Colonel Robert A. Smith Monument
Encyclopedia
The Colonel Robert A. Smith Monument, located in Hart County, Kentucky
, is a monument related to the American Civil War
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It was built in the memory of Colonel
Robert A. Smith and the members of the 10th Mississippi Infantry
Regiment who sacrificed their lives for the Confederate States of America
on September 14, 1862, at the Battle of Munfordville
.
limestone
obelisk
weighing 35 tons and built in 1884 by Colonel Smith's brother. It is believed that Cleopatra's Needle
is the only larger single-stone work in the United States. On private property far from a road, it is just east of CSX railroad tracks, and just south of a bridge across the Green River
. A cast iron
fence forms a perimeter 250 feet away from the monument. To the east of the monument are six smaller marble monuments each dedicated to a separate Mississippi Regiment—the 7th, 9th, 10th, 29th, and 44th. Soldiers were interred by the monument.
The inscription reads: South 42' west and ninety poles distant is the place of The Sacrifice of Col. Robert A. Smith and his regiment the Tenth Mississippi on Sept. 14, 1862
.
When Robert Smith's brother James immigrated to America from Glasgow
, Scotland
, in 1886, he searched for the place brother died. James decided to build a monument to honor his brother, buying the land and spending $4,000 on the monument itself. It was built by Oman & Stewart of Nashville, Tennessee
, using limestone quarried from Bowling Green, Kentucky
.
On July 17, 1997, it was one of sixty different monuments to the Civil War
in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission.
There is another monument to Colonel Robert A. Smith in Edinburgh
, where he was born, in the large Victorian
Dean Cemetery
. The name and date of the battle on the monument is correct, however the name of the town is misspelled as Mumfordsville instead of Munfordville.
Hart County, Kentucky
Hart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...
, is a monument related to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was built in the memory of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Robert A. Smith and the members of the 10th Mississippi Infantry
10th Mississippi Infantry
The 10th Mississippi Infantry was a regiment of infantry in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in several campaigns and battles in the Western Theater.-"Old" 10th Mississippi:...
Regiment who sacrificed their lives for the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
on September 14, 1862, at the Battle of Munfordville
Battle of Munfordville
The Battle of Munfordville was an engagement in Kentucky during the American Civil War. Victory there allowed the Confederates to temporarily strengthen their hold on the region and impair Union supply lines....
.
Description
The monument is a 25-foot-tall, white GothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
weighing 35 tons and built in 1884 by Colonel Smith's brother. It is believed that Cleopatra's Needle
Cleopatra's Needle
Cleopatra's Needle is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian obelisks re-erected in London, Paris, and New York City during the nineteenth century. The London and New York ones are a pair, while the Paris one comes from a different original site where its twin remains...
is the only larger single-stone work in the United States. On private property far from a road, it is just east of CSX railroad tracks, and just south of a bridge across the Green River
Green River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
. A cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
fence forms a perimeter 250 feet away from the monument. To the east of the monument are six smaller marble monuments each dedicated to a separate Mississippi Regiment—the 7th, 9th, 10th, 29th, and 44th. Soldiers were interred by the monument.
The inscription reads: South 42' west and ninety poles distant is the place of The Sacrifice of Col. Robert A. Smith and his regiment the Tenth Mississippi on Sept. 14, 1862
History
On September 14, 1862, Scottish-born Colonel Smith was ordered to capture a vital bridge during the Battle of Munfordville. After three hours of combat, Confederate losses were 40 dead and 211 wounded. Smith himself was mortally wounded and in great pain until he died several days later. Members of the Smith family long believed that Smith was ordered to lead the charge by his superior, Brigadier General James R. Chalmers, who felt that Smith would eventually rise in rank and become a threat to his promotion. Chalmers did in fact order the attack on his own initiative. Smith was buried in Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
When Robert Smith's brother James immigrated to America from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in 1886, he searched for the place brother died. James decided to build a monument to honor his brother, buying the land and spending $4,000 on the monument itself. It was built by Oman & Stewart of Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, using limestone quarried from Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
.
On July 17, 1997, it was one of sixty different monuments to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission.
There is another monument to Colonel Robert A. Smith in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, where he was born, in the large Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Dean Cemetery
Dean Cemetery
The Dean Cemetery is a prominent cemetery in the Dean Village, in Edinburgh, Scotland.-Dean House:It stands on the site of Dean House , part of Dean Estate which had been purchased in 1609 by Sir William Nisbet, who became in 1616 Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The Nisbets of Dean held the office of...
. The name and date of the battle on the monument is correct, however the name of the town is misspelled as Mumfordsville instead of Munfordville.