Nuns of the Battlefield Nuns of the Battlefield is a public artwork by Irish artist Jerome Connor , located at the intersection of Rhode Island Ave NW , M St & Connecticut Ave NW in Washington , D . C . , United States . A tribute to the more than 600 nuns who nursed soldiers of both armies during the American Civil War , it is one of two monuments in the District that mark women ' s roles in the conflict and is a contributing monument to the Civil War Monuments in Washington , D . C . , on the National Register of Historic Places . In 1993 , it was surveyed for the Smithsonian Institution ' s Save Outdoor Sculpture ! program . Description . The face of the sculpture has a large bronze bas relief panel showing 12 nuns dressed in traditional habit . This panel is installed on a rectangular granite slab that sits on a granite base . Each end of the slab has a bronze female figure seated . The proper right side figure has wings , a helmet , robes and armor to look like an angel representing patriotism . Sitting , she holds a shield in her proper left hand and a scroll in her lap with her proper right hand . She is weaponless to represent peace . On the proper left side of the slab another winged figure sits wearing a long dress , a bodice and a scarf around her head to represent the angel of Peace . Her hands are folded on her lap . The lower right side of the relief is signed : JEROME CONNOR 1924 The lower left side of the relief is inscribed : On the granite above the relief it is inscribed : On the granite below the relief : On the rear of the slab near the base it is inscribed : Artist . Born in Ireland in 1874 , Jerome Connor moved at the age of 14 with his family moved to Massachusetts . His father was a stonemason which led to Connor ' s jobs in New York as a sign painter , stonecutter , bronze founder and machinist . Inspired by his father ' s work and his own experience , Connor used to steal his father ' s chisels as a child and carve figures into rocks . In 1899 , he moved into the Roycroft Institution where he helped with blacksmithing and eventually began making terracotta busts and reliefs . Over four years at Roycroft , he became well known as a sculptor , and was commissioned to create civic works in bronze for placement in Washington , D . C . ; Syracuse ; East Aurora , New York ; San Francisco , and in Ireland . In 1925 , he moved to Dublin and opened his own studio , but found few patrons and his work slowed . He died on August 21 , 1943 of heart failure . There is a plaque in his honour on Infirmary Road , overlooking Dublin ' s Phoenix Park with the words of his friend the poet Patrick Kavanagh : History . The idea for the monument originated with Ellen Jolly , president of the women ' s auxiliary branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians who grew up hearing stories of battlefield tales told by nuns . Proposing the sculpture just after the turn of the century , her request was denied by the War Department until proof of servitude was provided . For ten years Jolly worked to gather evidence and presented it to Congress in 1918 . The sculpture was authorized by Congress on March 29 , 1918 with the agreement that the government would not fund it . A committee , led by Jolly , on behalf of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians , raised $ 50 , 000 for the project . Jerome Connor was chosen since he focused on Irish Catholic themes , being one himself . Acquisition . A construction delay was caused due to the final location of the sculpture . Jerome Connor wanted the sculpture either at Arlington National Cemetery or at the Pan American Union Building . Neither choice was supported by the War Department or the DC Fine Arts Commission and the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers decided on the final location near Dupont Circle . Once the location was chosen , the Arts Commission requested that the sculpture be changed by Connor . They requested that he alter the size , move inscriptions on the front , rearrange the front steps and make the angels " active . " A year later , in 1919 , Congress finally approved of the design . Construction began on July 28 , 1924 . Finally , Jerome Connor ended up suing the Ancient Order of the Hibernians for nonpayment . The monument was dedicated on September 20 , 1924 as part of a weekend long meeting of over 5 , 000 Catholics from all over the country . One nun , Sister Magdeline of the Sisters of Mercy , who served in the Civil War attended the event and was received with a " thunderous applause . " Archbishop O ' Connell of Boston spoke and upon finishing , Jolly revealed the sculpture by removing an American flag that covered it . Sailors hoisted signal flags spelling " faith , hope and charity " and a flock of white pigeons were released . Information . The nuns represented on the relief are from the Sisters of St . Joseph , Carmelites , Dominican Order , Ursulines , Sisters of the Holy Cross , Sisters of the Poor of St . Francis , Sisters of Mercy , Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy , Daughters of Charity of St . Vincent de Paul , Sisters of Charity of Nazareth , Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary - of - the - Woods , and Congregation of Divine Providence .