First Confederate Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Confederate Memorial in Indian Mound Cemetery
at Romney
, West Virginia
, is considered the first official memorial to Confederate
dead to be erected anywhere in the United States of America.
decided to form an association to honor the Confederate dead. Eventually they adopted a formal organization and on June 1, 1866, held the first ceremony to honor the Confederate graves in Indian Mound Cemetery. Later, they ordered a monument listing the names of all county citizens who died in the American Civil War
. The monument was formally dedicated on September 26, 1867.
Shortly after the Civil War, Federal law prevented any monuments being made that would honor the Confederate States of America
. As a result, the monument had to be brought in secretly. The monument was brought into the county at night and then had its last two commemorative words chiseled in on location, so as to avoid the possibility of being seized in transit from where it was created. The inscription says "The daughters of Old Hampshire erect this tribute of affection to her heroic sons who fell in defence of Southern Rights."
Each year, Confederate Memorial Day
in Hampshire County recalls the sacrifice and suffering of men and women on both sides of the Civil War.
Another memorial erected in the churchyard of St. David's in Cheraw, South Carolina
is also sometimes considered the first Confederate monument, although the inscription dedicating it to the Confederacy was not added to the monument until after the dedication in 1867.
Indian Mound Cemetery
Indian Mound Cemetery is a cemetery located along the Northwestern Turnpike on a promontory of the "Yellow Banks" overlooking the South Branch Potomac River and Mill Creek Mountain in Romney, West Virginia, United States. The cemetery is centered around a Hopewellian mound, known as the Romney...
at Romney
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, is considered the first official memorial to Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
dead to be erected anywhere in the United States of America.
History
In the early spring of 1866, citizens of Hampshire CountyHampshire County, West Virginia
Hampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,964. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
decided to form an association to honor the Confederate dead. Eventually they adopted a formal organization and on June 1, 1866, held the first ceremony to honor the Confederate graves in Indian Mound Cemetery. Later, they ordered a monument listing the names of all county citizens who died in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The monument was formally dedicated on September 26, 1867.
Shortly after the Civil War, Federal law prevented any monuments being made that would honor the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. As a result, the monument had to be brought in secretly. The monument was brought into the county at night and then had its last two commemorative words chiseled in on location, so as to avoid the possibility of being seized in transit from where it was created. The inscription says "The daughters of Old Hampshire erect this tribute of affection to her heroic sons who fell in defence of Southern Rights."
Each year, Confederate Memorial Day
Confederate Memorial Day
Confederate Memorial Day, also known as Confederate Decoration Day and Confederate Heroes Day , is an official holiday and/or observance day in parts of the U.S. South as a day to honor those who died fighting for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War...
in Hampshire County recalls the sacrifice and suffering of men and women on both sides of the Civil War.
Another memorial erected in the churchyard of St. David's in Cheraw, South Carolina
Cheraw, South Carolina
Cheraw is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 9,069. It has been nicknamed "The Prettiest Town in Dixie." The harbor tub USS Cheraw was named in the...
is also sometimes considered the first Confederate monument, although the inscription dedicating it to the Confederacy was not added to the monument until after the dedication in 1867.
See also
- List of historic sites in Hampshire County, West Virginia
- Romney, West Virginia during the American Civil WarRomney, West Virginia during the American Civil WarThe city of Romney, Virginia traded hands between the Union Army and Confederate States Army no fewer than 10 times during the American Civil War, assuming the occupying force spent at least one night in the town...
- West Virginia in the American Civil War