Rankin County Confederate Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rankin County Confederate Monument
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Confederate monument with Rankin County Courthouse in background
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Brandon, Mississippi |
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| NRHP reference No. | 97000797 |
| Added to NRHP | August 1, 1997 |
The Rankin County Confederate Monument is a special memorial in Brandon, Mississippi. It stands in the town square where Government and North streets meet. This monument was built in 1907. A group called the United Daughters of the Confederacy put it there. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1997. This means it's an important historical site.
What the Monument Looks Like
This monument is very tall, about 37 feet high. At the top, there is a seven-foot-tall statue. It shows a soldier from the Confederate side. The soldier is made of granite and faces west, as if looking out.
The statue stands on a marble pillar. This pillar has a stepped base. Below the soldier, on the west side of the pillar, there is a carving. This carving shows a crossed rifle, a bayonet, and a sword. The base of the monument has poetry written on it.
Messages on the Monument
Poetry is carved into each side of the square base. All the words are in capital letters. We don't know who wrote the poems.
The monument also says that the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy built it. It also mentions E.J. Martin. He was a grand master of a local Masonic group. He helped lay the first stone for the monument.
- North side: "States' rights and home rule truth crushed to the Earth will rise again. Men die, principles live forever. Although conquered we adore it; weep for those who fell before it; pardon for those who trailed and tore it."
- South side: "Love's tribute to the noble men who marched neath the folds of the 'Stars and Bars' and who were faithful to the end. / 'Under the sod & dew, waiting for the judgment day.'"
- East side: "To those who wore the grey, in legend and in lay our heroes in grey, shall forever live over again for us. / The epitaph of the soldier who falls with his country, is written in the hearts of those who love the right and honor the brave."
- West side: "Lord God of Hosts be with us yet lest we forget, lest we forget."
Why This Monument Was Built
This monument helps us understand history. Local stories say it marks a special spot. This is where General Sherman's troops supposedly stacked their weapons. This happened during the Siege of Brandon.
Many similar monuments were built in the South. This happened between about 1870 and World War I. They showed a renewed sense of regional identity. The Rankin County monument is a bit different. Most monuments face north. But this one faces west. This is the direction Union troops came from during the Siege of Brandon.
See also
