This is NOT a Confederate Monument. That's because the Athens Confederate Monument that used to be nearby was moved. This statue is a monument to General Elijah Clarke (1742-1799) who served and passed well before the War Between the States.
Clarke served in the Georgia Militia during the Revolutionary War, serving under Colonel Andrew Pickens in the Battle of Kettle Creek, the first major victory for the Colonists in Georgia. After the war, Clarke was elected to the Georgia legislature, serving from 1781 to 1790. Clarke County, where you're currently standing if you're viewing this monument in person, is named for him.
The monument was erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution to honor the man who "secured this section to the white settlers, the Indians being defeated and crushed." It had been located elsewhere in Athens but was moved to this location to make way for the Athens Electric Railway Company. There is parking along Broad Street but check the signage.
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