Silent Sam, Confederate monument at University of North Carolina, United States
Silent Sam is a work of art in Chapel Hill, United States, showing a Confederate soldier cast in bronze. The figure holds a rifle and looks toward the horizon while standing on a pedestal.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy funded the installation in 1913 to honor University of North Carolina students who fought for the Confederate Army. Following protests, the monument was removed from campus in August 2018 and has been stored since.
The soldier figure stands without a cartridge box, which observers noted as unusual for a military monument and led to the nickname Silent Sam. This absence became a recognizable feature that visitors pointed out when approaching the work.
The work has been in storage since its removal from university grounds, while courts deliberate its future. Visitors cannot view the statue at present, as its final placement remains under discussion.
The bronze figure was originally positioned facing north, toward the direction of the former Union. This orientation sparked speculation about the symbolic meaning of the soldier's gaze.
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