General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument
Encyclopedia
The General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument in Pulaski County, Kentucky
, near Nancy, Kentucky
, commemorates the death of Confederate Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer, who died here at the Battle of Mill Springs
. A native of nearby Tennessee
, like Robert E. Lee
he fought for the Confederacy out of loyalty for his state rather than having interest in the Southern cause. Zollicoffer was killed due to not realizing he was approaching Union lines instead of the Confederate line.
The monument was placed in 1910 by Bennett H. Young
, who rode with Confederate general John Hunt Morgan
. Each Memorial Day
a young girl from Nancy named Dorotha Burton decorated a white oak tree in Zollicoffer's honor. This was the inspiration for placing the monument only a few feet away from the tree. In the 1990s the tree was destroyed by lightning, but a sapling from that tree was put in its place, and is also called the Zollicoffer tree.
The monument is an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall obelisk
made of roughly hewed limestone
. The description mentions not only Zollicoffer, but the other Confederates who died during the Battle of Mill Springs.
On July 17, 1997, the General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument was one of sixty-one different monuments related 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. Only a few feet away is another of the so-honored monuments: the Confederate Mass Grave Monument in Somerset
. The other monument on the list in Pulaski County is the Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument
north of Somerset, Kentucky
.
Pulaski County, Kentucky
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 63,063 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Somerset6. The county is named for Count Kazimierz Pułaski. Most of the county is a prohibition or dry county...
, near Nancy, Kentucky
Nancy, Kentucky
Nancy is an unincorporated community eight miles west of the city of Somerset in Pulaski County, Kentucky.On January 19, 1862, during the American Civil War, Union forces achieved their first significant victory, defeating the Confederates at the Battle of Mill Springs near Nancy.-Landmarks:*Mill...
, commemorates the death of Confederate Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer, who died here at the Battle of Mill Springs
Battle of Mill Springs
The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in Confederate terminology, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads in Union terminology, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near current Nancy, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It...
. A native of nearby Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, like Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
he fought for the Confederacy out of loyalty for his state rather than having interest in the Southern cause. Zollicoffer was killed due to not realizing he was approaching Union lines instead of the Confederate line.
The monument was placed in 1910 by Bennett H. Young
Bennett H. Young
Bennett H. Young was a Confederate officer who led forces in the St Albans raid , a military action during the American Civil War. As a lieutenant of the Confederate States Army, he entered Vermont from Canada and occupied the town of St...
, who rode with Confederate general John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
. Each Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
a young girl from Nancy named Dorotha Burton decorated a white oak tree in Zollicoffer's honor. This was the inspiration for placing the monument only a few feet away from the tree. In the 1990s the tree was destroyed by lightning, but a sapling from that tree was put in its place, and is also called the Zollicoffer tree.
The monument is an 8 feet (2.4 m) tall 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...
made of roughly hewed 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....
. The description mentions not only Zollicoffer, but the other Confederates who died during the Battle of Mill Springs.
On July 17, 1997, the General Felix K. Zollicoffer Monument was one of sixty-one different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed 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...
, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. Only a few feet away is another of the so-honored monuments: the Confederate Mass Grave Monument in Somerset
Confederate Mass Grave Monument in Somerset
The Confederate Mass Grave Monument in Somerset in Pulaski County, Kentucky, near Nancy, Kentucky, honors the Confederate soldiers who are buried here who died at the Battle of Mill Springs. These soldiers were from Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and number over one hundred in total.The...
. The other monument on the list in Pulaski County is the Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument
Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument
The Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument in Pulaski County, Kentucky, near Somerset, Kentucky, commemorates the Confederate soldiers who died at a skirmish near here...
north of Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset, Kentucky
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
.