This beautiful monument stands on a hill overlooking the graves of 3000 confederate soldiers who died on Georgia soil in the Civil War. Each state of the Confederacy has soldiers buried here and a marker for each state listing the number of graves from each state stands in the areas of the graves. The inscriptions on each side of the base reflect the sentiments of the relatives and friends of those who died even after 40 years. This is a beautiful place to visit.
Excerpt from an article in the New Media Journal.us
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Forty-four years later in 1908, America was at peace. The first Ford Model T came off the assembly line that year. Joel Chandler Harris, famed author of the Uncle Remus stories, died on July 3, 1908, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The USA was 132 years young on July 4, 1908. Three days later, on Tuesday, July 7, 1908, the Kennesaw Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Ladies Memorial Association, of Marietta, Georgia, unveiled a new Confederate Monument at the local cemetery. Marietta Confederate Cemetery, is the final resting place for 3,000 Southern soldiers from 14 Southern states.
Fourteen young girls were selected by the two ladies' groups to represent each state. They were selected from Marietta families who knew and appreciated their heritage. Emma Hedges was among those young ladies honored. She would become a loved and respected school teacher.
All businesses closed and people began to make their way to the cemetery on that hot July 7th afternoon. They came in horse drawn carriages which raised clouds of dust on those dry unpaved roads.
The men and women were attired in their Sunday best and many of the ex-Confederate soldiers wore their uniforms of gray. The Ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy began the program which included the playing of patriotic tunes. The Gem City Band inspired the crowd by playing "Dixie."
Speeches were given by such notable people as Georgia's Governor Hoke Smith, and former Preacher and Confederate General Clement A. Evans.
The Marietta newspaper reported, "The white shaft reflecting the sun, the newly erected Confederate Monument represents an imposing spectacle and attracts the attention and admiration of all passersby. It is a beautiful piece of work, twenty feet high with a base of ten square feet, of the well known Elbert County granite."
Fourteen young ladies had their picture taken with General Clement A. Evans and Mrs. R.T. Nesbitt, President of the Kennesaw Chapter UDC. Their names were:
Aimee G. Glover for Maryland
Ruth McCulloch for South Carolina
Page Anderson for Louisiana
Julia Anderson for Florida
Emma Hedges for Virginia
Linda Anderson for Kentucky
Jeanette Black for Georgia
Carrie Phillips for Arkansas
Augusta Cohen for Texas
Cora Brown for Tennessee
Pauline Manning for North Carolina
Sue Green for Mississippi
Lois Gardner for Alabama
Sara Patton for Missouri.
When the veil fell from the monument and it was revealed for the first time, the crowd became silent. You could hear the birds and a light whisper of leaves as the wind moved through the trees.
July 7, 2008, will mark the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the soldier's monument at Marietta, Ga. Confederate Cemetery.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy still holds annual Memorial Day services for the gallant men buried here.
Walk the paths and teach your children the history of our nation!
Calvin E. Johnson, Jr. is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Author of book, "When America Stood for God, Family and Country."