A Civil War Monument depicting men of the 111th NY Volunteer Regiment
July 4, 2024 – Lyons, NY – The American Civil War was a four-year conflict between the United States and the Confederate States of America that began on April 12, 1861. The war was fought over the issue of slavery and whether it should be allowed to expand into the western territories, which would have led to more slave states. Men and boys from Wayne County volunteered to serve in the Union Army to save the nation, thus ending the spread of slavery.
To honor these men, their families, and this moment in time, the Wayne County Historical Society along with many volunteers, are researching the men from Wayne County who served in the NY 111th Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, known at the time as the War of the Rebellion.
In further remembrance, the Society has retained renowned American historical artist and sculptor Gary Casteel to sculpt a life-size bronze Civil War monument that will iconically depict the duty, boldness and sacrifice of the regiment’s Color Bearers on July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg. Historically accurate, these brave men, often unarmed, with flags held high, were used to guide units into battle position or to indicate a rally point.
The monument, titled “True Valor,” will contain three life-size bronze figures mounted at eye level on a rose granite pedestal in the center of a 40-foot circular concrete patio. The infantry soldier in this depiction is protecting one color bearer as he retrieves the flag from another fallen soldier.
In cooperation with the Town of Lyons, the county seat, Central Park was identified as a fitting location for the county-centered project. The patio will include three granite benches and a bronze tablet explaining the setting.
The project is fully funded by a private donor and will be constructed in three phases. The first phase will prepare the concrete foundation for the granite pedestal pieces. The second phase will be the placement of the granite and finishing of the patio area. The third phase will be the final placement of the bronze figures in the late spring or early summer of 2025. To date, figure number 1 shown here, is at the casting foundry in Louisville, Kentucky.
“At a time when areas of this country are questioning the value of Civil War monuments,” states Deb Hall, Director of the Historical Society and Museum, “We are proud to install one that does not honor a General, rather it reveals the valor of local ordinary men who were willing to fight for what was right." Many of these soldiers were just boys, under 18, who alongside brothers, uncles and fathers, volunteered to defend a moral choice for personal freedom and for national unity. There were nearly 1100 men in the 111th Regiment but so many more Wayne County residents who served in the Union Army including former slaves who served in the United States Colored Troops. “This monument may only depict three soldiers,” Hall continues, “but it actually represents and pays tribute to thousands of soldiers from our county who have valiantly served our country, from the Revolution to current active-duty engagements. They are the ones who are fighting for, and defending, the freedoms we take for grant.”
In conjunction with other local historical societies, a Civil War database of soldiers’ names, dates, and descendants is being created to preserve this local history. Letters, diaries, documents, contemporary news articles or pictures about local men serving in the Civil War are great primary sources for this research. Please contact the Historical Society with information about local Civil War veterans. In conjunction with this search, local veterans or active military can also contribute to the Military Memories exhibit by submitting basic service information through the military memories form on WayneHistory.org. ###
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