Frankies Confederate Monuments and Memorials of the South

AUGUSTA
RICHMOND COUNTY
GEORGIA

This very impressive monument is located on Broad Street, Between 7th & 8th Streets.

The inscription reads:

"No nation rose so white and fair,
None fell so pure of crime
Worthy to have lived and known our gratitude
Worthy to be hallowed and held
In tender remembrance
Worthy the fadless fame which
Confederate soldiers won
Who gave themselves in life
And death for us
For the honor of Georgia
For the rights of the States
For the liberties of the South
For the principles of the Union, as these were handed down to them,
By the fathers of our common Country."

"Our Confederate Dead"

"Erected A.D. 1878 by the Memorial Association of Augusta,

In honor of the men of Richmond County,
Who died in the cause of the Confederate States."

At the pinnacle of the shaft is a statue of a Confederate private soldier, leaning on his musket gazing out as if waiting a command to move into action. The base of the monument is granite, the shaft and statues of pure Italian marlble. Designed by Von Gunden, a young man of Philadelphia. The work was executed in Carrara, Italy. Erected at a cost of $17,331.35 and unveiled on October 31, 1878. It is seventy-two feet high, and from the top of the second section, twenty five feet from the base, rises a simple, unbroken forty-seven feet presenting a singularly graceful and dignified aspect. At the four angles of the first section are placed statues of:

General William Henry Talbot Walker
General Robert Edward Lee
General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson
General Thomas Reade Roots Cobb

Around the monmument are embossed furled flag on a staft, muskets, swords, Deo Vindice emblem with a drum, muskets, cannon balls, a bugle and a furled flag,and the raised emblem of Georgia Constitution. The last section depicts the laurel wreath, spears and the ends of two cannons, the coat of arms of the Confederacy and the State of Georgia. The model for the soldier on top was a Confederate private, Mr. Berry Benson, who was a resident of Augusta.

Photograph by Andy and Claire Dyches

Source: Guide of Heros of Augusta Memorial, History of Augusta.

Confederate Powder Works

The first of the great monuments dedicated to the principle, for which the war was fought, the obelisk chimney of the Confederate States Powder Works. This imposing Confederate memorial is on Broad Street at Goodrich along the banks of the Augusta Canal. The buildings of the powder works were safely arranged in the proper manufacturing sequence. They stretched for two miles along the river. The tall smokestack was surrounded by buildings processing the world’s most effective gun power of the highest quality in the world, manufacturing a total of 2,750,000 pounds during the three years of operation. Three raw materials composed gunpowder: Saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal were refined with the greatest concern for purity. Erected by Colonel George W.Rains for the Confederate Government it was designed by C. Shaler Smith, a capable young architect and civil engineer. As smoke poured from the monumental chimney the citizens pointed to it with pride and looked to it for the success of the Confederate State of America. Now days the symbolic chimney stands unused. Col. George Rains issues a moving plea to the city council to let it stand as a memorial of the only permanent structure begun and completed by the Confederacy. “Would it be asking too much from the City of Augusta that the noble obelisk be allowed to remain forever as a fitting monument to the dead heroes who sleep on the unnumbered battlefields of the south?"

Augusta Arsenal

The U. S. Arsenal on Walton Way is the only United States arsenal in the south, east of the Mississippi. Six original buildings remain on the sides of the quadrangle, which formally enclosed the parade ground. In 1819 the 1st U.S. arsenal at Augusta was completed on the Savannah River near the present location at the King and Sibley mills. After the black fever epidemic it was moved to more healthy quarters on a 70-acre tract costing $ 6,000.00 on the sand hills, where the buildings were erected. Five days after the secession of Georgia from the union in 1861, the arsenal was surrendered to Georgia troops with a mere exchange of formal diplomacy between Captain Arnold Elzey who represented the United States and Colonel W. T. H. Walker who represented Governor Brown of Georgia. After the formalities the two men met at the mess hall for a convivial evening.
Today the Arsenal houses the Augusta State University campus house.

TOWER AND BELL

The Bell was in the last engine owned by the Georgia Railroad. It was donated to the Augusta College in 1961 by the Georgia Railroad Bank and Trust Company. and the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company.
The Georgia Railroad began in Augusta in 1834 with William Dearing named President of the Georgia Railroad Banking Company.
It is the oldest Railroad in Georgia operating under its original charter.
Extensive portions of its lines were destroyed by Sherman during the War Between the States. It carried without charge, 100,000 Confederate soldiers home after the war ended.
It continued in the banking business from which business has since been conducted by its affiliate, Georgia Railroad Banking and Trust Company.
It still redeems bank notes issued during the War Between the States and has never failed to pay a dividend except for the last year of the war in 1865. It is located at Broad and 7th Streets.

MEDICAL COLLEGE GEORGIA

This building is a historic landmark on the southeast corner of Telfair and 6th Streets. It was erected in 1835 as a medical school, one of the first in the nation.
This Greek Revival building was designed by the distinguished Georgia architect, Charles B. Cluskey. It was occupied by the Medical College from 1835 to 1911. A medical association was organized and incorporated as the Medical Academy under the auspices of Dr. Milton Anthony, in collaboration with his pupil, Dr. Joseph A. Eve. Together they operated a school of medicine in connection with the hospital, which had no authority to confer degrees. In 1828 Dr. Anthony headed a group of physicians and formed a Medical Academy in Augusta. In 1833 the name was changed to Medical College of Georgia.
During the years, 1861-1865, Augusta served as a hospital center during the War Between the States. Thousands of wounded Confederate soldiers were evacuated to Augusta by rail and treated in downtown hospitals, schools and churches. This building served as a medical hospital caring for the wounded soldiers who were brought in by rail after the Atlanta Campaign July 22, 1864.

ST. JAMES SABBATH SCHOOL

This is St James Sabbath School Monument. It is located in the 400 block on Greene Street. It is dedicated to her fallen Heroes. On the front tablet facing north is listed 24 names of confederate soldiers. To the west reads: “ Immortalis est. veritas These men died in defense Of the principles of the Declaration of Independence.” On the south side by The Cenotoph Club is inscribed “ To the boys in Gray from Augusta and Richmond County.” There are 26 Officers names listed and 77 Non-Commissioned officers. On the East side There are 164 names of soldiers and inscribed “Dolce et Decorum Est Pro Patrioa Mori.” Names will be sent upon request.

POET’S MONUMENT

This monument is located on Greene Street between 7th & 8th Streets and stands in the center of the Greene median. The square granite monument, a gift of Anna Russell Cole, was dedicated in 1913 to the memory of four of Georgia’s poets. The S. W. side reads:

"To Father Joseph Ryan 1842-1886."
“To the higher shrine of Love Divine my lowly feet have trod. I want no fame, no other name than this—A Priest of God.”

The N. W. side reads:

"To Paul Hamilton Hayne 1830-1886".
“Yet would I rather in the outward state of song’s Immortal Temple lay me down, a beggar, basking by that radiant gate, than bend beneath the haughtiest empire’s crown.”

The N. E. side reads:

"To James Ryder Randall 1839-1908".
“Better the fire upon the roll, better the blade, the shot, the bowl, than Crucifixion of the soul. Maryland my Maryland.”

The S. E. side reads:

"To Sidney Lanier 1842-1880".
“The catholic man who hath nightly won God out of knowledge and good out of infinite pain and sight out of Blindness and Purity out of stain.”

James Ryder Randall
1839-1908

James Ryder Randall is the old gentleman on this monument. This monument is located in the median on Greene Street in approx. the 1300 block. On the east side of him it reads:

“Better the fire upon the roll better the blade, the shot, the bowl, that crucifixion of the soul, Maryland my Maryland”.

On the west side it reads:

"Erected by the Randall Memorial Committee of Chapter “A” United Daughters of the Confederacy Augusta, Georgia May 28, 1936."
This Chapter of the U. D. C. is no longer active.

Patrick Walsh
1839-1908

This statue was erected to the memory of Patrick Walsh, 1840 - 1899, by his fellow citizens. He was Editor of the Augusta Chronicle, Mayor of the City of Augusta, member of the Georgia Legislature, and a United States Senator. A Patriotic Citizen, a Loyal Friend and a lover of humanity. It is located on Telfair street between E. Ford and W. Ford Streets.

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AUGUSTARICHMOND COUNTYGEORGIA