The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial is, if nothing else, a comprehensive monument to the Civil War.

Marble tablets are inscribed with the names of all 9,000 Cuyahoga County veterans. All 30 battles fought by Ohioans are named. Mammoth statues pay tribute to four different military branches: Navy, Army, Artillery, Cavalry. Bronze bas-reliefs show the beginning and end of the war, the contributions of women to the victory, and the freeing of the slaves. Here are three Ohio governors, and six Ohio generals. 

In the information-dense chamber, there’s one unique detail. The relief of Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves depicts the president holding a broken shackle in his right hand and a rifle in his left. According to memorial staff, this is the only statue of Lincoln in which he carries a weapon.