to be stored while the legal case continued. By June 24, 2020, the statues and most parts of the monument were moved. They were taken to the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex for storage. The main pillar was removed later that same week.
Images for kids
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Empty slab after the monument was removed in 2020
