Inscription
This Civil War Monument commemorates 400 Venango County soldiers who died during the war. These soldiers fought in many battles including Lookout Mountain, Bull Run, Yorktown, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Antietam. Some were killed in action or died from their wounds. Other died as prisoners of war at Libby, Belle Isle, and Andersonville Prisons.
Two famous generals are among those whose names are on the Monument. Prior to the Civil War Major General Jesse L. Reno had earned a reputation as a "soldier's soldier," often fighting beside his troops without a sword or any sign of his rank. During the Battle of South Mountain as Reno reconnoitered the Confederate position at Fox's Gap, he was shot in the chest by a Confederate sharpshooter and died soon after.
A brave and heroic leader, Brigadier General Alexander Hays fought at the Battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Savage's Station, and Malvern Hill. His leadership enabled his division to break the final charge of Pickett's men at Gettysburg. He was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness.
Let us never forget all
the soldiers and sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice to abolish slavery and to preserve the Union.
In June 1864, the U.S. Sanitary Commission held a Soldiers and Sailors Sanitary Fair in Pittsburgh to collect money and supplies for Union Soldiers. Prizes were offered, including a monument worth more than $2,000 to be given to the County of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio or West Virginia that raised the greatest amount of contributions. The citizens of Venango County raised the most and won the marble shaft.
On September 10, 1866, thousands of people converged on Franklin to be part of the ceremonies for the dedication of the new Monument.
At 2 p.m., the distant sound of martial music proclaimed that the soldiers were coming.
The infantry led the parade, followed by the artillery and then the cavalry. The infantry wore a blue sash, the artillery a red sash, and the cavalry a yellow sash. The Franklin Band, the "new cornet band," marched in the parade and played during the ceremony.
At the close of the dedication these words were spoken:
"And while these laurel-decked hills that environ our county seat shall stand, let that monument that tells of the county's contribution to the death roll of patriotism be cherished and decked
with flowers on each returning May. And let all our soldiers, dead or living, be honored in the hearts of their fellow citizens for their work on our behalf."
[Written on the monument]
Erected July 4, 1866
by the Citizens of Venango Co.
in memory of the brave heroes of this county
who died in defense of the Union in the
War of the Great Rebellion
[Roll of Honored Dead]
[Metal] Civil War Plaques dedicated July 4, 1990
Details
| HM Number | HM2JT4 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Year Placed | 1866 |
| Placed By | The U.S. Sanitary Commission through public support by the Citizens of Venango County |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Wednesday, August 21st, 2019 at 8:02pm PDT -07:00 |
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Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 17T E 598065 N 4583504 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 41.39710000, -79.82690000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 41° 23.826', W 79° 49.614' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 41° 23' 49.56" N, 79° 49' 36.84" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling West |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near , , |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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