Design of the Monument

Definitions & Design Features
Reference is made in the text to specific elements or physical features of the monument’s design. In a design not strictly within a specific classical order and in one of eclectic complexity such as the Confederate Monument, the definition of common architectural terms or of less common but useful Vitruvian vocabulary, may vary according to the best judgment of a user. Hence it is important for the reader to have definitions made at the outset of what is meant by each term used in the text to reference some element or feature of this monument. In the definitions established, mostly through contextual usage, some liberty has been taken in applying both standard and classical architecture terminology to the elements of this monument.

Base, Pedestals & Plinths
For this report, a base supports a non-sculptural element such as a column or the entire monument and thus we speak of the “column base” or the “monument base” while a pedestal supports a featured sculpture and may be found as “finial sculpture pedestal” or “granite sculpture pedestal.” A plinth, having its original meaning of “brick” upon which a featured stone rests, such as a pedestal or column, shall be the unadorned, rectilinear block of stone upon which a base or pedestal often rests in this monument.

Monument Sections
The monument is composed of three major sections: (1) the foundation, (2) the monument base, (3) the column section. Each section is composed of features having their own terminology as identified below. Sculpture is a component of some of the sections. There is a relief sculpture as part of the column section. There are four granite figures as part of the base and a bronze figure serving as a finial to the column.

The Foundation Section.
The foundation is the structure of materials below ground level that support the monument from sinking or listing. The foundation section is not visible.

Monument Plan & Base
The monument plan including the base, metal fence, and walkway around the fence is as follows.
The plan of the base which, though it is in the form of a cross, would fill a square measuring 420.5 inches on each side or approximately 35 feet per side. The wide outermost edges of the cross’s arms measure 296.5 inches, or 24.7 feet, while the relatively small inner edges of the cross’s arms measure 62 inches.

This monument base is centered within a small grassy plot surrounded by an iron fence with side lengths of approximately 46 feet. The 46-by-46 foot fence is surrounded by a walkway having widths on the South, East and West sides of approximately 98 inches and on the North side of approximately 88 inches where there are steps (post-dating the monument) leading down the steep hill toward Monroe Street.

The monument base is built upon the surface of the foundation at ground level in five courses of limestone in a stepped configuration having a total height of about 93 inches or 7.75 feet. These courses of stone are not meant to be used as steps but it is possible to climb them easily. The base mimics the classical crepidoma consisting of a visually massive base of steps that present and support a refined upper structure. The successive steps of the crepidoma, each known as a stereobate, are topped with a level platform of stone, the stylobate, upon which the columns and structure are built. These classical features of a crepidoma are present in the Confederate Monument. The massive relief and column sections and the plinths supporting the volute carvings at each side of the granite sculpture pedestals rest upon the stylobate which is stone course number 5 from the foundation.

Note that a large block of stone bearing an epitaph is set into the center of the fourth and fifth coursework on each of the four compass points of the base. These shall be identified as the epitaph blocks. The epitaph blocks support the plinths of the granite sculptures.
Note also what may be taken as a sixth course supporting the volute scrolls to each side of the sculpture base or pedestal sitting on top of the epitaph block. These are plinths. The volute scrolls are associated in design with the sculpture pedestals they flank. These would be identified as the granite sculpture pedestal volute plinths.

Epitaph Blocks
A large block of stone bearing an epitaph is set into the center of the fourth and fifth coursework on each of the four compass points of the monument base. The face of each of these blocks of stone measures 82 inches wide and 53 inches high. Their depth runs 82 inches, almost all the way back to the relief section base. The face of each of these blocks bears an intaglio (incised) inscription or epitaph relevant to the memorial.

The texts of these epitaphs read:

East – Facing Union St.
(Below sculpture “Artillery”)
“WHEN THIS HISTORIC SHAFT SHALL CRUMBLING LIE
IN AGES HENCE. IN WOMAN’S HEART WILL BE,
A FOLDED FLAG. A THRILING PAGE UNROLLED,
A DEATHLESS SONG OF SOUTHERN CHIVALRY.”
I.M.P.O.

West
(Below sculpture “Cavalry”)
“THE KNIGHTLIEST OF THE KNIGHTLY RACE
WHO SINCE THE DAYS OF OLD.
HAVE KEPT THE LAMP OF CHIVALRY
ALIGHT IN HEARTS OF GOLD.”
F.O.T.

North - Facing Monroe St.
(Below sculpture “Navy”)
“THE SEAMEN OF CONFEDERATE FAME
STARTLED THE WONDERING WORLD;
FOR BRAVER FIGHT WAS NEVER FOUGHT,
AND FAIRER FLAG WAS NEVER FURLED.”
ANON.

South – Facing State House
(Below sculpture “Infantry”)
“FAME’S TEMPLE BOASTS NO HIGHER NAME,
NO KING IS GRANDER ON HIS THRONE;
NO GLORY SHINES WITH BRIGHTER GLEAM,
THE NAME OF “PATRIOT” STANDS ALONE.”
C.T.R.

Granite Sculpture & Pedestals
On top of each of the four epitaph blocks is a pedestal for a granite sculpture. Each pedestal measures 54 inches high, 57 inches wide, 57 inches deep and features a carved wreath on its face. The pedestals have ogee bases and similarly ornamented tops. On each side of each pedestal are volute scrolls bearing a large acanthus leaf and other decorations. On top of each pedestal is a carved granite figure with integral granite plinth 30 inches by 30 inches. The carved figures range about 90 inches tall.
These four granite figures have the following representations and positions:
North: Navy
South: Infantry
East: Artillery
West: Cavalry

The Column Section
The column section has many design components. To begin, the column section has a visually and physically substantial base that supports a massive bronze relief band, which, in turn supports the column shaft and is topped with a finial in the form of a bronze figure.

Column Section Base
The column section base rests on the stylobate of the monument base and occupies most of its surface, leaving only a little space in which to walk around. The column base is built of six courses of limestone in a pyramidal form of discs ending at the bottom of the bronze relief band. That sixth, topmost, course acts as a plinth for the bronze band and shall be identified as the bronze relief plinth. The face of the bronze plinth is set back from the face of the lowest course by about 28 inches. due to the pyramidal stacking.
The dimensions are:
Course 6 H: 13 in. (relief plinth)
Course 5 H: 15 in.
Course 4 H: 17 in.
Course 3 H: 23 in. C: 120 in.
Course 2 H: 30 in. C: 136 in
Course 1 H: 41 in. C: 142 in.
Number of stone blocks in each course:
Course 6 4
Course 5 4
Course 4 4
Course 3 8
Course 2 8
Course 1 8
An inscription is carved into the circumference of the third course from the bottom. On this course in relief and facing South (toward the Capitol) are the dates “1861-1865”. The remainder of this ring of stone bears the intaglio epitaph:
CONSECRATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS AND SEAMEN

The Bronze Relief
The bronze relief elements consist of a circular limestone plinth (already mentioned), the band of bronze, and a limestone entablature.
Four stones make up the 13 in. high circle of stone plinth on which the bronze bears its weight. This plinth of about 107 inches in diameter is set out a very small distance from the face of the bronze. Behind the bronze there seems to be a stone drum of a diameter smaller by many inches than the diameter of the bronze band. It is not known if this drum bears on the plinth (with the plinth being cut like four sections of a pie) or rather, bears on Course 5 of the base (with the plinth stones, then being truncated wedges extending inward only to the surface of the drum). The latter construction seems to be the most likely.

The cast bronze battle scene is in fairly high relief, mezzo rilievo (It.) and has some complete undercuts for extended weapons. It is, however, not quite alto rilievo (It.). The projection of forms certainly eliminates it from the class bas-relief (Fr.).
The encircling band of bronze measuring 76.5 inches high was sand-cast in six sections, each approximately 4 feet wide. The seams or joins follow forms wherever possible. Each section has cast edges behind the visible face that allow invisible bolting of one piece to the other. The diameter of the relief is approximately 92 inches.
Above the bronze band is an entablature consisting of an architrave, a frieze and a cornice that completes the design elements of the relief section of the monument. The column begins with its base upon a stone cap on the cornice of the relief’s entablature.

The architrave, which is formed of the stones just over the bronze band, also includes a frieze in the same stones and together they compose a height of 17 inches. The architrave is a simple torus molding extending out over the bronze by several inches. Its soffit, or underside, varies in its width as though the bronze band were not centered or the whole entablature were not centered on the bronze. However, it may be that the circle of the bottom edge of the band is not in alignment with the circle of the top edge due to distortion in the band. The soffit measured at two extremes yields 1.75 inches and 4.5 inches. The frieze is adorned only with a repetition of large, raised five-point stars.
In addition to an architrave and a frieze there is a dentil band above the frieze and under the cornice in the form of tightly spaced pendant rectangles. These are of the same stone as the cornice above and together compose a height of 32 inches. Capping stones with inclined upper surfaces to shed rain water top off the entablature and form the surface from which launches the column. The capping stones of about 15 inches in height extend beyond the cornice very little.

The Column Shaft
The column design begins with a circular plinth having a carved recessed band and then on top of this is the column’s base bearing carved swags of flowers. These are of the same stone and together, the plinth and base combined, compose 41 inches. An uppermost decorative element of the column’s base but being in a separate stone from that of the swags features repetitive raised hemispherical bosses along its lower surface. This stone is 24 inches in height.

Then comes the column’s shaft having a diameter of approximately 48 inches at bottom. The shaft does not have entasis but does appear to diminish some (unmeasured) amount as it rises. The shaft is composed of nine drums and two garland stones forming two astragals. From the bottom, the first three drums total a height of 96 inches; then there is an astragal of 16 inches; then three more drums totaling 91 inches; then the second astragal of 16 inches height; then the final three drums to the end of the shaft at the bottom of the capital totaling 96.5 inches.

Capital & Finial
Atop the shaft is a limestone capital 52 inches in height. It features an eagle on each of its four sides set between ionic volutes at the corners. Under each eagle is a swag of fruit.

Finally, the finial element is a bronze figure of 214 inches in height set upon a stone pedestal of 40.5 Sinches. The female figure is understood to be a personification of Patriotism.

Elevations
A summary of the approximate elevations follows. A margin of error of +/- 0.5 inch on average should be allowed for each measurement making a total possible error in the overall height, if the numbers be totaled, of over one foot.
Finial
Finial Figure: 214 in.
Pedestal: 40.5 in.
Subtotal: 245.5 in.
Column
Capital: 52 in.
Upper shaft: 96.5 in.
Garland: 16 in.
Middle Shaft: 91 in.
Garland: 16 in.
Lower shaft: 96 in.
Upper base (bossed): 24 in.
Lower base/pedestal: 41 in.
Subtotal: 432.5 in.
Bronze Relief Section
Cap: 15 in.
Dentil and Cornice: 32 in
Frieze and architrave: 17 in.
Bronze band: 76.5 in.
Pedestal (Course 6) 13 in.
Subtotal: 153.5 in.
Column Section Base
Course 5 15 in.
Course 4 17 in.
Course 3 (Dedication): 23 in.
Course 2: 30 in.
Course 1: 41 in.
Subtotal: 126 in.
Monument Base
Stylobate (Course 5): 13 in.
Course 4: 17 in.
Course 3: 21 in.
Course 2: 22 in.
Course 1: 19 in.
Subtotal: 92 in.