Confederate Memorial
The Confederate Memorial, also called the First Confederate Memorial, stands in Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney, West Virginia. It commemorates Hampshire County residents who died during the American Civil War while fighting for the Confederate States of America. Sponsored by the Confederate Memorial Association, the monument was dedicated in 1867, with components delivered to the cemetery on September 14 and dedication held on September 26. The memorial is said by Romney to be the first structure in the United States erected to memorialize Confederate dead. It consists of a base with four sides and a capstone on a raised mound, and bears 125 engraved names. The monument was restored in 1984 and is decorated annually on Hampshire County Confederate Memorial Day.
June 2015 © Quercus montana · Public domain
June 2015 © Quercus montana · CC BY-SA 4.0
August 2005 © Quercus montana · Public domain
April 2010 © Quercus montana · CC BY-SA 3.0
August 2005 © Quercus montana · CC BY-SA 3.0
Identification | |
| Title | Confederate Memorial |
| Type | Memorial monument |
| Spanish name | Monumento Conmemorativo Confederado |
| Alternative name | First Confederate Memorial |
Historical context | |
| Initial grave decoration | June 1, 1866 at Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney |
| Historical significance | Its construction and dedication marked the beginning of a postwar revitalization era for Hampshire County after the American Civil War |
| Historical context | Hampshire County had been overwhelmingly pro-Confederate during the Civil War but was then part of Unionist West Virginia, whose first state constitution disenfranchised Confederate veterans and partisans and barred them from elected office |
| Idea first discussed | Early spring 1866 |
| Related claimed distinction | The Town of Romney has claimed it held the nation's first public decoration of Confederate graves on June 1, 1866 |
| Claimed distinction | The Town of Romney has claimed it is the first memorial structure erected to memorialize the Confederate dead in the United States |
| Purpose | Permanent monument to commemorate Hampshire County men who died fighting for the Confederate States during the American Civil War |
Creator | |
| Sponsor | Confederate Memorial Association |
| Construction contractor | Gaddes Brothers of Baltimore |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Design selection | On June 6, 1867 the association selected the design after consulting Confederate veterans and others across Hampshire County |
| Restoration | Restored in 1984 |
| Delivery location | Indian Mound Cemetery, Romney |
| Delivery date | September 14, 1867 |
| Inscription selection | In July 1867 a committee narrowed the inscription to three finalists and adopted the third |
| Dedication date | September 26, 1867 |
| Fundraising | Fundraising began after the graves were decorated in summer 1866; methods included sewing circles, bazaars, fairs, entertainment shows, and general solicitation; by October 15, 1866 gross receipts were US$1,170.91 and US$421.58 had been given to Confederate widows and orphaned children; funds were raised by June 6, 1867 and fundraising continued until June 1867 |
| Organization actions | Appointed officers, adopted a constitution, and organized committees to arrange the decoration of Confederate graves |
| Organization mission | To honor the men who had died fighting for the Confederacy and to provide financial aid to their families |
| Organization formation | Formed at a public meeting of Hampshire County women in the spring of 1866 |
| People present at first discussion | Robert White; Christian Streit White; Elizabeth "Bessie" Jane Schultze; Frances Ann White |
| First discussion location | The Romney residence of former Confederate Colonel Robert White |
Physical characteristics | |
| Form | Four-sided obelisk monument |
| Structure | A base of two stylized marble blocks topped by a draped urn |
| Setting | Stands on a raised mound with a circular raised lawn, ringed by five boxwoods, near the entrance of the original section of Indian Mound Cemetery |
| Nearby features | Surrounded by family burial plots and adjacent to a burial ground where Confederate and Union dead were buried during the Civil War |
| Inscriptions | The foundation block is dated 1867; the other three sides contain the engraved names of 125 Hampshire County men who died for the Confederate cause |
| Names inscribed | 125 |
| Rank breakdown | Four captains, seven lieutenants, three sergeants, and 119 privates; one lieutenant was a chaplain |
| Missing names | Several Hampshire County Confederate dead were later found to have been omitted |
Materials | |
| Material | White Italian marble |
Technique | |
| Fabrication and manufacture cost | US$1,133.63 |
| Installation | A group of Romney volunteers erected the monument and William Sheetz built the raised mound and support foundations for US$18.80; Bob Fisher was paid US$5.00 to raise the mound and US$4.11 for housing one of the Gaddes brothers |
Appearance | |
| Inscription text | The Daughters of Old Hampshire Erect This Tribute of Affection to Her Heroic Sons Who Fell in Defence of Southern Rights |
| Relief | A high-relief figure, interpreted as Fame or an angel, places a laurel wreath on the head of a dying soldier holding his sword |
| Top element | A cloth-draped urn |
| Dimensions | The base size and height are not specified in the supplied text |
| Date of erection | 1867 |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Indian Mound Cemetery, Romney, West Virginia, United States |
| Associated organization | Confederate Memorial Association |
| Community involved | Hampshire County |
| Annual decoration | Decorated annually on Hampshire County Confederate Memorial Day with a handmade evergreen garland and wreath |
| Annual ceremony | The inscribed names are recited during the annual Hampshire County Confederate Memorial Day ceremony |
| Additional honor roll | The omitted names were added to the Confederate Honor Roll with the names on the monument and the names of Confederate veterans |