Chatham Artillery Monument
Posted by Admin at 5:02 pm
Created to honor The Chatham Artillery, this monument is unique in a number of ways.
Erected in 1986 and located in Emmet Park, the granite figure is slightly larger at the top than at the bottom and is home to a bronze eagle statue. Inspired by 101st Airborne Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, it was the only design befitting such brave, unrecognized soldiers.
The standing militia unit of 1785, now called the 1st Battalion of the 118th Field Artillery Regiment in the Georgia National Guard, was recognized nationally before the start of the Civil War as an elite combat organization from Savannah, GA.
In early 1862, the now infamous Chatham Artillery entered Confederate service, covering primarily the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. “The Four Guns” of the artillery, commanded by Captain John F. Wheaton, provided the southern army with its most experienced soldiers to date offering assistance for the upcoming battle at Olustee.
At approximately 2:20pm, The Chatham Artillery entered the battle and “was constantly engaged from the commencement to the close of action and expended nearly all its ammunition…” There is no newspaper casualty list for this unit and further investigation of this particular fight finds no list of the wounded.
After Olustee, The Chatham Artillery continued to serve in Georgia and the Carolinas for the duration of the Civil War, with part of the unit being captured at Fort McAlister in December 1864.
The monument, inscribed with the words, “Soldiers in war, Patriots in Peace,” serves as a reminder to this strong military community of the dedication of all soldiers and their families particularly when the enlisted family member is stationed overseas during a time of war. We continue to pray for the families and salute the soldiers that give so much of themselves for us and this country.
The statue, standing a total of 11 feet tall, rests on a seven-foot square, dark gray granite base on a ten foot square foundation. A bronze eagle with wings spread as if in flight sits on the pedestal with a slightly mounded unpolished top.
