General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument facts for kids
The General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument is a special memorial in Pulaski County, Kentucky, near Nancy, Kentucky. It remembers Felix K. Zollicoffer, a Confederate general who died during the Battle of Mill Springs. General Zollicoffer was from nearby Tennessee. He fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Sadly, he was killed because he accidentally rode into the Union army's lines, thinking they were his own soldiers.
Quick facts for kids |
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Zollicoffer, Gen. Felix K., Monument
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| Location | Pulaski County, Kentucky |
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| Nearest city | Nancy, Kentucky |
| Built | 1910 |
| MPS | Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000672 |
| Added to NRHP | July 17, 1997 |
Contents
Remembering General Zollicoffer
The monument was put in place in 1910. It was built by Bennett H. Young, who was a soldier with Confederate general John Hunt Morgan. The monument helps us remember General Zollicoffer and the other Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Mill Springs.
The Special Zollicoffer Tree
Before the monument was built, there was a special tradition. Every Memorial Day, a young girl from Nancy named Dorotha Burton would decorate a white oak tree to honor Zollicoffer. This tree became known as the Zollicoffer Tree. This tradition was the reason the monument was placed just a few feet away from the tree.
In the 1990s, the original Zollicoffer Tree was hit by lightning and destroyed. But a new sapling, or young tree, was planted in its place. This new tree is also called the Zollicoffer Tree, keeping the tradition alive.
About the Monument Itself
The monument is an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall obelisk. An obelisk is a tall, four-sided stone pillar that tapers to a pyramid shape at the top. This one is made of rough limestone. The monument's description not only honors General Zollicoffer but also all the other Confederate soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Mill Springs.
A Historic Landmark
On July 17, 1997, the General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of places in the United States that are important to history. It was one of sixty-one monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky that were added at the same time.
Just a few feet away from this monument is another important historical site. It is the Confederate Mass Grave Monument in Somerset, which is also on the National Register. Another monument in Pulaski County on this list is the Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument, located north of Somerset, Kentucky.
