63. G. A. R. Memorial Linden Grove Cemetery, Covington (Kenton County)
Concrete sarcophagus, 1929
Inscription:Erected 1929 by O. P. Sine of Garfield Post No. 2 GAR - James Fisher - Commander / In Memory of Our Departed Comrades / Com. Darnell Co. M 28 US Inf.
One of the few Union monuments in the state, this was the second project developed by the Grand Army of the Republic in Kentucky.Like the other GAR monument in Green Hill Cemetery, Frankfort, this monument was erected in the 1920s, after most interest in Civil War monument projects had waned.
The Linden Grove monument is quite unique, the only one in the state designed as a sarcophagus or coffin. Cast in concrete and roughly 3-feet by 3-feet by 10-feet in dimension, it has been painted white.
This is the first of two Civil War monuments erected in Linden Grove Cemetery. In 1933, a veteran's memorial platform honoring both the Union and the Confederacy was built. The Northern allegiance of Covington during and after the War is reflected in these efforts to honor the Union Army in the city.
64. War Between the States Veteran's Memorial
Linden Grove Cemetery, Covington (Kenton County)
Limestone and concrete platform, 1933
Inscription:In Memory of the Veterans of the War Between the States 1861-1865 by Norman-Barnes Post No. 70 - The American Legion May 30, 1933.
This unique monument is one of only two Kentucky memorials dedicated to both the Union and the Confederacy. It was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1933, and was most likely used as a platform for Memorial Day ceremonies.
Engaged columns, constructed in the same fashion, are placed at each corner. These columns have concrete caps.
On the north face, a stone plaque, flanked by smaller engaged columns, bears the inscription. On the south side, columns similarly flank the platform's steps. A brass American Legion seal is centered on the east side, indicating the organization responsible for erecting the monument.
Covington, on the edge of the line dividing north from south, was a key location in the War Between the States. Although there were strong Confederate sympathizers in Kenton County, the area was primarily loyal to the Union. Confederate troops under General Edmund Kirby-Smith threatened northern Kentucky, leading General Lew Wallace to declare martial law in Covington in 1862. Militia troops from Cincinnati crossed the Ohio River on a pontoon bridge to build and occupy a series of earthen fortifications, including Fort Mitchell and Fort Wright. As extremist General Stephen Burbridge worked to squelch disloyalty to the Union, he targeted Confederate loyalists in Kenton County.
Questions/Activities:
Write to the Convention and Visitors' Bureaus in both Covington and Cincinnati, requesting historical information. How is the Civil War period honored in each community?
