Arkansas Ties ... A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That, and a Whole Lot of Arkansas

Confederate War Memorial Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas    Artist: Unknown, sculptor. Title: Confederate, (sculpture). Other Titles: Confederate Veterans of Benton County Memorial, (sculpture). Dates: Dedicated August 8, 1908. Medium: Granite. Dimensions: Approx. 20 ft. 8 in. x 2 ft. 2 in. x 21 in. Inscription: (On north side of base:) THEIR NAMES ARE BORNE ON HONORS SHIELD. THEIR RECORD IS WITH GOD/CONFEDERATE (East face of base:) THEY FOUGHT FOR HOME AND FATHERLAND/CONFEDERATE (West face of base, engraved:) THE SOUTHERN SOLDIERS-ERECTED BY A. J. BATES AND THE JAMES H. BERRY CHAPTER OF THE UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY. AUGUST 8, 1908./CONFEDERATE (South face of base:) 1861-65/CONFEDERATE (On metal plate, west face of base:) JAMES H. BERRY/1841-1913/SOLDIERS AND STATES/BELOVED OF ARKANSAS/2ND LIEUTENANT/CO. E. 16TH ARK. INFANTRY, C.S.A./LEGISLATOR-JURIST/GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS/UNITED STATES SENATOR./HE PERFORMED EVERY DUTY/WITH AN EYE/SINGLE TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE/AND HIS OWN UNBLEMISHED HONOR/THIS TABLET IS PLACED HERE/BY THE JAMES H. BERRY CHAPTER/UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY/THE PAT CLEBURNE CAMP/SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS/AND OTHER FRIENDS/IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE/AND APPRECIATION/OF HIS NOBLE LIFE AND CHARACTER signed Description: Confederate soldier standing, holding a gun. A Confederate soldier standing, holding a rifle in front of him, with the butt on the ground. A blanket roll is draped over his proper left shoulder. He is dressed in uniform and has a beard. The statue stands on a tall granite base. Subject: History -- United States -- Civil War Figure male -- Full length Occupation -- Military -- Soldier Homage -- Berry, James H. Occupation -- Political -- Senator Occupation -- Political -- Governor Dress -- Uniform -- Military Uniform Owner: Administered by City of Bentonville, Parks Department, 117 West Central, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712 Administered by James H. Berry Chapter of United Daughters of the Confederacy, P.O. Box 4868, Richmond, Virginia 23220 Located Public Square Park, Across from Benton County Courthouse, Bentonville, Arkansas Remarks: IAS files contain excerpt from J. Dickson Black's "History of Benton County, 1836-1936," Little Rock, AR: International Graphics Industries, 1975, pg. 264-267, which discusses unveiling of the monument. For further reading see: Benton County Democract, Aug. 13, 1908, Vol. XXXIII, no. 33, pg. 2. Condition: Surveyed 1993 April. Well maintained. References: Save Outdoor Sculpture, Arkansas survey, 1993. Arkansas, AAUW, Wanda Roe, 1990. Note: The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide. James H. Berry 1841- 1913 Soldier and Statesman Beloved of Arkansas 2nd Lieutenant Co. E. 16th Arkansas Infantry C.S.A. Legislator - Jurist Governor of Arkansas United States Senator He performed every duty with an eye single to the public welfare and his own unblemished honor. This tablet is placed here by the James H. Berry Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy The Pat Cleburne Camp. To the Southern Soldiers erected by A.J. Bates and the James H. Berry Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy August 8, 1908.   --