You see, still standing tall and proud above those newly worded plaques is Confederate soldier “Sam.” The problem with that (though rarely mentioned) is the cause for which he fought and what he represents. It’s time to face the historical facts.

Like all Confederate soldiers Sam fought for disunion of our country. He swore allegiance to the self-proclaimed Confederate States of America and pledged to uphold and defend its constitution. That constitution enshrined into irrevocable law the “right of property in negro slaves.” (See article 1, section 9 and article 4, section 3 of the Confederate States Constitution) 

Even though Sam himself may not have owned any “negroes,” he was willing to fight for the right to do exactly that. Ultimately, all Confederate soldiers fought for the right to own human beings as property. (To see some of the property Southerners fought for the right to own, go across the street to Bridge Park and take a look at the stunning Harriet Tubman statue, which will soon be leaving. That says it all: Sam on a pedestal, Harriet on the ground, running.)

Now, Sam could be your ancestor (or mine), but does that make the cause for which he fought honorable, or even defensible? It’s an important question. Some would argue that because Sam was a product of his time, he should not be judged by today’s moral standards. However, that’s exactly what we should do. In fact, today we are called upon to acknowledge the truth about why Confederates fought and to honestly accept the facts of history.

The bottom line is this: in 2021 we know better than to memorialize the Confederacy in public spaces, even in a veiled sort of way as with this statue. The new plaques do not, and cannot, transform the soldier on the pedestal into something he’s not. Sam was never meant to represent “veterans of all wars,” but specifically and solely Confederate veterans of the Civil War. As originally stated in 1915, the statue was erected to honor “our heroes of the Confederacy,” and sadly it still does. Let’s face it, his fight was not honorable. Therefore, it’s time to do the right thing and take Sam down. Adding new plaques to an old monument and to an old narrative cannot cover up the truth.

Faye Kennedy

Whittier