Confederate Monument, (sculpture).

Confederate Monument, (sculpture).

O'Donovan, William Rudolf, 1844-1920, sculptor.

Power, Maurice J., 1838-1902, founder.

Lineham, contractor.

National Fine Art Foundry, founder.

Confederate Monument, (sculpture).

To the Confederate Dead, (sculpture).

Dedicated May 10, 1872.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite and marble.

Sculpture: approx. H. 5 ft. 10 in.; Base: approx. 7 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. x 6 ft.

(On front of base, incised lettering:) TO THE/CONFEDERATE/DEAD

A Civil War soldier stands at parade rest with his musket resting stock down at his proper left foot, the barrel held in his hands at his chest. He wears a billed cap and a knee-length coat. The sculpture is mounted atop a granite base with a marble cornice and die. Bronze bas-relief medallions are attached to the front and the rear of the die. The front medallion bears the bust of General Robert E. Lee in proper right profile. A wreath is depicted around the bust. The rear medallion features General Stonewall Jackson. The base rests on a circular series of steps with a plaque inset near the front bottom of the steps. The sculpture is enclosed by an iron fence with gates at the front and rear.

History -- United States -- Civil War

Figure male -- Full length

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Dress -- Uniform -- Military Uniform

Portrait male -- Lee, Robert E. -- Bust

Portrait male -- Jackson, Stonewall

Occupation -- Military -- General

Occupation -- Education

Outdoor Sculpture -- North Carolina -- Wilmington

Oakdale Cemetery Company, Oakdale Cemetery, 520 North 15th Street, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401

The sculpture honors the Confederate dead and marks the mass grave of 467 Confederate soldiers. The Ladies Memorial Association of Wilmington led a campaign to retrieve the remains of Confederate soldiers and to move them to a common grave in Oakdale Cemetery. On December 15, 1867 the Oakdale Cemetery donated a lot to the Association for the mass burial. The grave was enclosed with an iron railing. In July of 1869, the Ladies Memorial Association began soliciting contributions for a sculpture to mark the grave. The sculpture and bas-reliefs, designed by the artist, were executed by Maurice J. Power at his National Fine Art Foundry in New York. The granite for the base was furnished from a North Carolina quarry by Lineham. At some point the sculpture was moved and placed upon a base of circular steps. An excerpt and photocopy of a historic photo from S. L. Smith's "North Carolina's Confederate Monuments and Memorials," North Carolina Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, 1941, pg. 52-53, in the IAS files, shows the sculpture as it was originally installed, resting directly on top of the burial mound. An excerpt and photocopy of a photograph from Tony P. Wrenn's "Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait," Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1984, pg. 295-297, in the IAS files, shows the sculpture on a base of circular steps with a plaque at the foot of the steps.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, North Carolina survey, 1994.

Wrenn, Tony P., "Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait," Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1984, pg. 296.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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