The Confederate Monument

The Confederate Monument. Erected in 1882. At the close of the War Between the States, the Confederate dead buried in various places around Columbia and in the outlying communities were disinterred and reburied in this one section. There are over 120 Confederates buried in this section, but only 105 are marked. The majority of these men died in Columbia during the War from wounds or disease in local hospitals. Others died in skirmishes fought around the county. A handful of these men died well after the War, but wished to be buried here with their comrades. These men are located on the back row., The Ladies Memorial Association, a predecessor of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, began raising funds to erect a large monument for this section. Raising money during Reconstruction required some creativity. In addition to bake sales and dinners, the ladies held a joust to raise funds for their monument project. Through the ladies' hard work and the generosity of the locals, their goal of erecting a monument came to fruition.< br> , The ladies contracted with the Muldoon Monument Company of Louisville, Kentucky. (Still in business, this firm is responsible for many beautiful works across the South – several in this cemetery.) In 1881, George W. Kendall came to Columbia to present his design for the monument. Called the “Lost Cause,” the monument features a Confederate soldier standing at “funeral parade rest,” his rifle inverted and resting on his boot. The base includes four inverted cannon barrels and a marble panel depicting the carnage of battle., The monument was carved in Italy and arrived in Columbia by train. Wagons brought the monument from the depot to the cemetery where it was erected with great fanfare. Said to be perfect in all of its proportions, this is the only Confederate monument known to exist with the soldier standing at “funeral parade rest.”, Today, this monument is cared for by the Capt. James Madison Sparkman Chapter 2363, United Daughters of the Confederacy.