Fort Myer in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Confederate Memorial
Panel 1:
"Not for fame or reward, not for place or for rank; not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity; but in simple obedience to duty as they understood it; these men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all, and died."
Panel 2:
To our dead heroes, by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Victrix causa diis placuit sed victa catoni.
Inscriptions around frieze and base
1861-1865.
"They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks."
[Seals of the 13 Confederate States, plus Maryland.]
M. Ezekiel, Sculptor; Rome, MCMXII.
Made by Aktien-Gesellschaft Gladensbeck Bronze Foundry, Berlin-Fredrichshagen-Germany.
Erected 1914 by United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the National Cemeteries, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy series lists.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 38° 52.567′ N, 77° 4.639′ W. Marker was in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It was in Fort Myer. Monument was in Jackson Circle, Section 16 of the National Cemetery, west of McPherson Drive. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Fort Myer VA 22211, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Buffalo Soldiers (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rough Riders (about 500 feet away); 92d Infantry Division (about 500 feet away); Montford Point Marines (about 500 feet away); 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (about 600 feet away); Battle of the Bulge Monument (about 600 feet away); Memorial to US Airmen killed in Denmark (about 700 feet away); Spanish-American War Nurses Memorial (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Regarding Confederate Memorial. The line "Victrix causa deis placuit sed victa Catoni" from an epic Roman poem entitled "Pharasalia" can be translated as "the winning cause pleased the gods, but the losing cause pleased Cato". Cato (the Younger) in Roman times was known for his honesty. The meaning of the quote is that the side that lost ultimately was more right and just.
Also see . . .
1. Confederate Memorial at ANC. (Submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Sir Moses Jacob Ezekiel. (Submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
3. The "Faithful Negro Servant" on the Memorial. Blogger/Historian Andy Hall details the background and context of the figure noted in photo 7. (Submitted on February 15, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Visitor Information- Monument And Memorials- Confederate Memorial
The history of Arlington National Cemetery is steeped in the Civil War, for is was this great national struggle that necessitated the establishment of this cemetery to bury its many dead. For many years following the war, the bitter feelings between North and South remained, and although hundreds of confederate soldiers were buried at Arlington, it was considered a Union cemetery. Family members of Confederate soldiers were denied permission to decorate their loved ones' graves and in extreme cases were even denied entrance to the cemetery.
In addition to Moses Ezekiel, three other Confederate soldiers are buried at the base of the monument. They are Lt. Harry C. Marmaduke who served in the Confederate Navy, Capt. John M. Hickey of the Second Missouri Infantry and Brig. Gen. Marcus J. Wright who commanded brigades at Shiloh and Chickamauga.
— Submitted July 21, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,610 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 8, 9. submitted on December 13, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 10. submitted on September 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 11. submitted on December 13, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. submitted on July 21, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.