The Confederate Soldiers Monument, also known as the Confederate Dead Monument, is a Confederate memorial installed outside the

Texas State Capitol The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 188 ...

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. It was erected in 1903. Its sculpture was designed by

Pompeo Coppini Pompeo Luigi Coppini (19 May 1870 – 26 September 1957) was an Italian and American sculptor. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of U.S. states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas. He is particularly f ...

, and its base was designed by

Frank Teich Frank Teich (September 22, 1856 – January 27, 1939) was a German-born American sculptor, stone carver, and businessman, often referred to as the father of the Texas granite industry. Early life and education Teich was born on September 22, ...

. The sculpture was cast by

Roman Bronze Works Roman Bronze Works, now operated as Roman Bronze Studios, is a bronze foundry in New York City. Established in 1897 by Riccardo Bertelli, it was the first American foundry to specialize in the lost-wax casting method, and was the country's pre-emin ...

(

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

). The monument consists of five bronze figures on the base that represent the Confederate Military: Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Navy. At the top of the monument standing far above the other figures is

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

, the

President of the Confederate States The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate A ...

. Alongside 11 other Confederate monuments at the capitol, it was largely funded by

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, a ...

, a group of women descended from Confederate soldiers.

Historical inaccuracies

The listed sizes of the Confederate (600,000) and Union (2,859,132) forces are incorrect, greatly exaggerating the advantage held by the Union. While the inscription dedicates the statue to Confederate soldiers who "died for states rights guaranteed under the Constitution", the Texas Declaration Of Causes (1861) does not use the phrase “states rights”, and repeatedly cites opposition to the abolition of the

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

and granting black Americans legal rights.

Inscription

References

External links

* {{Public art in Austin, Texas 1903 establishments in Texas 1903 sculptures Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Texas Statues of Jefferson Davis Outdoor sculptures in Austin, Texas Sculptures by Pompeo Coppini Sculptures of men in Texas Statues in Austin, Texas

Historical inaccuracies

Inscription

See also

References

External links