View complete article and references at Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina at: https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/262

Description: Rising nearly twenty-five feet, this monument depicts a granite sculpture of the Confederate Common Soldier, mounted atop a tall tapered column. The uniformed soldier stands at parade rest, holding the barrel of his rifle with both hands. The tall shaft is composed of three tiers of granite resting atop a wide base of three steps. The shaft of the column just below the sculpture is of rough cut granite with sharply chiseled corners. This narrow column rests atop a tall pedestal with a smooth face bearing the inscription on the front, a bas-relief image of two crossed Confederate flags on one side, and the bas-relief image of two crossed muskets on the other. This base is capped on all four sides with an ornate top bearing the initials of the Confederate States of America in raised lettering on the front and rear and the dates of the Confederacy on the sides. The inscription is simple, with the word "DEVOTION" expressing the sentiment of the commemoration.

Image: Postcard image of the Rutherford County Courthouse and Confederate Monument

Inscription:
Front: TO THE MEN / AND WOMEN OF / THE CONFEDERACY / "DEVOTION"

Rear: Erected by the Davis-Dickerson-Mills Chapter / United Daughters of The Confederacy. / October 1910

Front and rear, above inscripton: CSA

Sides, above figure: 1861-1865

Dedication date: 11/12/1910

Materials & Techniques: Granite

Sponsor: United Daughters of the Confederacy, Davis-Dickerson-Mills Chapter

Cost: $2500

Unveiling & Dedication: The monument was installed in October of 1910 and dedicated on November 12, 1910.

Subject notes: Rutherford County sent some 1,734 men to fight in the Civil War. The county also experienced some destruction, particularly in Rutherfordton, during the Union campaign known as Stoneman's Raid.

Location: The statue sits facing east in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse on North Main Street between East Second and Third Streets.

Landscape: The statue sits in the semi-circular lawn in front of the courthouse. It is surrounded by mature shade trees.

City: Rutherfordton

County: Rutherford

Subjects: Civil War