COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) -- A state panel has decided where a monument memorializing Civil War hero Robert Smalls will stand on the South Carolina State House grounds and what it will look like. The monument will be located in the northeast quadrant of the grounds between the Spanish American War Veterans monument and the African American history monument. That spot was specifically chosen for its proximity to the visitor's entrance and other prominent statues, according to Richland Rep. Jermaine Johnson (D). "From that location, one can see the statues of Wade Hampton and Ben Tillman, who were Smalls' contemporaries," Johnson explained. Basil Watson, a Jamaican-born sculptor, was unanimously chosen to design the monument. Watson was previously commissioned for a statue honoring desegregation at the University of South Carolina. "This is going to be a statue that our great, great, great-grandchildren will be able to come to the State House grounds and recognize this man of importance in our history," said Rep. Brandon Cox (R-Berkeley). The panel also approved language for an inscription on the front panel of the statue's base detailing Smalls' life and achievements. Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort but was sent to Charleston to work on the CSS Planter, a steamboat chartered by the Confederate Army. He is credited with turning the tide of the war in favor of the Union when on May 13, 1862, he stole the ship and surrendered it to Union soldiers. After the war, Smalls returned to his native Beaufort. He was elected to the state legislature and then went on to serve five terms in the United States House of Representatives. An excerpt of a speech Smalls delivered during the 1895 South Carolina Constitutional Convention will be inscribed on one side of the statue's base. It reads: "My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.” The panel's recommendations will now be submitted to the joint State House Committee for approval. If approved, officials hope to have the monument completed by July 4, 2026.