Bidding Farewell to Gen. Cleburne

On September 16, 2006 friends, neighbors, history buffs and artists gathered at the studio of Ron Tunison to bid farewell to his latest work, a full standing sculpture of Confederate Gen. Patrick Cleburne. Tunison, America's premier historical sculptor, was commissioned by the Patrick Cleburne Society to create the monument which will stand on the sight of the November, 1863 Battle of Ringgold Gap in northern Georgia. Despite his success on the battlefield, there are currently no memorials to Cleburne on any of the battlefields on which he fought. At Ringgold Gap Cleburne's division, outnumbered four to one, held off the advancing Union army, giving the rest of Gen. Braxton Bragg's defeated Confederate army an opportunity to escape their pursuers. 

Tunison currently has sculptures featured at Gettybsurg, Antietam and Pamplin Park near Petersburg, VA. The farewell party offered a unique and up close look at the sculpture prior to its removal to the foundry for bronze casting. Tunison had several models on display as well as a photo archive showing each stage of the process. He explained the history behind Cleburne's desperate stand at Ringgold Gap as well as the great lengths he went to in order to insure historical accuracy. All who attended came away with the a much greater appreciation of this artist's extraordinary talent.