21. Confederate/Union Monument Butler County Courthouse lawn,
Morgantown Zinc figure on pedestal, 1907
Inscription: This monument erected by the citizens of Morgantown and vicinity - May 1907.
One Country, One Flag.
(Names of several Union and Confederate veterans from Butler County.)
This monument, dedicated May 30, 1907, is very significant, as it is one of only two Kentucky Civil War monuments honoring soldiers on both sides of the War. The monument reflects the sentiments of reconciliation and nationalism following the Spanish-American War in 1898, when Kentuckians came together to fight for the same cause. The period did much to reunite parties previously divided by the War Between the States. The dual allegiance of the monument also reflects Butler County’s divided support of Union and Confederacy during the War.
A life-sized Union soldier in a kepi cap, with rifle held vertically in front of him, tops an elaborate 12-foot pedestal. On the pedestal are decorative plaques containing the inscriptions, as well as relief images of Abraham Lincoln, U. S. Grant, and Joseph Wheeler.
In addition to the two key federal figures depicted, Confederate General Joseph Wheeler is honored. Wheeler's cavalry troops played a prominent role in the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky at Perryville in October 1862. One of Wheeler’s strategies involved marching his small number of troops in a circle to give the appearance to the Union that many reinforcements were moving into place.
Born in Georgia in 1836, Joseph Wheeler participated in more than 500 Civil War skirmishes and served as commander in 127 battles. General Wheeler became the only man in history to serve as brigadier general in both the Confederate and U. S. armies. He was a Confederate general during the Civil War, then, at age 62, he commanded the U. S. Army during the Spanish-American War. Wheeler died in 1906, the year before this monument was erected.
Questions/Activities:
The entry above tells about Joe Wheeler, but who were the other two men honored here: Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant? What are their connections to Kentucky? (Hint: Grant's troops moving into Kentucky at the start of the War made it impossible for the state to preserve its neutral status for long.)
In the inscription, what does "One Country, One Flag" mean? How can one war (the Civil War) divide the nation and another war (the Spanish-American War) bring the nation together? Have other wars in U. S. history brought the nation together? Name specific wars; which ones divided our citizens? which ones united our citizens?
22. Granville Allen Monument * Big Hill on Logansport Road (Butler County)
Limestone (?) marker
Granville Allen, a member of the 17th Kentucky Infantry, was one of the first Union soldiers to die in the War, in a skirmish on October 29, 1861. This monument was erected by the Granville Allen Post #98 GAR.
