On December 17, 1861, the 32nd Indiana Infantry, nicknamed the "1st German" regiment because it consisted entirely of German immigrants, fought Confederate forces near Munfordville, Kentucky, in the Battle of Rowlett's Station, also known as the Battle of Green River. Although both sides withdrew, the Union regiment successfully defended a vital bridge over the Green River. Thirteen men in the regiment were killed, and 11 were buried on a knoll near the bridge. During the regiment's encampment near Munfordville after the battle, Private August Bloedner carved an intricate limestone monument to mark the graves, and it was placed there in January 1862. The monument, also known as the Bloedner Monument, bore an eagle with outstretched wings clutching two cannons, flanked by two American flags, an olive sprig, and an oak branch, along with a German inscription honoring the dead and naming the 13 fallen soldiers with their birth dates and places. It is believed to be the oldest Civil War monument still in existence. In 1867, the remains of the 11 soldiers buried on the battlefield and the monument were moved to Cave Hill National Cemetery, where the monument was installed on a Bedford limestone base. Bloedner, born March 1, 1827, in Altenberg, Germany, had studied sculpture and painting before immigrating to the United States in 1849 and settling in Cincinnati, Ohio. He enlisted in the Union Army in August 1861, was promoted to sergeant in January 1863, was wounded at Chickamauga on September 20, 1863, was promoted to first sergeant in October 1863, and mustered out in September 1864 before returning to Cincinnati as a stone cutter. He died of heart disease on November 17, 1872, at age 46. Because the monument's soft Saint Genevieve limestone deteriorated badly over time, conservation efforts failed to stop its decay, and in December 2008 it was moved from Cave Hill National Cemetery to a temporary climate-controlled facility. As of 2010, it was on display in the lobby of the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, and in December 2011 a new monument bearing the original German inscription and an English translation was installed in Cave Hill National Cemetery.
