Silence is Golden Statue

What secrets does a statue hold, especially one as enigmatic as Silence is Golden? Here in Forsyth Park, Savannah, this Civil War Memorial has witnessed a lot. It stands as a silent testament to the city’s turbulent past. The Silence is Golden statue, originally part of a larger monument, has a fascinating story. It started as a tribute to the Confederate dead, dedicated in 1875. The original design featured not one, but two female figures. “Silence” stood atop the monument’s shaft. “Judgement” resided at its base. Public reaction deemed the design too ornate. So, in 1879, they removed both figures and replaced them with a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier. The Silence is Golden statue was moved to Laurel Grove Cemetery’s Confederate section. It now overlooks the graves of Savannah soldiers who fell at Gettysburg. The Civil War Memorial, including the Silence is Golden statue in its original location, has undergone several transformations. Two bronze busts of Confederate leaders, Francis Stebbins Bartow and Lafayette McLaws, were added near the monument in 1910. In 2018, after the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, the city renamed the monument the “Civil War Memorial”. They intended to dedicate it to all Civil War casualties. The two busts were meant to be relocated to Laurel Grove Cemetery. However, a 2019 state law prevented these changes. Today, the Silence is Golden statue rests among the fallen. It’s a quiet observer in a place filled with stories. Its history intertwines with the memorial in Forsyth Park. Both serve as reminders of a complicated and often painful past. They encourage reflection on the enduring power of memory and the ever-evolving narrative of history.