Confederate Memorial -- University of Mississippi, Oxford MS - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

This Confederate Memorial was erected on The Circle at the formal entrance to the University of Mississippi in 1906, during the height of the Lost Cause movement.

On 30 Sep 1962 it was the rallying point for white supremacists and anti-segregationists who rioted over several nights to oppose the racial integration of the University of Mississippi.

From the SIRIS Database: (visit link)

Artist: Stinson, John A., sculptor. (possibly by)
Title: (Confederate Monument), (sculpture).

Inscription:
(East face of sculpture, lower left:)
JOHN A. STINSON/COLUMBUS/MISS.

(On east face of sculpture:)
TO OUR/CONFEDERATE DEAD
1861-1865,
ERECTED BY
ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON
CHAPTER 379 U.D.C.

(On south face of sculpture:)
"THEY FELL DEVOTED BUT UNDYING;
THE VERY GALE THEIR NAMES SEEM'D SIGHING;
THE WATERS MURMUR'D OF THEIR NAME;
THE WOODS WERE PEOPLED WITH THEIR FAME;
THE SILENT PILLAR, LONE AND GRAY.
CLAIM'D KINDRED WITH THEIR SACRED CLAY;
THEIR SPIRITS WRAPP'D THE DUSKY MOUNTAIN;
THEIR MEMORY SPARKLED O'ER THE FOUNTAIN,
THE MEANEST RILL, THE MIGHTIEST RIVER,
ROLL'D MINGLING WITH THEIR FAME FOREVER,"
BRYON

(On west side:)
TO THE HEROES
OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY
WHOSE VALOR AND DEVOTION
MADE GLORIOUS MANY A BATTLEFIELD

(On north side: Greek text)

Description:
A uniformed Confederate soldier facing east and standing with his proper left arm raised in salute, his proper left hand touching the brim of his hat. He holds the barrel of his rifle in his proper right hand. The butt of the rifle rests on the plinth by his proper right foot. His proper left leg is slightly bent and his head is turned slightly to the proper left. The soldier stands atop a tall shaft with a carved relief of a Confederate flag on the east face. At the bottom of the shaft in low relief are two crossed swords."

TITLE: Confederate monument ARTIST(S): John A. Stinson DATE: 1906 MEDIUM: Marble statue on a brick and marble base CONTROL NUMBER: IAS MS000030 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: On the campus of the University of Mississippi at The Circle DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: In 2016 a context plaque was added near the base of the monument, as follows: "[Seal of the University of Mississippi] As Confederate veterans were dying in increasing numbers, memorial associations across the South built monuments in their memory. These monuments were often used promote an ideology known as the "Lost Cause," which claimed that the Confederacy had been established to defend states rights and that slavery was not the principal cause of the Civil War. Residents of Oxford and Lafayette County dedicated the statue, approved by the University, in 1906. Although the monument was created to honor the sacrifice of local Confederate soldiers, it must also remind us that the defeat of the Confederacy actually meant freedom for millions of people. On the evening of September 30, 1962, this statue was a rallying point for opponents of integration. This historic statue is a reminder of the University's divisive past. Today, the University of Mississippi draws from that passed a continuing commitment to open its hallowed halls to all seek truth, knowledge, and wisdom."

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   08/04/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it