Take a Gander, Mate: The Gravel Gargoyle of Grunge Glitz at Perryville

Tap on over to the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, where history feels as breezy as a kite on a lazy summer's day. Spot the Stone Confederate Monument, this hunk of granite that's been gazing down at us since sea captains contended with the Spanish Armada. This stony sentinel of yesteryear stands tall as the yarn of the Battle of Perryville, the muddiest, dustiest fuss Kentucky's ever cooked up. The precise count of pop-eyed soldiers has been a hot topic of debate, but this stoic statue tells its tale - 'Been there, done that.

Step back in time, and it's like old pals gathered 'round a campfire, sharing yarns while sipping a drop of rum. This monument and its pedestal were the clever work of the Peter-Burghard Statue Company from Louisville, Kentucky. The pedestal boasts the names of thirty-seven Confederate legends, as well as snippets from Bivouac of the Dead, mentioning that 470 weary warriors found their final naps here in the battle. Each October, this monument attracts a motley crew of folks gathered to pay their tributes.

This monument wasn't lost on the folks of Kentucky in 1902 when it was unveiled on the battle's fortieth anniversary, before a crowd of 5,000 to 10,000. Since 1997, this see-worthy spectacle has been one of sixty battle stories of the Civil War in Kentucky on the National Register of Historic Places, and can be found on the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission, just like its Union sidekick nearby.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons