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Appomattox

Appomattox is a bronze statue that commemorates soldiers from Alexandria, Virginia, who died while fighting for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. The memorial stood at the center of the intersection of South Washington Street (Virginia Route 400) and Prince Street in Alexandria’s Old Town neighborhood. In 2017, the National Park Service added the monument to the National Register of Historic Places. The statue was removed on June 2, 2020, during national protests in which vandals defaced statues from the segregation era after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 20.

Appomattox bronze statue of a mustached man in military dress standing with arms crossed on a tiered stone pedestal.
Appomattox, the bronze statue in Alexandria, Virginia, shown on its multi-tiered pedestal.
March 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Appomattox statue shows a man in a military uniform standing with his arms crossed on a tall stone pedestal.
The Appomattox monument depicts a uniformed soldier standing atop a tall stone pedestal.
1895 © · No restrictions
Appomattox bronze statue of a man with crossed arms on a tall stone pedestal at a street intersection.
The Appomattox monument rises on a stone pedestal at a city intersection.
May 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Appomattox bronze statue of a man with crossed arms on a tall stone pedestal in a street
Appomattox stands on a tall stone pedestal amid street traffic and nearby buildings.
October 2013 © · CC0
Appomattox bronze statue on a stone pedestal decorated with a red and white wreath at a street intersection.
Appomattox stands on a stone pedestal at a city intersection, with a wreath placed on the monument.
May 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleAppomattox
TypeBronze statue

Iconography and meaning

Depicted figureA lone Confederate soldier
SubjectA lone Confederate soldier viewing the aftermath of the Battle of Appomattox Court House
Commemorated groupSoldiers from Alexandria, Virginia, who died fighting for the Confederacy during the American Civil War
OrientationFacing south, toward the general direction of the Civil War battlefields
PoseStanding with arms crossed, holding a broad-brimmed hat in his right hand
Facial expressionSomber, looking downward

Historical context

Commissioned bythe Robert E. Lee camp of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV)
Erected bythe Robert E. Lee camp of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV)
Modeled aftera painting of the same title showing a lone Confederate soldier looking at the aftermath of the Battle of Appomattox

Creator

SculptorCaspar Buberl
CasterM. Caspar Buberl
Designer of soldier formJohn Adams Elder

History and restoration

Planned reinstallationAs of February 2023, there were plans to place the statue atop the pedestal
Time capsuleA time capsule placed at the base of the statue was exposed by the 1988 crash, briefly taken by a man living in a nearby YMCA, then recovered and returned intact to the UDC
Damage incidentOn 20 August 1988, a van crashed into the monument, knocking the statue off its base
Relocation blocked by state lawmakersVirginia state legislators declined to introduce legislation making the move possible
Second crash incidentOn 14 December 2019 at about 2:00 a.m., a car crashed into the monument, shifting the statue on its base and cracking the base, but not knocking the statue off
Removal requestOn 1 June 2020, the UDC requested a permit to remove the statue the next day
Removed2 June 2020 by workers removing the statue for the UDC while the City of Alexandria handled traffic control
Removal contextRemoved during nationwide protests and vandalism of segregation-era statues following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020
Post-removal storageTaken to a private location not disclosed to the city
Base after removalThe base was left intact at the time of removal
Pedestal relocationThe pedestal was later moved to Alexandria Cemetery, beside Confederate graves, and later to Bethel Cemetery in Alexandria, where several Confederate soldiers are buried
Restoration decisionThe Alexandria City Council voted to restore the monument despite objections from Mayor Jim Moran and some African American residents, including the local NAACP chapter president
2020 enabling legislationLegislation introduced by Delores McQuinn and Mamie Locke allowed local governments to authorize, erect, remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover monuments or memorials for veterans of any war or conflict, including the Civil War, on public property except public cemeteries; it took effect on 1 July 2020
Relocation voteIn September 2016, the Alexandria City Council voted unanimously to move the statue to the lawn of the Lyceum, a local history museum
Predicted controversyThe UCV anticipated controversy and petitioned the Virginia House of Delegates in 1889 to protect the monument by state law
Attending dignitaryJoseph E. Johnston
Unveiling overseen byFitzhugh Lee, governor of Virginia
Unveiled24 May 1889 in Alexandria, Virginia
Cast1889
Created1889

Discovery and provenance

OwnershipUnited Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC)
Original ownership / associationUnited Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC)

Location and ownership

Associated locationAlexandria, Virginia
Former locationDowntown Alexandria, Virginia
Original locationCenter of the intersection of South Washington Street (Virginia Route 400) and Prince Street, Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia
Installed1889
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places12 June 2017 by the National Park Service
Listed on Virginia Landmarks Register16 March 2017

Physical characteristics

Base shapeSquare stone base
East and west side inscriptionsNames of the Alexandria soldiers who died in the Civil War
South side inscriptionErected to the memory of Confederate dead of Alexandria, Va. by their Surviving Comrades, May 24th 1889.
North side inscriptionThey died in the consciousness of duty faithfully performed.
Base inscriptionsInscriptions on each side
Mounted onA pedestal
Base materialConcrete and marble
MaterialBronze

Other

Nearby plaqueA short distance from the statue, there is a stone with a bronze plaque bearing an inscription

Significance

NRHP interpretationThe statue was not intended to glorify an ideology, but to remember those who sacrificed all
NRHP statementThe property embodies distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction
Historic register listingListed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017
Virginia Historical Landmark designationYes