The Rankin County Confederate Monument is a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

located on the downtown square of

Brandon, Mississippi Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 21,705 at the 2010 census. Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is l ...

, at the intersection of Government and North streets. The monument was erected in 1907 by the Brandon Chapter of the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...

. The monument was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on August 1, 1997.

Description

The monument is 37 feet tall in total. A seven foot tall granite statue of a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

soldier, facing west in a lookout posture, stands atop a marble pillar and stepped base. Below the statue, on the west side of the pillar, is a relief of a crossed rifle, bayonet and sword. The base is inscribed with poetry.

Inscriptions

Inscriptions of poetry are featured on each side of the square base. The inscriptions are in all capital letters. The poetry is unattributed. Aside from poetic verse, there is also an inscription attributing the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy as having erected the monument, as well as E.J. Martin, grand master of a local

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

organization, as having laid the cornerstone. *North face- ''"States' rights and home rule truth crushed to the Earth will rise again. Men die, principles live forever. Although conquered we adore it; weep for those who fell before it; pardon for those who trailed and tore it."'' *South face- ''"Love's tribute to the noble men who marched neath the folds of the 'Stars and Bars' and who were faithful to the end. / 'Under the sod & dew, waiting for the judgment day.'"'' *East face- ''"To those who wore the grey, in legend and in lay our heroes in grey, shall forever live over again for us. / The epitaph of the soldier who falls with his country, is written in the hearts of those who love the right and honor the brave."'' *West face- ''"Lord God of Hosts be with us yet lest we forget, lest we forget."''

Historical context

According to the NRHP application's narrative statement of historical significance, "Local tradition holds that 'the monument marks the spot where General Sherman ordered his troops to stack arms during the siege of Brandon....'" The monument is an example of many similar monuments erected in southern parks and squares during a period postbellum resurgence in regional identity that occurred from approximately 1870 until the first

World War A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

. The Rankin County Confederate Monument differs from other, similar monuments in that it is oriented to face west, toward the direction where

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

troops entered town during the Siege of Brandon. Most other such monuments are oriented to face toward the north.Rankin County Historical Society, Inc., A History of Rankin County, 2 vols. (Brandon, MS.: Rankin County Historical Society, 1988) 2: 85.

References

{{commonscat, Rankin County Confederate Monument Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Mississippi Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi

Confederate Monument In the United States, the public display of Confederate monuments, memorials and symbols has been and continues to be controversial. The following is a list of Confederate monuments and memorials that were established as public displays and symb ...

United Daughters of the Confederacy monuments and memorials Brandon, Mississippi 1907 establishments in Mississippi