what is the silent sam statue in chapel hill
Silent Sam The statue was funded by the University Alumni and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It was erected in 1913 as a memorial to the Confederate alumni who lost their lives in the American Civil War and all students who joined the Confederate States Army.[3] More than one thousand members of the university fought in the American Civil War in either the Northern or Southern armies, comprising at least 40% of the student body. [4] The University remained open through the entire war. This was due to President Swain's policy of dependency on men unfit for combat.[5] A bronze image on the front of the memorial depicts a young student dropping his books as he looks up to answer a call to duty. On the base of the statue, a woman meant to signify North Carolina is depicted advising students to fight for an important cause even if it means leaving their studies.[6] The statue was erected to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War (1911).[7]