32nd Indiana Monument
|
August Bloedner Monument
|
|
|
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
|
|
The Monument, during restoration
|
|
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°15′28.25″N 85°45′52.1″W / 38.2578472°N 85.764472°WCoordinates: 38°15′28.25″N 85°45′52.1″W / 38.2578472°N 85.764472°W |
| Built | December 1861 or January 1862 |
| Architect | Adolph Bloettner |
| MPS | Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | 97000688 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 17 July 1997 |
| Removed from NRHP | 19 November 2010 |
The 32nd Indiana Monument, also known as the August Bloedner Monument, honors the Union soldiers of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also known as Indiana's "1st German" regiment, who died in the Battle of Rowlett's Station on 17 December 1861, near Munfordville, Kentucky. Originally placed at Fort Willich, near Munfordville, in January 1862, the monument was moved to Cave Hill National Cemetery at Louisville, Kentucky, in June 1867. Due to its fragile condition, the monument was removed from the national cemetery in 2008. After undergoing conservation treatment at the University of Louisville, it was placed on display at the Frazier History Museum lobby in August 2010. Although it is no longer in its original location, the 32nd Indiana Monument is generally considered to be the oldest surviving memorial to the American Civil War. A replacement monument at Cave Hill National Cemetery was dedicated in December 2011.
On 17 December 1861, the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment experienced its first major action during the American Civil War at the Battle of Rowlett's Station, south of Munfordville, Kentucky. Its efforts to successfully defend a crucial bridge received national recognition in the newspapers for its stand against Confederate forces. The battle became notable as one of the few occasions during the war when the Union infantry successfully defended itself in the open against repeated Confederate cavalry assaults. The 32nd Indiana's battle casualties were 46 (13 killed, 28 wounded, and 5 captured).
Shortly after the battle, Christian Friedrich August Bloedner of Cincinnati, Ohio, who served as a Union private in the 32nd Indiana, carved a limestone memorial to honor his comrades who had died. The monument was placed at the Union soldiers' gravesite at Fort Willich, near Munfordville, Kentucky, in mid-January 1862. In June 1867, after Cave Hill National Cemetery was established at Louisville, Kentucky, the monument and the remains of 21 Union soldiers, 14 of them from the 32nd Indiana, were moved from the Cemetery at Fort Willich to the national cemetery.
...
Wikipedia