Monument to Confederate Women, Little Rock, Arkansas

The statue is made of bronze, marble and concrete. It is standing on a tall pedestal on the lawn of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. The statue depicts a mother, her daughter, young son saying goodbye to her older son who is joining his father into battle. The monument was built to remind future generations of the sacrifice that many southern women had to keep the home front steady.

The Plaque reads:

“To The Confederate Women Of Arkansas 1861–1865

“Whose Pious Ministrations To Our Wounded Soldiers Soothed The Last Hours Of Those Who Died For The Object Of Their Tenderest Love; Whose Domestic Labors Contributed Much To Supply The Wants Of Our Defenders In The Field; Whose Jealous Faith In Our Cause Shone A Guiding Star, Undimmed By The Darkest Clouds Of War; Whose Fortitude Sustained Them Under All The Privations To Which They Were Subjected; And Whose Patriotism Will Teach Their Sons To Emulate The Deeds Of Their Sires.”

This Monument Is Erected By The State Of Arkansas And The Confederate Veterans[1]


More about the Artist/Funder/Owner:

The artist of the monument is J. Otto Schweizer, the original name for the monument is “Mother of the South”. The monument is six tiers tall. The monument is built with bronze, concrete, marble and a granite base. The options for the materials used for the monument, allow for the monument to be casted strongly and have a permanent place on the lawn of the capitol. The United Confederate Veterans began to fundraise money for the statue by writing and publishing a book of Confederate Women of Arkansas first hand accounts during the Civil War. The book is titled “Confederate Women of Arkansas 1861-1865: Memorial Reminiscence. The combination of both the book sales and the contribution of state funds, the monument was able to be purchased.

Monument to the Confederate Women is still standing on the capitol grounds and it is listed a National Historic Place.

1. "NRHP nomination for Monument to Confederate Women" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
2. Sosa, Ninette. "A Closer Look: the Future of Confederate Monuments in Arkansas." KNWA. July 31, 2020.
3. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/monument-to-confederate-women-7592/
4. Logan Russell, Charles, “Something So Dim it must be Holy: Civil War Commemorative Sculptor in Arkansas” Arkansas Historic Preservation Society 1997. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/ahpp-documents/state-wide-historic-contexts/civil_war_sculpture_newb298cb1f-c57c-473a-9466-e6a885e0948a.pdf?sfvrsn=cadb324e_5
5. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/monument-to-confederate-women-7592/
6. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/oct/18/confederate-past-still-remembered-all-around-state/