A Monument for Peace

A Monument for Peace by W.M. Akers

In December, 1864, the Civil War was nearly over. The armies of the Union had conquered most of the South, but the fighting was not finished. Hoping to reverse the war's course, the Confederate general John Bell Hood marched his army toward Nashville. The capital of Tennessee, Nashville, had been under Union control since 1862. Capturing it, Hood hoped, could save the Confederacy. th It was freezing cold when the battle started on December 15 . The Confederate troops were outnumbered. They fought in ragged uniforms,th sometimes without shoes. Against the superior Union army, they had no hope. On December 16 , Hood was defeated. The war was over.

The Union won the Civil War four months later. Although the Southern states returned to the Union, the country remained divided. Fifty years later, most of the war's veterans were dead. Around the country, towns and cities had begun building monuments in their memory. In the North, monuments were built to honor the Union. In the South, monuments honored the Confederacy. Even though the states were united again, no one built a monument to both sides.

In 1914, Mrs. James E. Caldwell and her group, the Ladies Battlefield Association, began raising ReadWorks.org · © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. A Monument for Peace money to build a monument for those who died in the Battle of Nashville. They hired Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti to design a statue. They raised money by hosting balls and asking local businesses for donations. By 1927, they had enough, and the monument was completed.

Moretti's statue showed a young man standing between two horses. Behind it, a tall white obelisk was built, with an angel at the top. "No guns, no swords, no trappings of war mar the peace-like beauty," Mrs. Caldwell said. It was not a war monument, but a peace monument.

The structure was special because it honored all those who died in the war-no matter which side they fought for. Built less than a decade after World War I, it was also dedicated to the American soldiers of that conflict.

In 1974, a tornado knocked the 40-foot-tall obelisk to the ground, where it shattered to pieces, along with the angel at its top. Moretti's sculpture was damaged, but it was repaired. The city did not have the money, however, to build a new column. A few years later, an interstate was built beside the monument, blocking it from view, and making it hard for anyone to get to it.

For two decades, the monument was alone-out of sight and nearly forgotten by the public. In 1992, the Tennessee Historical Commission chose a new location for the monument, inside a small park near the original battlefield. Again, fundraising was necessary-to move the statue and construct a new obelisk.

The original statue cost $30,000 in 1927. To move and restore it would cost much more-some estimate more than $500,000. But after seven years of work, the money was collected, and the statue was rededicated-with a brand new obelisk to go with it. Finally, Mrs. Caldwell's monument was whole again, and the message of peace could be seen once more.

A Monument for Peace by W.M. Akers (Adapted by ReadWorks)

In December 1864, the Civil War was almost over. The Union Army of the North had defeated most of the South. But the fighting was not over. A general in the Confederate Army of the South had not given up. He took his soldiers to Nashville. It was the capital of Tennessee and had been taken over by the North two years before. The general hoped to take the city back. He thought that if he did, the South could be saved.

The Battle of Nashville started on December 15. The weather that day was very cold. Soldiers for the South were fighting in torn uniforms. Some of them did not have shoes. Also, the North had more soldiers there than they did. There was no way they could win. On December 16, they lost the battle. Four months later, the North won the Civil War.

Fifty years after the war ended, most of the soldiers who had fought in it were dead. Cities across the United States began to build structures to remember and honor the war's soldiers. Such structures are known as monuments. The North built monuments for soldiers in the Union Army. The South built monuments for soldiers in the Confederate Army. But no one built a monument for soldiers on both sides. The South had become part of the United States again, but not everyone in the country felt ReadWorks.org · © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. A Monument for Peace - StepRead2 united.

Then a group of women started collecting money for a new monument. They wanted one for the people who died in the Battle of Nashville. They started collecting money in 1914. They collected it by having parties and asking for money from businesses. By 1927 they had enough money to pay for the monument.

The monument was made by an artist. One part of it was a statue of a young man. He was standing between two horses. Behind him was a tall, pointed column. On top of the column was an angel. There were no guns, swords, or anything else that would ruin the peacefulness of the monument. It was not a war monument. It was a peace monument.

The monument was special because it was for soldiers from both the North and the South. It was also for American soldiers who had fought in World War I.

In 1974, a tornado hit the monument. It knocked over the column and the angel on top. They were broken to pieces. The statue of the young man with the horses was damaged too. The city was able to fix the statue, but it didn't have enough money to pay for a new column.

A few years later, a highway was built next to the monument. The highway made it hard for people to see and get to the monument. For twenty years, the monument was out of sight. People almost forgot about it.

In 1992, the state government decided that the monument should be moved. The government wanted to move the monument to a park. The park was near the place where the Battle of Nashville was fought. Once again, money had to be collected. The money was needed to move the statue and build a new column.

Building the monument had cost a lot in 1927. Moving and fixing it would cost even more. Collecting the money took seven years. After those seven years, the statue was moved, and a new column was built. Finally, the monument was whole again. Its message of peace could be seen once more.

Definition noun 1. something built in memory of a person, event, or special act.

There are many famous monuments in Washington, D.C.

Advanced Definition noun 1. something made or erected in commemoration of an event, achievement, or person.

2. something maintained in the public interest for its aesthetic or historical significance.

3. an outstanding or exceptional example.

a monument of great research

Spanish cognate monumento: The Spanish word monumento means monument.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Recently, historian David McCullough wrote a book about John Adams. He says that a monument should be built to honor Adams. "There is no other American... with the exception of George Washington, who did more toward winning the Revolution and establishing [our] form of government than John Adams," McCullough said. 2. Money from the exhibition will go toward protecting Egypt's historic sites, including the Great Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. Zahi Hawass, the head of Egyptian antiquities, said those sites and others in Egypt are literally crumbling. He hopes to raise about $10 million. "These monuments will be gone in 100 years if we don't raise the money to restore them," he told The New York Times. 3. Later cases addressed whether the Ten Commandments could be displayed in other public places, such as on the grounds of government buildings. In 2005, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a monument listing the Ten Commandments on Texas Capitol grounds did not violate the Constitution. That same year, though, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a monument listing the Ten Commandments at the Kentucky Capitol had to be removed. 4. Archaeologists (the folks who study the past by recovering fossil remains, monuments, etc.) have found buttons from many ancient civilizations. The Indus Valley people used them, as did the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chinese.

ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved. ReadWorks Vocabulary - obelisk obelisk ob·e·lisk

Advanced Definition noun 1. a tall stone shaft with four inclined sides and a pyramid-shaped point at the top.

2. in printing, a symbol resembling a cross, used mainly as a reference mark; dagger.

Spanish cognate obelisco: The Spanish word obelisco means obelisk.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. But after seven years of work, the money was collected, and the statue was rededicated-with a brand new obelisk to go with it. Finally, Mrs. Caldwell's monument was whole again, and the message of peace could be seen once more. 2. Again, fundraising was necessary-to move the statue and construct a new obelisk. The original statue cost $30,000 in 1927. 3. In 1974, a tornado knocked the 40-foot-tall obelisk to the ground, where it shattered to pieces, along with the angel at its top. Moretti's sculpture was damaged, but it was repaired.

Definition noun 1. a person who has served in the armed forces during a war.

His grandfather is a veteran of World War II.

Advanced Definition noun 1. a person who was formerly part of the armed forces, esp. during a war.

This holiday honors the country's war veterans.

As a veteran, he was able to get a college education.

2. a person who has had long experience in a particular activity.

The veteran gave the rookie player a few tips.

adjective 1. having had long experience in a particular activity.

As a veteran performer, she knew what to do when other actors forgot their lines.

2. of or pertaining to persons who have formerly served in the armed forces.

veteran status

Spanish cognate veterano: The Spanish word veterano means veteran.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Bain is a veteran who lives in Williamsport, Pa. A veteran is a person who has served in the U.S. armed forces. November 11 is Veterans Day, a day when Americans honor veterans. 2. A veteran mountaineer, Sims led his colleagues to Nyiragongo's summit. The climb was arduous. Reaching the top, they lowered themselves and their equipment into the giant caldera (crater) and set up camp on a ledge. 3. Sometime in the 1870s, a Treasury Department captain gave the banner to a Connecticut Civil ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved. ReadWorks Vocabulary - veteran

War veteran. Years later, the veteran gave the flag to his son. The son then presented the flag, in 1922, to the historical society, where it remained for 76 years. 4. Parkman also discovered that four of the six men who lived in the mansion were veterans of American wars. "This is the exact opposite of what you'd expect," he says. Not all hippies were pacifists and draft dodgers, apparently. Draft dodgers were people who illegally avoided compulsory enrollment in the U.S. military. 5. In 1947, black players finally got their shot in the majors. That's when Jackie Robinson, a veteran of the Negro Leagues, integrated baseball by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 6. Veterans worked to help our country in many ways. Some worked on ships to keep our oceans and coasts safe. Some were doctors or nurses who cared for people who were hurt or sick. Some veterans flew planes or helicopters. 7. Veterans are men and women who have served in the armed forces. The armed forces are five groups that keep our country safe. They are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps ("KOHR"), and Coast Guard. About 23 million veterans live in our country today. Many of those people have fought in wars. They have also served in times of peace.

Name: ______Date: ______1. Which Civil War battle was fought from the 15th to the 16th of December 1864?

A. Battle of Gettysburg B. Battle of Atlanta C. Battle of Shiloh D. Battle of Nashville

2. How does the author describe the Confederate troops led by General John Bell Hood?

A. lacking in discipline B. courageous and undefeated C. poorly equipped and outnumbered D. well-prepared to face the Union soldiers

3. The United States remained divided fifty years after the Civil War. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion?

A. "Fifty years later, most of the war's veterans were dead." B. "Around the country, towns and cities had begun building monuments in their memory." C. "In 1914, Mrs. James E. Caldwell and her group, the Ladies Battlefield Association, began raising money to build a monument for those who died in the Battle of Nashville." D. "In the North, monuments were built to honor the Union. In the South, monuments honored the Confederacy... No one built a monument to both sides."

4. What made Caldwell's monument "not a war monument, but a peace monument"?

A. It was not built to honor a particular war or battle. B. It did not depict any weapons or war paraphernalia. C. It had an angel on top of the obelisk. D. It had two horses.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

A. the high cost of lives of the Civil War B. the ongoing struggle with inequality in the United States C. the construction and restoration of a monument in Tennessee D. how best to raise money for public works projects

6. Read the following sentences: "The Confederate troops were outnumbered. They fought in ragged uniforms, sometimes without shoes. Against the superior Union army, they had no hope."

As used in the passage, what does the word "superior" mean?

A. better B. condescending C. older D. poorer

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

______two decades spent out of sight behind an interstate, in 1992 the monument found a new home in a small park near the site of the original battle.

A. Thus B. After C. Includinig D. Above all

8. What made Mrs. Caldwell's monument different from previous Civil War monuments?

9. Why is Mrs. Caldwell's monument able to memorialize the Civil War and World War I?

10. How does the monument convey a "message of peace"?