Dublin Core
Title
Terry's Texas Rangers, State Capitol Building, Austin, TX
Subject
Texas, Post-Reconstruction
Description
Terry’s Texas Rangers otherwise known as the 8th Texas Cavalry were a group of cavalrymen that fought on behalf of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. The monument is erected just outside the Austin state capitol building amidst a host of other war memorials ranging from the Alamo to the Korean War. It is comprised of a large bronze statue depicting a ranger armed with a rifle riding a horse. On it are two quotes praising the work of Terry’s Texas Rangers in fighting for the Confederacy.
“There is no danger of a surprise when the rangers are between us and the enemy”-Confederate General Braxton Bragg
“The Terry Rangers have done all that could expected or required of soldiers.”-Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Sculpted by Italian artist Pompeo Coppini, this monument was produced as a part of a wider period of monument building in Austin Texas from 1901 to the early 1930s. During this period artists, primarily Coppini, were commissioned to build numerous busts, statues, and monuments dedicated to Texan and American military history, with the bulk being comprised of Confederate memorials.
This monument stands as one among many other Confederate memorials that lionize and honor Texas’s participation in the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy. It places Texas’s famous rangers as heroes of the Confederacy next to memorials of those who fought in World War II and the Korean War. If one were not reading its dedication, a passerby would likely think it was a monument to just the Texas Rangers and not the Confederacy. Its existence and placement serve as a reminder of just how strong Confederate memory maintains a hold on the state of Texas.
“There is no danger of a surprise when the rangers are between us and the enemy”-Confederate General Braxton Bragg
“The Terry Rangers have done all that could expected or required of soldiers.”-Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Sculpted by Italian artist Pompeo Coppini, this monument was produced as a part of a wider period of monument building in Austin Texas from 1901 to the early 1930s. During this period artists, primarily Coppini, were commissioned to build numerous busts, statues, and monuments dedicated to Texan and American military history, with the bulk being comprised of Confederate memorials.
This monument stands as one among many other Confederate memorials that lionize and honor Texas’s participation in the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy. It places Texas’s famous rangers as heroes of the Confederacy next to memorials of those who fought in World War II and the Korean War. If one were not reading its dedication, a passerby would likely think it was a monument to just the Texas Rangers and not the Confederacy. Its existence and placement serve as a reminder of just how strong Confederate memory maintains a hold on the state of Texas.
Creator
Pompeo Coppini
Source
“Terry’s Texas Rangers Monument.” Texas State Preservation Board. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tcg/tcg-monuments/04-terrys-texas-rangers/index.html
“Capitol Grounds Monuments.” Texas State Preservation Board. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tcg/tcg-monuments/index.html
“Capitol Grounds Monuments.” Texas State Preservation Board. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tcg/tcg-monuments/index.html
Date
Erected: 1907
Contributor
Michael Westfall
Language
English
Type
Sculpture
Identifier
Hist 402A Fall 2023
Coverage
Austin, TX