Battlefield Markers & Monuments: An Introduction

When the Emerging Civil War team developed and approved this special series at the beginning of this year, we didn’t realize “monuments” would be such a keyword in historical discussions. (In fact, ECW spent a couple weeks in August hosting A Monumental Discussion.)

The series we’re launching today isn’t a re-run of that summer discussion. It’s something different… Something that we think you’ll find interesting and helpful as you explore favorite battlefields and historic sites.

As we tour Civil War battlefields, we see historical markers or monuments. Usually, these were placed to mark a unit or commander’s location, and many of the stone markers or larger statues were erected by veterans of the 1860’s conflict. Our new series “Battlefield Markers and Monuments” explores the stories connected to these “landmarks.”

In the next couple of weeks, each writer in the series offers his or her perspective and researched historical details on a Civil War marker on a battlefield or at a historical site. Think of it as though there’s a knowledgeable tour guide showing you some history connected to the blocks, columns, or figures. Helping you take a closer look at the inscriptions. Gaining a larger perspective on the tangible object marking an event that took place over a century and a half before.

So come exploring with the ECW team and guests as we look for historical details connected to battlefield (or historical site) markers and monuments.