Order Bricks Below
The Civil War Memorial Committee is now accepting applications for bricks to be purchased at $20.00 each to honor an ancestor associated with the Great Conflict. The brick will have the name of the person, his unit and to which side, Union or Confederate, in which he enlisted (example-David J. Back, Private, Co. A, 10th Kentucky). The purpose of the memorial is to honor those that served during the Civil War and create a central area where we can visit the monument honoring the memories of so many that were willing to fight and die for the cause in which they believed. If you are interested in purchasing a brick, please send a check or money order to The Letcher County Civil War Memorial, Attention Danny Taylor, 730 Walters Branch, Isom, Ky. 41824, Dave Chaltas, 186 Parkway Plaza, Whitesburg, Ky. 41858, or contact Richard Brown at 633-0475 or Ross Fleming at 855-0086. All monies will be applied to the monument efforts for bricks, landscaping, flagpoles, and maintenance of the project.
Provide the name of the veteran and unit. No more than 27 letters on the brick & they will be randomly placed on the walkway
To date we propose to have an 8' tall by 4' wide center stone with the main caption of Brothers Once More inscribed. Two flags will be engraved: one will be a period US and the other the 1st National. It will have inscription of, "Dedicated to all Kentuckians that suffered on the battlefield and home front from during the War Between the States" and "United We stand, Divided we fall" carved under the picture of a Confederate and Union soldier shaking hands.
The monument will have two wings 3' wide and 6' tall, tapering to 5'. The left wing will have a picture of Abe Lincoln (a Kentuckian) and the Union Regiments that fought upon and around Pound Gap. The right wing will have a picture of Jeff Davis (a Kentuckian) with the Confederate Regiments listed. The back of the monument will have a picture of General James Garfield and 2 battles that occurred in Letcher County. The other wing will have General John H. Morgan and 2 more battles that occurred within Letcher County perimeters. The CENTER stone will have an outline of the state of Kentucky with local battle sites marked to be accompanied by a handout to go along with a southeastern Ky. Battlesite Tour route. This could encompass a driving to of Pound Gap, Ivy Mountain, Middle Creek, Wildcat, Mills Spring, Barbourville, Cumberland Gap, Leatherwood and Whitesburg to promote tourism within our region. Etched will be the following: "The war in Letcher County was truly a Civil War as brother fought brother, and neighbor fought neighbor. Centered will be a brief synopsis of Letcher County During and after the war. Towards the bottom will be the attached poem entitled Brothers Once More. The monument will be made from Georgia Gray granite and have black lettering. The flags and uniforms will be in color.
We have also envisioned a walkway with 3 flags on each side; left side will consist of Union flags and the right Confederate that flew over and went thru the gap. The monument would have 2 be well lite and the flags would also be illuminated. The walkway would consist of individual bricks with soldiers' names and unit inscribed upon them. We will sell them for a minimal amount and all proceeds go toward the monument. The estimated cost is $20,000.
Please pray for our continued support in our attempt to honor those men and women of yesteryear in which we serve as guardians of the truth.
Below is a Ruff stetch of our proposal. If you have any suggestions and/or can improve the quality of the pic, feel free to do so and I Remain Your Obedient Servant,
The Old General
They Are Brothers Once More
By
David Chaltas
February 27, 2004
One brother left his mother
With unwavering pride.
But not so with the other:
She bowed her head and cried.
The older chose the Union.
The younger wore the gray.
For them no more reunions
When brothers rode away.
They fought for their own colors:
Believing in their cause.
Though hating each other
They feared that one would fall.
They met next to the Picket's Rock
Beside the large oak tree.
With Spencer and Enfield cocked
They danced for liberty.
While charging the limestone fence
The youth in gray soon fell,
As a solder's heart commenced
The tolling of the bell.
Upon the ground he found him:
That eldest dressed in blue.
And as his arms surrounded him
A weeping mother knew.
He kissed him with his sorrow
And walked away from war.
Not thinking of tomorrow
They are brothers once more.