Most of the Confederates killed here were Georgians, and most were unknown when they were reburied. The local community remembered them as " our Confederate dead, " the fallen heroes of a common cause. The monument placed over their mass grave in 1878 resembled a large tombstone, reflecting the grief of a region coming to terms with death and defeat. It became the focal point for remembering the dead and vindicating their cause at the annual memorial services. " In no other war in all the history of mankind has the glory of vanquished equalled in enduring fame the acclaim won by the victor." -Dr. James C. Kinard, Rivers Bridge Confederate Memorial Service, May 9, 1941