Military Statues in Danger (You Can Help)

did ya'll see this on the petition...how cool is that:shock:





annie macgregor
Happy 200th Birthday Robert E. Lee. Let's commemorate one of the finest men in US history by tearing down his statue! I live in New Zealand by the way where we are good at history. The world is watching.

There, I signed it. I'm signature #70. Thanks for providing the link and calling our attention to this issue, Judson.

I've been looking forward Lee's 200th birthday for a long time. (for me it is hard to believe that it was only 200 years ago)

Oppie, if you are in fact related to R.E. Lee by marriage, then you would also be related to the Washingtons, but by marriage of course. If I remember right, Lee's mother was a direct relation of Martha Dandrige Custis, later Mrs. Washington.

Correct Stuart. I'm going to delete the other topic on this in Civil War Battles.

The one you created? Ok.

I received this by email from an art historian and curator of the PPHM in Texas. Coppini (mentioned below) sculted the statues.

Quote :

Dear Judson:

Additional research on the Littlefield Memorial has revealed that not only were the four Confederate sculptures part of the original plan, but the sculptures of Governor Jim Hogg and President Woodrow Wilson were also part of the plan.

Major George W. Littlefield, who funded the memorial, originally wanted it to be a Confederate memorial only. However, the sculpture, clearly seeing the specter of political correctness looming as early as 1919, convinced Littlefield that a Confederate memorial at UT would "be resented as keeping up the hatred between the Northern and Southern states," while a memorial to UT boys "who died so that American democracy might spread all over the world." Coppini felt World War I proved "that all past regional differences [had] disappeared and that we are now one welded nation." But he also saw the merit in Littlefield's wanting to "honor the leaders you most admire as America's great men." Coppini saw the fountain as "symbolic of the perpetual flowing of American patriotism and American enlightenment."

Originally, Coppini had the figures of presidents Wilson and Davis standing against columns, flanking the fountain. Then Hogg and Reagan on one side of the fountain and Lee and Johnston on the other. During construction, UT's architect moved the sculptures to where they stand now.

Respectfully,

Michael

Very interesting, thanks for providing that.

Yes. I agree with Stuart. Quiet intresting.

If only I could have helped, this topic had been missed by me, and not only that, since I m north of the northern border, I d be out of line by butting in, unless that kind of vote was opened to foreigners.