In nearly every town and city in 36 states across America stand monuments and memorials dedicated to a time when brothers fought brothers and fathers fought sons in the bloodiest war in our nation's history... The American Civil War. Most of these monuments and memorials have stood, silently, watching over their towns and cities while their true meanings have faded into obscurity. Though a significant number of these beautiful monuments and memorials, as well as incredible works of art, stand in full view of the public, few people even notice them simply because they have stood there for generations as other wars took our attention away. A larger portion of these monuments and memorials stand in cemeteries, where some have fallen into disarray. These are surrounded by markers, reminding all who see them, of the sacrifices made by a whole generation so that we, today, can enjoy living as we do. In writing this book, we are attempting to remind future generations of these sacrifices as well as to pay homage to, and show the talents of, the artists who created them. The facts included in this book are those not found in any other works. To the best of our knowledge, this book represents all of the Civil War monuments and memorials throughout Rhode Island, from the smallest to the largest.
