Dublin Core
Title
Appomattox Statue, Alexandria, Virginia
Description
The Appomattox (statue) was a bronze monument honoring Confederate soldiers who had died while fighting during the American Civil War. The name "Appomattox" refers to the Battle of Appomattox Court House, which resulted in the surrender of Robert E. Lee in 1865. The dedication ceremony for the monument was held on May 24, 1889 in Alexandria, Virginia. The bronze statue is of a man crossing his arms, his hat in one hand, looking down at the ground. The man was facing the south, the general direction of the battlefields of the Civil War. The base was made from concrete and marble with several inscriptions on it.
Inscription: South side: “Erected to the memory of Confederate dead of Alexandria, Va. by their Surviving Comrades, May 24th 1889”; North side: “They Died in the consciousness of duty faith-fully performed”; West side: 100 names of the 17th Virginia Infantry; East side: Names of the Alexandria Artillery and “Other Commands” [3]
Location: The monument was originally located in the center of the intersection of South Washington and Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia. This intersection is the exact “point from which the Alexandria troops left the city.” [3] Due to its location, many automobiles have crashed into the statue causing damage to the base and the statue.
Laws Around its Protection and Removal: Historically, to prevent any removal of the statue, the R.E. Lee Camp 726 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans of Alexandria, Virginia introduced a legislation into the Virginia House of Delegates on January 9, 1890 stating that the monument, “shall not be repealed, revoked, altered, modified, or changed by any future Council or other municipal power or authority.” [3] New Virginia laws (SB 183 & HB 1537 War memorials for Veterans; removal, relocation, etc.) set to take effect on July 1, 2020 allowed for the first time the “removing, relocating, contextualizing, or covering any such publicly owned monument or memorial.. for war veterans.” [5]
Impact by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC): The statue was set to be removed in July. [6] Then on June 1, 2020, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (the owners of the monument) requested the removal of the monument to a private location because vandals had recently damaged other segregation-era statues during nationwide demonstrations that had followed the May 2020 killing of George Floyd. Although the UDC were the ones to remove the monuments, they were strong advocates against the removal. In a letter from Deborah Mullins, the UDC Chapter President, to a city representative on January 20, 2016, Mullins states the Appomattox statue “is protected by state law [previously mentioned]- Acts of Assembly, Ch. 119, January 31, 1890, and Virginia Code Ann. Sec. 15.2-1812 Memorials For War Veterans. Unless and until those statues are repealed, Appomattox cannot be moved.” Additionally, Mullins suggests the reinstallation of the iron fence that once surrounded it and the addition of lighting “for better visibility at night” [4].
The base of the statue remains. It was set to be moved in July which would lead to the street being changed to remove the circle. [6] However, there have been no updates on any changes since the statue removal.
Inscription: South side: “Erected to the memory of Confederate dead of Alexandria, Va. by their Surviving Comrades, May 24th 1889”; North side: “They Died in the consciousness of duty faith-fully performed”; West side: 100 names of the 17th Virginia Infantry; East side: Names of the Alexandria Artillery and “Other Commands” [3]
Location: The monument was originally located in the center of the intersection of South Washington and Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia. This intersection is the exact “point from which the Alexandria troops left the city.” [3] Due to its location, many automobiles have crashed into the statue causing damage to the base and the statue.
Laws Around its Protection and Removal: Historically, to prevent any removal of the statue, the R.E. Lee Camp 726 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans of Alexandria, Virginia introduced a legislation into the Virginia House of Delegates on January 9, 1890 stating that the monument, “shall not be repealed, revoked, altered, modified, or changed by any future Council or other municipal power or authority.” [3] New Virginia laws (SB 183 & HB 1537 War memorials for Veterans; removal, relocation, etc.) set to take effect on July 1, 2020 allowed for the first time the “removing, relocating, contextualizing, or covering any such publicly owned monument or memorial.. for war veterans.” [5]
Impact by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC): The statue was set to be removed in July. [6] Then on June 1, 2020, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (the owners of the monument) requested the removal of the monument to a private location because vandals had recently damaged other segregation-era statues during nationwide demonstrations that had followed the May 2020 killing of George Floyd. Although the UDC were the ones to remove the monuments, they were strong advocates against the removal. In a letter from Deborah Mullins, the UDC Chapter President, to a city representative on January 20, 2016, Mullins states the Appomattox statue “is protected by state law [previously mentioned]- Acts of Assembly, Ch. 119, January 31, 1890, and Virginia Code Ann. Sec. 15.2-1812 Memorials For War Veterans. Unless and until those statues are repealed, Appomattox cannot be moved.” Additionally, Mullins suggests the reinstallation of the iron fence that once surrounded it and the addition of lighting “for better visibility at night” [4].
The base of the statue remains. It was set to be moved in July which would lead to the street being changed to remove the circle. [6] However, there have been no updates on any changes since the statue removal.
Creator
M. Casper Buberl, Sculptor
United Daughters of the Confederacy, Private Owners and Funders
United Daughters of the Confederacy, Private Owners and Funders
Source
- Sullivan, Patricia. "131-year-old Confederate statue removed from Alexandria intersection." The Washington Post, June 2, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/decades-old-confederate-statue-removed-from-alexandria-intersection/2020/06/02/778369a0-a4d3-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html
- "The Confederate Statue." The Harrington Genealogy Association, September 23, 2002.
- “The Confederate Statue.” [pdf, brochure] Office of Historic Alexandria, pp.1-6, November 2002, accessed November 12, 2021, https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/historic/info/brochures/ConfederateStatueBrochure.pdf
- “Ad Hoc Conference - UDC Letter 1-20-16.” [pdf, letter] City of Alexandria, Virginia Government, pp. 2, January 2016, accessed November 12, 2021. https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/manager/info/UDCletter-012016.pdf
- Locke, Mamie E. “2020 Session: SB 183 War memorials for veterans; removal, relocation, etc.” LIS: Virginia’s Legislative Information System, February 2020, accessed November 12, 2021, https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB183
- “The Appomattox.” [pdf, newspaper], Alexandria Times, pp. 1-2. June 18, 2020, accessed November 12, 2021, https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/historic/info/attic/2020/Attic20200618Appomattox.pdf
Date
May 24, 1889 to June 2, 2020
Contributor
Marissa Dong (2020), Grislean Palacios (2021)
Language
English
Type
Bronze sculpture
Identifier
HIST 402A (Fall 2020, 2021)
Coverage
Alexandria, Virginia