J.D.R. Hawkins

One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.

Archive for the tag “Confederate monument”

18 Aug 2020

What is Really Under Attack?

I was under the illusion that Confederate monuments were essentially the only statues under attack in the country right now. However, this article gives more insight about which monuments are really being targeted.

At least 183 monuments, memorials, statues, and major historical markers have been defaced or pulled down since protests began in May. While Confederate monuments have received the lion’s share of media coverage, they actually form a minority of the statues targeted.


By far the most popular target was Christopher Columbus, with 33 statues in total having been defaced and pulled down.


The next most popular targets were Robert E. Lee (9), Serra (8), and Thomas Jefferson (4).


The vast majority of the vandals were never charged, with 177 out of 183 instances having no arrests.


Most monuments torn down were not by protesters, but by city officials after pressure or threats from protesters.


By far the most common route for monuments being destroyed was for protesters to damage it, then the city quickly removing it as a “public safety” hazard, not to be returned.


For a majority of the statues removed, the fate of the artwork is currently unknown, while a minority have been moved to cemeteries and museums.
Here is the list as best as we can assemble it:


Monument to Marcus Daly, Butte, MT
Cemetery Monument to Confederate Soldiers, Savannah, GA
Memorial to Fallen Kansas City Police Officers, Kansas City, MO
Monument to Christopher Columbus, Chicago, IL
Statue of Jesus Christ, Miami, FL
Statue of Robert E. Lee, Antietam, MD
Union Veterans Monument, Saratoga, NY
Alexander Andreyevich Baranov Statue, Sitka, AK
Monument to Confederate Soldiers, Amarillo, TX
Confederate Statue, Oxford, MS
Numerous Religious Statues, Punta Gorda, FL
Statue of Ronald Reagan, Dixon, CA
Statue of Hiawatha, LaCrosse, WI
Statue of Thomas Ruffin, Raleigh, NC
Sampson County Confederate Monument, Clinton, NC
Statue of the Virgin Mary, Boston, MA
9-11 Memorial, Washingtonville, NY 
Statue of Sophie B. Wright, New Orleans, LA
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Buffalo, NY
John McDonough Bust, New Orleans, LA
Bust of Colonel Charles Didier Dreux, New Orleans, LA
Joseph Bryan Statue, Richmond, VA
Fitzhugh Lee Cross, Richmond, VA
Historical Marker of David Dodd’s Execution, Little Rock, AR
Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Statue, Richmond, VA
Courthouse Confederate Statue, Wadesboro, NC
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Trenton, NJ
Columbus’ Last Appeal to Queen Isabella, Sacramento, CA
Statue of JEB Stuart, Richmond VA
Statue of Andrew Jackson, Jackson, MS
Henry County Confederate Monument, 
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Bridgeport, CT
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Columbus, WI
Statue of John Mason, Windsor, CT
Statue of Frederick Douglass, Rochester, NY
Monument to Judah Benjamin, Sarasota, FL
Confederate Mass Grave Monument, Greensboro, NC
Three Mississippi Confederate Monuments, MS
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Waterbury, CT
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Baltimore, MA
San Junipero Serra Statue, Sacramento, CA
Statue of the Virgin Mary, Gary, IN
Statue of Private Benjamin Welch Owens, Hampden, PA
Jenkins Monument, Hampden, PA
United Confederate Veterans Memorial, Seattle, WA
Civil War Historical Markers and Statues, McConnellsburg, PA
Mt. Zion Methodist Confederate Statue, Charlotte, NC
Matthew Fountain Maury Monument, Richmond, VA
Christopher Columbus Statue, Philadelphia, PA
Statue of George Whitefield, Philadelphia, PA
Elk (wildlife statue), Portland, OR
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Austin, TX
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Columbus, OH
Robert E. Lee Memorial, Roanoke, VA
Stonewall Jackson Monument, Richmond, VA
Emancipation Memorial, Boston, MA
San Junipero Serra Statue, San Gabriel, CA
Confederate Cemetery Memorial, Fayetteville, NC
Confederate Monument, Orangeburg, SC
Rockdale County Confederate Monument, Conyers, GA
Nash County Confederate Monument, Rocky Mount, NC
3 Cemetery Statues, Frederick, MD
Lee Square Confederate Monument, Pensacola, Florida
Our Confederate Soldiers, Beaumont, TX
Statue of Columbus, Hartford, CT
Kanawha Riflemen Memorial, Charleston, WV
To Our Confederate Dead, Louisburg, NC
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Atlantic City, NJ
Monument to Fallen Confederate Soldiers, Fayetteville, AR
Ten Commandments (several locations)
Statue of Christopher Columbus
Loudoun County Confederate Monument, Leesburg, VA
Soldiers Monument (Union), Santa Fe, NM
Pioneer Fountain, Denver, CO
Denton Confederate Soldier Monument, TX
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Norwalk, CT
Monument to Confederate Veterans and Statue of George Wallace, Wilmington, NC
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Providence, RI
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Newark, NJ
Civil War Monument (Union), Denver, CO
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Philadelphia, PA
Statue of Christopher Columbus, New Haven, CT
Confederate War Memorial, Dallas, TX
Statue of Thomas Jefferson, Long Island, NY
Bust of Washington, Washington DC
‘Forward’ Statue (feminism monument), Madison, WI
John C. Calhoun Monument, Charleston, SC
American Receiving the Gift of Nations, Camden, NJ
“Obscured” at the Rutgers College 
Statue of Juan Junipero Serra, Carmel, CA
Statue of Juan Junipero Serra, San Louis Opiso Missionary, CA
‘To Our Confederate Dead’ Monument, Louisburg NC
Confederate Memorial Obelisk, St. Augustine, FL
Pitt County Confederate Soldiers Monument, Greenville, NC
Statue of Henry Lawson Wyatt, Monument to North Carolina Women of the Confederacy, Raleigh NC
Statue of Juan Junipero Serra, Los Angeles, CA
Pine Bluff Confederate Monument, Pine Bluff, AR
Gloria Victis, Salisbury, NC
North Carolina State Confederate Monument, Raleigh, NC
Statue of Albert Pike, Washington DC
Statue of Francis Scott Key, San Francisco, CA
Bust of Ulysses S. Grant, San Francisco, CA
Statue of Juan Junipero Serra, San Francisco, CA
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Houston, TX
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Columbus OH
Statue of George Preston Marshall (National Football League), Washington, DC
Statue of Juan Junipero Serra, Ventura, CA
Memorial to Company A, Capital Guards, Little Rock, AR
Statue of George Washington, Portland, OR
DeKalb County Confederate Monument, Decatur, GA
Kit Carson Obelisk, Santa Fe, NM
Captain William Clark Monument, Portland, OR
Statue of Diego de Vargas, Santa Fe, NM
Gravestone of Unknown Confederate Soldiers, Silver Spring, MD
Spirit of the Confederacy, Houston, TX
Jefferson Davis Memorial, Brownsville, TX
Vance Monument, Asheville, NC
Norfolk Confederate Monument, Norfolk, VA
Statue of University of Nevada at Las Vegas mascot, 
Statue of Juan de Onate, Albuquerque, NM
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Columbus, OH
Statue of Christopher Columbus, St. Louis, MS
Statue of Josephus Daniels, Raleigh, NC
Statue of John Sutter, Sacramento, NC
Confederate Mass Grave Marker, Clarksville, TN
Equestrian Statue of Juan de Onate, Alcade, NM
Bust of Christopher Columbus, Detroit, MI
Statue of Thomas Jefferson, Portland, OR
The Pioneer, Eugene, OR
The Pioneer Mother, Eugene, OR
Bust of John McDonough, New Orleans, LA
Christopher Columbus Monument, West Orange, NJ
Stand Waitie Monument, Tahlequah, OK
Stand Waitie Fountain, Tahlequah, OK
Delaware Law Enforcement Memorial, Dover, DE
Equestrian Statue of Caesar Rodney, Wilmington, DE
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Columbia, SC
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Wilmington, 
Statue of Phillip Schuyler, Albany, NY
Richmond Police Memorial, Richmond, VA
Statue of Christopher Columbus, New London, CT
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Camden, NJ
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Boston, MA
Gadsden Confederate Memorial
Statue of Jerry Richardson (National Football League), Charlotte NC
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Minneapolis, MN
Statue of Jefferson Davis, Richmond, VA
Confederate Monument, Jacksonville, FL
Monument to the Women of the Southland, Jacksonville, FL
Cemetery Grandstand for Confederate Soldiers, Eight Historical Markers, 23 Informational Signs, and 53 Tree Signs, Jacksonville, FL
Statue of Christopher Columbus, Richmond, VA
Confederate Monument, Portsmouth, VA
Statue of Sam Davis, Nashville, TN
Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Indianapolis, IN
Statue of John Breckinridge Castleman, Louisville, KY
Frank Rizzo Mural, Philadelphia, PA
University of Kentucky Mural, Lexington, KY
Statue of Orville Hubbard, Dearborn, MI
Robert E. Lee Memorial, Roanake, VA
Statue of Raphael Semmes, Mobile, AL
Sacred Heart Statue, Wasco, CA
Statues of Jesus Christ (numerous Catholic Ccurches), 
Texas Ranger, Dallas, TX
Athens Confederate Monument, Athens, GA
Statue of Thomas Jefferson, Birmingham, AL
Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Birmingham, AL
Robert E. Lee Bust, Fort Myers, FL
Statue of Robert E .Lee, Montgomery, AL
Bentonville Confederate Monument, Bentonville, AR
Statue of Charles Linn, Birmingham, AL
Statue of Edward Carmack, Nashville, TN

(Article courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, July 31, 2020 ed.)

Posted by jdrhawkins in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
24 Sep 2019
2 Comments

And It’s Offensive Because Why?

I’m having difficulty grasping what is happening in this country, specifically in the South. I just read how some group was protesting the annual UCD convention and requesting that the venue deny their gathering. Unbelievable! Thankfully, the venue ignored their request. But what’s to happen next year? I shudder to think. Here is more bizarre news about the destruction of our history because it is supposedly, suddenly, inexplicably “offensive.”

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TWO RALLYS – NO BLOODSHED
Supporters and opponents of Confederate monuments gathered in downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina on Saturday afternoon to hold opposing rallies.

Police closely monitored both rallies.
As we reported last month, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to move the Confederate monument in front of the courthouse, which has been in place since 1907. This gives until October 1st for the local chapter of the UDC to come up with a plan for the statue.
The reality is the United Daughters of the Confederacy gifted the statue — which would make it public property and as a public monument the 2015 law which limits removal and alteration of monuments on public grounds would apply. That is why the city, over a hundred years later has “repudiated” the gift. If the courts allow this repudiation, which we suspect they will, it will set a dangerous precedent erasing the monument protection laws in most states.
ALSO IN NORTH CAROLINA
Silent_Sam
A student is climing to have found the remains of the Silent Sam monument. While the Charlotte Observer has reported the discovery they have not confirmed it. So far, The University of North Carolina will not comment on the matter.
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(Articles courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, Sept. 20, 2019 ed.)
Posted by jdrhawkins in Civil War, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
14 Dec 2017

Debate Continues Over Mississippi State Flag

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Misconceptions about all things Confederate are still flaring up. Last week, protesters showed up on Monument Avenue in Richmond. What they didn’t realize is that the avenue has been placed on the National Historic Register, so if they get their way and have the monuments moved/removed, their taxes will increase dramatically. And, of course, the Mississippi state flag is still under attack. Here is an interesting take on it.

Calling for Change: Gulfport to fly multiple Mississippi flags at city hall

By Renee Johnson, Digital Content Director

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) –

Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes says it’s inevitable that Mississippi will change its state flag to a less divisive symbol, and he has a suggestion: Mississippi’s first official flag, adopted in 1861 – the Magnolia Flag. 

Mayor Hewes announced Sunday that the Magnolia Flag will now fly at Gulfport City Hall, just under the current state flag, “on the chance our citizens can rally around a symbol that has a connection to the past, but represents renewal and promise for the future.”

“This is not about erasing the past,” Mayor Hewes wrote. “It’s about being honest about the present, and working toward a productive future. The reality is that Mississippi’s flag will be changed. The question is when, and into what? What better time to make a statement, than during our Bicentennial observance, as we embark upon the third century of the Magnolia State’s existence?”

The mayor believes one of the main reasons the 2001 state referendum to change the Mississippi flag didn’t pass is that “the alternative symbol never managed to capture the imagination, because it provided no relevant connection for our citizens.”

He believes if the Magnolia Flag had been offered as a historical alternative, the referendum might have delivered a different outcome.

“People don’t typically embrace change for the sake of change. There has to be a compelling reason, desired result, or emotional connection to it. That is one of the main reasons the referendum for a new flag in 2001 did not pass,” Hewes wrote. 

You can read the mayor’s full opinion piece below, and on the City of Gulfport-Mayor’s Office Facebook page where residents are already starting to share their

opinions. 

We are better together.

The holiday season is a time for reflection, as well as a period of preparation for a new year. As we count the many blessings we have, we cannot ignore the generational challenges our state faces, as well as the opportunities to take corrective measures, both great and small.

Just as words have weight, symbols have substance. In a reasonable society, one would expect to encounter a measure of respect and tolerance for differing views, statements and images. This approach does not require a changing of principles or minds, but an understanding that every difference of opinion is not a declaration of war.

The conflict over our state flag continues to stir emotions, and invites debate on the need for change – or not. Like it, or not, what the confederate battle flag might have meant generations ago, has evolved to a point in today’s world where it is largely viewed as a symbol of ignorance, hatred, and bigotry. It is used on both sides of the political spectrum to incite violence.

We are better together.

Opponents of the present flag cite offense at the confederate battle flag emblem (which did not originate in Mississippi), which has largely come to represent a hateful vestige of a distant past and a modern-day extremism. Proponents of keeping the flag provide historical nexus and reference a public referendum from 2001 where an overwhelming sentiment showed most Mississippians had no desire for change. While that should not be ignored, the context of the vote at that time must be considered.

People don’t typically embrace change for the sake of change. There has to be a compelling reason, desired result, or emotional connection to it. That is one of the main reasons the referendum for a new flag in 2001 did not pass. The alternative symbol never managed to capture the imagination, because it provided no relevant connection for our citizens. Had Mississippi’s first official flag, adopted in 1861 – the Magnolia Flag – been offered as a viable, historical alternative, the 2001 referendum might have delivered a different outcome.

Southerners of all races and creeds feel strongly about their heritage, but when an image is used to distort that history, perpetuate cultures of hatred, impede progress, and stigmatize our great State to the point that businesses, developers, and visitors take pause, it is time for us to find a resolution.

This debate is not to inhibit anybody’s right to free speech. However, it is important to recognize that our state flag has been unfairly used to chain us to a legacy we would be better off leaving behind. No revisionist history, but an acknowledgment that today’s Mississippi is much different from generations past. It is one of promise, knowing there will always be work to do, but in a State that places value in the individual, the dignity of work, and the importance of character.

We are better together.

We are past the point in our history where we should be allowing others to tell our story. Yet, with perception driving reality we find ourselves, time and again, like crabs in a boiling pot, where each pulls the others down to die collectively, rather than build upon our assets and educate the world as to the wonderful place and people known as Mississippi. Not that we’re perfect, but that the imagery from long ago need no longer serve to wrongly define the exceptional relationships that have been forged across racial lines over decades.

The hallmarks of decency, civility, and mutual respect hang in the balance in an America where too many are looking for reasons for outrage, rather than seeking common interests and solutions. It seems that, lately, the only thing that brings out the best in us is disaster or catastrophe. Mississippi should stand as an example on how to respond where there is need, and lead where there is opportunity.

A flag change will not totally unify us, but it will help to eliminate a hindrance to our progress as a State. There will always be those who would divide us because of our differences, but instead we should be celebrating our diversity and relishing the common ground that makes up our rich and unique cultural gumbo.

Whether the issue is settled by another public referendum, or by our elected representatives in Jackson, Gulfport will abide by that decision and fly the flag of our great State, as we do today. In the meantime, we will also fly the Magnolia Flag at City Hall on the chance our citizens can rally around a symbol that has a connection to the past, but represents renewal and promise for the future.

This is not about erasing the past. It’s about being honest about the present, and working toward a productive future. The reality is that Mississippi’s flag will be changed. The question is when, and into what? What better time to make a statement, than during our Bicentennial observance, as we embark upon the third century of the Magnolia State’s existence?

When it comes down to it, it’s not so much about what is

on the flag. It’s about what brings us together, or divides us – and how we move forward, together.

– Billy Hewes

http://www.newslocker.com/en-us/region/memphis/calling-for-change-gulfport-to-fly-multiple-mississippi-flags-at-city-hall/view/

(Courtesy the Jeff Davis Legion, Official Publication of the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, December 2017 edition)

Posted by jdrhawkins in News, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
07 Jul 2015

The Insanity Keeps Spreading

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Controversy surrounding the Confederate battle flag keeps flaring, and now, of course, the topic has spread to other areas. Last weekend during a 4th of July parade in Minnesota, a firefighter was suspended for driving his own vehicle in the parade. Why, you may ask? It’s because he had a Confederate flag bumper sticker on his truck. Now the fire department is calling for this guy’s resignation. Insane. There is also a small town in Minnesota that is debating about changing its name, because it is named after a Confederate. Also insane.

At Yale University, a conversation has begun concerning the renaming of Calhoun College, which was named after John C. Calhoun in the 1930’s. Calhoun served as U.S. Senator of South Carolina and as Vice President. But aside from his political career, he was also a staunch believer in the slave plantation system. Calhoun graduated from Yale in 1804. Again insane.

Yesterday, the South Carolina Senate voted 37-3 to have the Confederate battle flag removed from the Capitol grounds. I won’t be surprised if the flag will be removed. I’m sure Governor Nikki Haley put enough pressure on the naysayers to convince them to vote for the flag’s removal. The problem is that the flag was flying over a Confederate memorial. So what’s to become of that monument? If the governor has her way, I’m sure it will be the next thing to go.

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I’m certain this country was a lot different in the 1800’s, and slavery was part of our culture. However, slavery has been illegal since 1865. Doing away with any and all reminders of our slave-including past won’t fix what’s wrong with this country today. It only dilutes historical fact. Most people associate the Confederate battle flag with slavery, but they are sorely mistaken. The Confederate battle flag, on the contrary, represents the rights of the people, rather than having a unified government. The Stars and Stripes flew over slave ships, not the Confederate battle flag. In fact, the Confederate battle flag wasn’t even used until after the First Battle of Manassas. Before people go flying off the handle about this, which they obviously already have, they need to have a history lesson.

Instead of concentrating so much effort on removing historic symbols, this country should focus on today’s issue of slavery. Thousands are crossing our borders and being swooped up by predators to become sex slaves. Why isn’t this the media’s focus? Our country has a far more serious situation to deal with than wiping the Confederate battle flag from our collective conscience. Slavery and racism won’t end with abolishing the Confederate battle flag.

“The clamor being raised against all things that were the Confederate States of America is but a glaring fulfillment of the establishment of the American MSM’s version of Orwell’s “1984” Ministry of Truth.  Just as Orwell said, ‘By controlling the present, the Party is able to manipulate the past. And in controlling the past, the Party can justify all of its actions in the present.’”

(Courtesy of Southern Heritage News and Views, 7-6-15)

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