Statue of Benjamin Welch Owens
Interactive map of Statue of Benjamin Welch Owens | |
| Location | Lothian, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°49′14.16″N 76°39′49.08″W / 38.8206000°N 76.6636333°W |
| Dedicated to | Benjamin Welch Owens |
The statue of Benjamin Welch Owens is a memorial statue that was formerly in Lothian, Maryland, United States. It was erected in 1999 to honor Benjamin Welch Owens, a Marylander who fought for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. It was vandalized in June 2020 and toppled in July 2020.[1]
History
Benjamin Welch Owens was a private from West River, Maryland, whom served in the 1st Maryland Flying Artillery Confederate artillery unit during the American Civil War.[2] During the Battle of Middleburg, Owens' unit was tasked with holding a railway bridge and he kept his cannon firing despite most of his compatriots being injured or killed.[3] By doing this, Owens was credited with holding back the Union forces during the battle. General Robert E. Lee dubbed it "The Thermopylae of the War" and listed Owens on the Confederate Roll of Honor.[4] After the war, Owens returned to Maryland and became a county clerk before dying in 1917. He was posthumously awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.[3]
In 1999, a man called Carter Shepherd announced that he wanted to erect a monument to honor Owens for his bravery.[5] It was eventually constructed on private ground by Mt. Calvary Anglican Church in Lothian.[6] In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, the statue was vandalized by slogans being spray painted on it.[7] The next month, the statue was vandalized again with it being pulled off its concrete pedestal.[8] It was then placed into storage but then re-erected in 2025 at the Point Lookout Confederate Memorial Park.[9]
See also
References
- ^ Mann, Alex; San Felice, Selene (July 3, 2020). "Confederate statue at Lothian church torn down, vandalized, Anne Arundel police say". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ "The Latest: Confederate statue in Maryland toppled". Columbia Basin Herald. July 4, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ a b "Pvt. Benjamin Welch Owens Historical Marker". HMDB. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ "Lothian church considers moving Confederate statue spray-painted with word 'shame'". Capital Gazette. June 12, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ "One man's plan to honor a hero from Civil War". Baltimore Sun. February 15, 1999. p. 63. Retrieved May 8, 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Left as cold as the bronze figure of a Confederate soldier in a Lothian cornfield". Baltimore Sun. June 20, 1999. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ Harrison, "Disco" Don (June 12, 2020). "Confederate statue vandalized in Anne Arundel County". WMAR 2 News Baltimore. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ "Confederate statue toppled, vandalized at Maryland church". Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ "Lothian, Maryland! Benjamin Welch Owens Monument BEFORE/AFTER removed from Anglican (July 5, 2019)". Dixie Forever. October 28, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2026 – via Youtube.