Scottish-American Soldiers' Monument in Edinburgh

This statue can be found in Calton Hill Cemetery in the Centre of Edinburgh. The Cemetery is the burial place of the philosopher, David Hume and the site of the Political Martyrs' Monument (the obelisk to the right of the picture is part of that monument). However, today's blip is a rear veiw of the Scottish-American Soldiers' Monument. The statue is of Abraham Lincoln,in honour of 6 Scottish soldiers who fought for the Union in the American Civil War. Four fought in infantry regiments - Illinois, Maine, New York (2), one in the Illinois Light Artillery and one in the Michigan Cavalry.

This was the first statue to an American President in any country outside the USA, is the only statue of Abraham Lincoln in Scotland and the only monument to the American Civil War outside the USA. The inscription reads, "To preserve the jewel of liberty in the framework of Freedom" (a quotation from the writings of Abraham Lincoln).

As an aside, the Martyrs' Monument was erected in 1844 to the memory of 5 members of The Friends of the People, who were tried for treason and deported to Botany Bay in Australia in 1793 for pushing for universal suffrage and the rights of the common man to control his destiny.