This David O. Dodd Memorial was unveiled in 1923 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dodd’s loyalty to the Confederacy in the face of death led to the later nicknames “the Nathan Hale of Arkansas” and “the Boy Martyr of the Confederacy. “
The marble monument includes a relief portrait of a young male with long hair. Inscribed below the portrait is “David O. Dodd. Arkansas Boy Martyr of the Confederacy. Born Nov. 10, 1846. Executed Jan. 8, 1864. ‘Aye such was the love of the boy for his Southland, Such his endurance, his courage, his pride, That e’er he’d betray his own beloved band. He sacrificed all, and silently died.’ J.F.C.”
Inscribed on the right panel is “David Owen Dodd, a Southern boy of 17, when leaving for his home in the southern part of the state, was arrested, tried by Federal Court Martial and hanged in front of Old St. John’s College, Little Rock, Arkansas.” Inscribed on the left panel is “Papers found on David’s person revealed valuable information to the Confederate Forces. Freedom was offered if he would divulge the name of his informant, but he preferred death to dishonor.”
This photo and description of the David O. Dodd Memorial in Little Rock, AR are part of materials from its nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places.
