Confederate Soldiers Monument, Little Rock, AR
1905 (Photographs 1995)
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The Confederate Soldiers Monument (also known as "Defense of the Flag" or the Arkansas Sons of the Confederacy Memorial) by F. W. Ruckstuhl was unveiled on the State Capitol grounds in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1905.
The monument includes a 12 foot tall bronze sculpture of an angelic female figure at the top and a 8 foot tall soldier below. The angel stands barefooted on a sphere. Her right arm is raised up and holds a wreath of victory, while her left hand is pointing down and holds atrumpet. She is wearing a victory wreath on her head and a long flowing robe on her body. The soldier is dressed in a Confederate uniform and carries a flagpole and flag in both hands. The pole is broken with the flag curled around it and the jagged edge exposed downward. He is standing in front of a broken wagon wheel.
The front of the base contains the inscription "CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS OF ARKANSAS 1861 - 1865." The right side of the base is inscribed, "Our furled banner wreathed with glory and though conquered we adore it. Weep for those who fell before it, pardon those who trail and tore it." On the left side of the base is inscribed, "Arkansas remembers the faithfulness of her sons and commends their example to future generations."
In June 2020, following a series of national protests against police brutality and racism in policing, a petition to remove Confederate statues from the Arkansas State Capitol grounds to a more appropriate location was posted to Change.org. In August 2020, barriers were added around the Confederate Soldiers Monument and the Monument to Confederate Women to protect them after threats of vandalism and destruction were shared on social media. According to Arkansas state law, the legislature must approve removal of monuments from the Capitol grounds. As of January 2021, the Confederate statues remain in place near the Arkansas State Capitol.
The monument includes a 12 foot tall bronze sculpture of an angelic female figure at the top and a 8 foot tall soldier below. The angel stands barefooted on a sphere. Her right arm is raised up and holds a wreath of victory, while her left hand is pointing down and holds atrumpet. She is wearing a victory wreath on her head and a long flowing robe on her body. The soldier is dressed in a Confederate uniform and carries a flagpole and flag in both hands. The pole is broken with the flag curled around it and the jagged edge exposed downward. He is standing in front of a broken wagon wheel.
The front of the base contains the inscription "CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS OF ARKANSAS 1861 - 1865." The right side of the base is inscribed, "Our furled banner wreathed with glory and though conquered we adore it. Weep for those who fell before it, pardon those who trail and tore it." On the left side of the base is inscribed, "Arkansas remembers the faithfulness of her sons and commends their example to future generations."
In June 2020, following a series of national protests against police brutality and racism in policing, a petition to remove Confederate statues from the Arkansas State Capitol grounds to a more appropriate location was posted to Change.org. In August 2020, barriers were added around the Confederate Soldiers Monument and the Monument to Confederate Women to protect them after threats of vandalism and destruction were shared on social media. According to Arkansas state law, the legislature must approve removal of monuments from the Capitol grounds. As of January 2021, the Confederate statues remain in place near the Arkansas State Capitol.
This photo and description of the Confederate Soldiers Monument in Little Rock, AR are part of materials from its Nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places.
This primary source comes from the Records of the National Park Service.
National Archives Identifier: 26140490
Full Citation: Confederate Soldiers Monument, Little Rock, AR; 1905 (Photographs 1995); National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Arkansas; National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017; Records of the National Park Service, Record Group 79; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/confederate-soldiers-monument-little-rock-ar, June 18, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Memorializing the Civil War Around America
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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