Union Monument in Vanceburg
Encyclopedia
The Union Monument in Vanceburg in Lewis County, Kentucky
, in Vanceburg, Kentucky
, commemorates the Union soldiers of the American Civil War
. It is the only monument anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line
that so honors Union soldiers that is not in a cemetery done by public subscription.
The monument was built in 1884 by the citizens of Lewis County, which was a Union stronghold during the war and one of the few places in Kentucky that was still more sympathetic to the Union cause by the 1880s. It stands thirty-four feet tall, and both the pedestal and base are made of limestone
. The base is five feet high and seven feet wide. The pedestal was made from eight separate pieces. The statue depicts a Union soldier in winter gear and kepi hat.
The inscription reads:
In total, 107 men from Lewis County died as Union soldiers during the war; their names are inscribed on the monument.
On July 17, 1997, the Union Monument in Vanceburg 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. The vast majority of the monuments were built to honor Confederates. The only other monument to state any strong sentiment towards the Union is the Captain Andrew Offutt Monument
in Lebanon, Kentucky
. Other monuments built for the Union side include the 32nd Indiana Monument
, GAR Monument in Covington
, Union Monument in Louisville
, and the Union Monument in Perryville
.
Lewis County, Kentucky
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 14,092. Its county seat is Vanceburg. The county is named for Meriwether Lewis.Lewis County is part of the Maysville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, in Vanceburg, Kentucky
Vanceburg, Kentucky
Vanceburg is a city in Lewis County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,731 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.Vanceburg is part of the Maysville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, commemorates the Union soldiers of 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...
. It is the only monument anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
that so honors Union soldiers that is not in a cemetery done by public subscription.
The monument was built in 1884 by the citizens of Lewis County, which was a Union stronghold during the war and one of the few places in Kentucky that was still more sympathetic to the Union cause by the 1880s. It stands thirty-four feet tall, and both the pedestal and base are made of 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 base is five feet high and seven feet wide. The pedestal was made from eight separate pieces. The statue depicts a Union soldier in winter gear and kepi hat.
The inscription reads:
The war for the Union was right, everlastingly right, and the war against the Union was wrong, forever wrong
In total, 107 men from Lewis County died as Union soldiers during the war; their names are inscribed on the monument.
On July 17, 1997, the Union Monument in Vanceburg 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. The vast majority of the monuments were built to honor Confederates. The only other monument to state any strong sentiment towards the Union is the Captain Andrew Offutt Monument
Captain Andrew Offutt Monument
The Captain Andrew Offutt Monument in Ryder Cemetery in eastern Lebanon, Kentucky, off US-68, is a monument on the National Register of Historic Places. It honors Captain Andrew Offutt who served as a Union officer in the 5th Kentucky Cavalry during the American Civil War, participating in...
in Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,331 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Lebanon is located in central Kentucky, southeast of Louisville. A national cemetery is located nearby....
. Other monuments built for the Union side include the 32nd Indiana Monument
32nd Indiana Monument
The 32nd Indiana Monument, also known as the August Bloedner Monument, is located in Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. It honors the fallen soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as the "1st German," at the Battle of Rowlett's Station, near...
, GAR Monument in Covington
GAR Monument in Covington
The Grand Army of the Republic Monument, in the Linden Grove Cemetery of Covington, Kentucky, was built in 1929 by the O. P. Sine of Garfield Post No...
, Union Monument in Louisville
Union Monument in Louisville
The Union Monument in Louisville is located in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. It was built in 1914 from granite, honoring unknown soldiers who fought in the Union during the American Civil War...
, and the Union Monument in Perryville
Union Monument in Perryville
The Union Monument in Perryville is an historic monument located by the visitor center of the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, in the vicinity of Perryville, Kentucky, in Boyle County, Kentucky. It was built in 1928, sixty-six years after the Battle of Perryville, the bloodiest battle...
.