Statues of Stonewall: Greenwood Cemetery, NOLA
Part of the occasional “Statues of Stonewall” Series
Stonewall Jackson never visited New Orleans, so it’s somewhat surprising to find not just one but two statues of him in the city. Lexington, Virginia (Jackson’s home town) had two, as did Richmond, Virginia (former capital of the Confederacy), but two Jackson’s so far from his actual stomping grounds?
Aside from the highly visible statue in Metairie Cemetery atop the Army of Northern Virginia tumulus, a lesser-known Jackson adorns part of the Confederate Monument in nearby Greenwood Cemetery. The monument sits on a small mound that makes up the mass grave of some 600 Confederate soldiers.
Architect Benjamin M. Harrod designed the memorial and contractor was George Stroud constructed it. It was dedicated in 1874—the first Confederate monument in New Orleans. Aside from a Confederate soldier standing atop a marble pedestal, the monument features the busts of hometown hero Leonidas Polk (who was the Episcopal bishop of Louisiana), army commanders Albert Sidney Johnston and Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. (Other hometown hero, P. G. T. Beauregard, is absent, perhaps because he’s buried in the nearby competing Metairie.)
The bust of Lee looks especially angry. The image of Jackson, I think, captures well his expression and look from his 1862 Winchester photograph.
Small correction: Stonewall Jackson’s hometown was not Lexington, it was Clarksburg, now West Virginia. Jackson’s Mill and store are nearby. Not surprisingly, there is a resort near Clarksburg named after him, as is the nearby hospital system. An equestrian statue of him sits outside the Clarksburg courthouse.
His birthplace was Clarksburg, but he considered Lexington his home. (So I guess it depends on how you define “hometown.”)
The Clarksburg statue is my favorite of the Stonewall statues. Here’s the piece I did on it as part of the original series in 2011:
https://emergingcivilwar.com/2011/12/31/statues-of-stonewall-clarksburg-wv/
I would respectfully disagree– he was not just born there, he worked in the mill there, and then taught school there (including, apparently, slaves), for years. He did not leave the area until his acceptance to West Point in 1842, when he was… if I’m not incorrect, about 18. He did not become connected to Lexington until he was about 27, give or take. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t consider where I was living when I was pushing 30 to have been my “hometown”! A small point, but as a West Virginia resident, I feel compelled to make it.
Thanks for the link, I will check it out. I am very worried about the statue because it could eventually become the target of the crowd that wants them all taken down.
I’m surprised these statues are still standing!
May these statues stand, forever…
How long shall these statues last before they are destroyed by the racists and Maoists overrunning America? Don’t forget – once they’ve destroyed the statues, they’ll be coming for live people.
And replace us with identical-thought seedpods.