Ohio Civil War » Civil War A-Z » C » Cannon Monument, Woodlawn Cemetery, Lima

Cannon Monument, Woodlawn Cemetery, Lima

Ohio’s American Civil War soldiers and civilians sought to commemorate the troopers’ devotion to and service with the United States by constructing monuments and other memorials.

During the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal government with 260 regiments of men, including infantry, artillery, and cavalry units. Ohioans also served in several other regiments from other states, most notably from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, as well as in federal units. Almost 330,000 Ohio men, including 5,092 African Americans, served in the Union military during the conflict.

Ohio’s soldiers and civilians sought to commemorate the troopers’ devotion to and service with the United States by constructing monuments and other memorials. Ohioans completed the first of these commemorations during the Civil War, with hundreds more being built after the conflict. Ohioans have built at least 295 monuments to commemorate Civil War veterans, civilians, political leaders, and war-related events in the state. Eighty-six of the state’s eighty-eight counties contain Civil War monuments, with Hamilton County, Lucas County, Lorain County, Brown County, and Franklin County each boasting ten or more memorials each. Only Clinton County and Noble County do not contain Civil War monuments.

Following the Civil War, one of Lima, Ohio’s Grand Army of the Republic chapters decided to erect a monument to honor the community’s Civil War soldiers. The memorial’s nearly ten-foot tall base consists of sandstone with multiple engravings and inscriptions. The front of the monument has engraved upon it the Grand Army of the Republic’s emblem with the words “In Memory,” while the back has two crossed swords and the words “Allen County Soldier Monument.” One side of the base has a Union infantryman engraved upon it, while the other side consists of a Union cavalryman. On top of the base is a ten-foot long cast iron cannon barrel, completing the monument. In 2016, the monument is in good condition, with the engravings and inscriptions remaining visible and legible.

The monument is located in Woodlawn Cemetery, 1751 Spencerville Road, Lima, Ohio.

Related Entries