Rising nearly twenty-five feet, this monument depicts a marble sculpture of the Confederate Common Soldier, mounted atop a tall tapered column. The uniformed soldier stands at parade rest, holding the barrel of his rifle with both hands. The tall shaft is composed of three tiers of granite resting atop a wide base of three steps. The shaft of the column just below the sculpture is of rough cut granite with sharply chiseled corners. This narrow column rests atop a tall pedestal with a smooth face bearing the inscription on the front, a bas-relief image of two crossed Confederate flags on one side, and the bas-relief image of two crossed muskets on the other. This base is capped on all four sides with an ornate top bearing the initials of the Confederate States of America in raised lettering on the front and rear and the dates of the Confederacy on the sides. The inscription is simple, with the word “DEVOTION” expressing the sentiment of the commemoration.
Additional Notes
Rutherford County sent some 1,734 men to fight in the Civil War. The county also experienced some destruction, particularly in Rutherfordton, during the Union campaign known as Stoneman’s Raid.
