Georgetown's Obelisk: Tales of a Lopsided Past

This Confederate Monument, sleek as an unpolished granite obelisk, stands tall in Georgetown Cemetery, a nod to the legacy of eighteen Confederate troops. With embossed designs of crossed cannons, muskets, and flags, the monument's origin is quite clear. Yet, there's a hidden tale behind this memorial. These soldiers weren't just participants in the war – two of them were casualties of Stephen G.'s Order 59, a decree that called for the execution of four Confederate prisoners for every Union soldier killed.

The monument was enshrined in the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997, with a dedication ceremony taking place in June, 1888. The women of Scott County, banding together in the Ladies Monument Association, worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to erect the memorial. They even transported and reinterred the remains of the eighteen soldiers near the monument. So, next time you're in Georgetown, swing by the obelisk and give a nod to these soldiers who fought in the wrong side of the war.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons