Collage of historical images and cartoons of the American Civil War

Visual Culture of the American Civil WarA Special Feature of Picturing US History

Roxbury Soldiers' Monument, Forest Hills Cemetery, Roxbury, Massachusetts

Created by sculptor Martin Milmore in 1867, the Roxbury Soldiers' Memorial or Citizen Soldier at Forest Hills Cemetery was one of the early depictions of the common soldier. At the time of its dedication it was one of the largest bronzes cast in the United States. It became immensely popular and the common soldier monument became the dominant Civil War memorial by the 1880s, replacing the inscribed obelisk. Soon communities across the country installed similar public memorials as a monument industry formed to provide ready-made statues without the need for towns to hire a sculptor. The base inscription reads: "Erected by The City of Roxbury in Honor of Her Soldiers, Who Died for Their Country in the Rebellion of 1861 – 1865."Created by sculptor Martin Milmore in 1867, the Roxbury Soldiers' Memorial or Citizen Soldier at Forest Hills Cemetery was one of the early depictions of the common soldier. At the time of its dedication it was one of the largest bronzes cast in the United States. It became immensely popular and the common soldier monument became the dominant Civil War memorial by the 1880s, replacing the inscribed obelisk. Soon communities across the country installed similar public memorials as a monument industry formed to provide ready-made statues without the need for towns to hire a sculptor. The base inscription reads: "Erected by The City of Roxbury in Honor of Her Soldiers, Who Died for Their Country in the Rebellion of 1861 – 1865."

URL: http://college.holycross.edu/faculty/sluria/stone_statue.html

Creator: Martin Millmore

Date: 1867