Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument
Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument is a historic site in Kentucky, at a modelled elevation of 197 m. Frenchman Knob stands 353 m to the north-northeast, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Gossett Knob, a peak 0.9 miles away. Cordell Hull Highway passes 4.8 miles off.
The story
The Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument in Horse Cave is a monument between Horse Cave, Kentucky and Kentucky Down Under, off the main road between Horse Cave and I-65 on the Old Dixie Highway, in Hart County, Kentucky, United States. Among the various monuments of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission, all of which became part of the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997, it is an oddity for several reasons. First, though meant to imply an obelisk, it was constructed of local materials by a single individual. It was built during the Great Depression in the year 1934, long after most monuments to the American Civil War. Instead of the typical limestone and marble from which most monuments were made, the monument uses geodes from Tennessee, sedimentary/volcanic rocks in which crystals fill a largely hollow interior. The monument is 12 feet high, with a base of five feet square. The monument honors an unknown foot soldier from the 11th Louisiana Infantry, who died prior to the Battle of Munfordville. He was part of a tree-cutting detail. Ordered to rest, he lay down beside a tree. His loaded rifle accidentally discharged when it struck a tree branch; the bullet entered his head below his chin and killed him instantly. The soldier was buried with rocks marking his head and feet. Years later, a wire fence was placed around the grave. Local tradition says that a man named Sam Lively built the monument, fearing otherwise the grave would become lost. The monument is technically on private property, but a path through the evergreen trees allows visitors access. A Confederate Naval Jack flies beside the monument. The Inscription says:
Unknown Soldier C. S. A. was a member of Gen. Clay Anderson division 11th. Louisiana Killed Sept. 9, 1862 Erected 1934 by Sam Lively
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7896958, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 4.8 mi off the Cordell Hull Highway
- 9.0 mi off the Duncan Hines Scenic Road
- 12.4 mi off the US 68 Scenic Byway
- 228.2 mi off the River Road Scenic Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Doyel Valley Overlook · 9 mi
- Green River Bluffs Overlook · 10 mi
- Dixon Cave · 10 mi
- Sunset Point · 10 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Gossett Knob: 0.9 mi
- Vial Knob: 1.2 mi
- Pine Knob: 2.6 mi
- Wootens Knob: 3.3 mi
- Summer Seat Knob: 3.8 mi
- Roy Dickey Reynolds Park: 4.2 mi
- Battle for the Bridge Preserve: 4.9 mi
- Battle for the Bridge Preserve: 4.9 mi
- Thelma Stovall Park: 5.6 mi
- Thelma Stovall Park: 5.6 mi
- Hidden River Cave: 1.5 mi
- Onyx Cave & Rock Shop: 5.0 mi
- Adventures of Mammoth Cave: 5.8 mi
- Diamond Caverns: 9.2 mi
- Railroad Engine No. 4: 9.5 mi
- Hidden River Cave & American Cave Museum: 1.6 mi
- Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum: 5.0 mi
- Hart County Historical Museum: 5.7 mi
- National Cave Museum and Library: 9.2 mi
- Colonel Robert A. Smith Monument: 4.7 mi
- Last Recorded Indian Raid: 8.4 mi
- Bell's Tavern: 9.8 mi
- Confederate Monument: 13.7 mi
- Nappers Rollover: 10.1 mi
- Cedar Sink: 12.8 mi
- Bell Cliff: 13.2 mi
- Hart County (Horse County) Southbound Rest Area: 3.1 mi
- Hart County (Horse County) Northbound Rest Area: 3.1 mi
- Mammoth Cave: 9.5 mi
- Brigadoon State Nature Preserve: 20.5 mi
- Happy Valley Memorial Gardnes: 12.1 mi
- Greensburg Heritage Garden: 23.9 mi
- Round Stone Spring: 15.5 mi
- Blue Hole Spring: 15.6 mi
- Chaumont: 8.9 mi
- Brush Creek Church Falls: 19.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 23.0 miles of Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frenchman Knob | NNE 15° | 353 m | 11.5 mi |
| Maxey Knob | ENE 68° | 327 m | 13.3 mi |
| Grindstone Knob | NE 41° | 324 m | 12.9 mi |
| Knox Knob | NE 46° | 318 m | 13.1 mi |
| Buck Knob | SE 131° | 312 m | 11.8 mi |
| Pilot Knob | ESE 103° | 312 m | 15.1 mi |
| Three Kiln Knob | NE 42° | 309 m | 11.8 mi |
| Wootens Knob | E 100° | 305 m | 3.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:48 | 18:21 | 18:56 |
| June solstice | 05:25 | 19:29 | 20:08 |
| September equinox | 06:32 | 18:08 | 18:42 |
| December solstice | 06:55 | 15:50 | 16:31 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Mar–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 39 | 43 | 51 | 61 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 42 |
| Precip in | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Mammoth Cave, 13 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
National Register of Historic Places, reference 97000694OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata- National Register of Historic Places — Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument in Horse Cave, reference 97000694, listed 07/17/97.
OpenStreetMap element node/4721509929
Day trips start here
- Mammoth Cave National Park · 12 mi
- Caves and Lakes · 29 mi
Take the scenic way to Unknown Confederate Soldier Monument.
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