With several hundred spectators in attendance, the refurbished Battle of Nashville Monument was rededicated at its new location on Saturday, June 26, 1999, replacing the original marble obelisk destroyed by a tornado 25 years earlier and reinstating it to a place of honor virtually on top of the line of battle that occurred on December 15, 1864.
The principal speaker at the rededication ceremony was Mr. Wilbur Foster Creighton, Jr. of the Tennessee Historical Commission. Mr. Ward DeWitt, Jr., Chairman of the Commission, presided. During the ceremony, Civil War re-enactors presented the colors and a black powder salute, and the Graylyn Brass Quintet provided musical entertainment.
The new gleaming white granite monument honors not only the sacrifices of both Confederate and Union soldiers who clashed in the December 15-16, 1864 Battle of Nashville, but also the American soldiers who fought in “The Great War” (World War I). The original Monument had originally been dedicated on Armistice Day, 1927.
The re-dedication marked the successful completion of relocating the Nashville landmark from its original site on Franklin Road to the new park at Granny White Pike and Battlefield Drive.
The Tennessee Historical Commission, which owns the statue, chose the new home for it in 1992. State and federal money, as well as generous private contributions, made the restoration possible. The monument was originally created in 1927 by artist and sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, who was commissioned by the Ladies Battlefield Association. In 1974, the obelisk and angel were destroyed by a tornado, and during the 1980s construction of a large interstate highway interchange had obstructed the monument to public viewing.
The new monument was completely restored, with the bronze sculpture of the youth and horses refinished, and the marble base, obelisk, and angel reconstructed in granite, which is more durable than the original marble.
During the re-dedication, several Nashvillians were singled out for their efforts in reestablishing the monument and the park grounds. They included James Summerville, local historian who spearheaded the project; Mrs. Paula McCord of McCord Crane Co., which donated its services to relocate the monument; Coley Coleman, the sculptor of the angel; Gary Hawkins of Hawkins Partners, Inc., the park designers; McPherson Shaw, Inc., the contractors; and Rehorn & Kelly.
After the ceremony, the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society sponsored a free concert at the north border of the park. Headlining the concert was RCA Records’ artist Andy Griggs, whose debut album, “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely,” had produced the #1 hit with the title-track single that year, and the album made its debut at an impressive #15 on the country charts the very first week of its release.
The concert also featured Greg Crowe (co-writer of the then-current Montgomery Gentry single, “Lonely and Gone”); Kimberly Dahne; multi-award winning singer / songwriter / playwright ; Chris Gantry; Tim and Trent LeClaire (Gantry, Tim, and Trent co-wrote the song “Garden of Angels” for this event); and Kevin Sysyn, who wrote the song “Nashville, 1864” with Charlie Baker for the occasion. Dr. Stewart Shofner, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and WKDF 103.3 sponsored the concert. Net proceeds from all donations received at the event were dedicated to battlefield preservation. Volunteers from Tennessee State Guard units in Nashville and Gallatin provided parking assistance and security during the day’s events.
A second phase of the monument project later resulted in the installation of walkways, benches, and interpretive elements at the park.
