I've previously mentioned that I love the Iowa monuments in Chattanooga. In general it is because it seems that Iowa wanted to offer one more shot at the Confederates. Although these monuments went up in a period of conciliation it seems that Iowa wanted to take one last poke at the Confederates. The Iowa monument in the Sherman Reservation is a bit on the lighter side of the verbal jabs.
The first inscriptions is:
"Iowa dedicates this monument in honor of her sons who on this and other fields proved themselves worthy sons of patriotic sires." Confederates would feel that they too were worthy sons of patriotic sires. I don't want to get into it here in great detail but there was much talk about them continuing the revolutionary spirit of 1776. That the work of 1776 was not yet complete. The memory and image of George Washington was trotted out as a way to give their rebellion a bit of a heritage and legitimacy.
The second inscription is:
"You have made it a high privilege to be a citizen of Iowa" Again, a light jab. Every state could claim that their soldiers' bravery and valor made it a privilege to be a fellow citizen of that state.
The position of the monument is as far as the 6th Iowa made it in the charge on Tunnel Hill. In this first picture Tunnel Hill is behind us. The 6th Iowa made additional attacks up the hill but this spot is the farthest position that they held onto.
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