Bentonville Confederate Monument
# Bentonville Confederate Monument

The Bentonville Confederate Monument was installed in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States. It was removed in September 2020.

## Description and history

Placed in the center of Square Park, the 20 feet (6.1 m) granite statue of a Confederate soldier standing at parade rest was placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908. A later plaque honors James Henderson Berry, a Confederate soldier with the 16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment who would later become the first Arkansas Governor from Benton County. The inscription reads "They Fought For Home and Fatherland. Their Names are Borne On Honors Shield. Their Record Is With God.".

The statue was manufactured in Barre, Vermont.

Although the park was deeded to the United Daughters of the Confederacy for use as a park in perpetuity, the chapter had disbanded prior to 1996. Benton County took control of the park, and allowed the City of Bentonville to take over care and maintenance.

The monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1996.

In September 2020, after years of controversy over Confederate monuments nationwide, the monument was removed from the Bentonville Square.

In February 2022, the Bentonville city planning commission announced a plan for the statue to be placed at a new park. The park, named after James Berry, will feature the Statue and original base as the centerpiece, with the park located next to the Bentonville Cemetery.

### Inscriptions

North face:

   THEIR NAMES ARE BORNE ON HONOR'S SHIELD. THEIR RECORD IS WITH GOD. CONFEDERATE

East face:

   THEY FOUGHT FOR HOME AND FATHERLAND CONFEDERATE

South face:

   1861–65 CONFEDERATE

West face:

   TO THE SOUTHERN SOLDIERS ERECTED BY A.J. BATES AND THE JAMES H. BERRY CHAPTER UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY AUG. 8, 1908 CONFEDERATE

Metal plate added to west face on January 30, 1914:

   JAMES H. BERRY 1841–1913 SOLDIER AND STATESMAN BELOVED OF ARKANSAS 2ND LIEUTENANT CO. E 16TH ARK. INFANTRY, C.S.A LEGISLATOR – JURIST
   GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS
   UNITED STATES SENATOR
   HE PERFORMED EVERY DUTY
   WITH AN EYE
   SINGLE TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE
   AND HIS OWN UNBLEMISHED HONOR
   THIS TABLET IS PLACED HERE
   BY THE JAMES H. BERRY CHAPTER
   UNITED DAUGHTERS OF
   THE CONFEDERACY
   THE PAT CLEBURNE CAMP
   SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS
   AND OTHER FRIENDS
   IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE
   AND APPRECIATION
   OF HIS NOBLE LIFE AND CHARACTER.
