Posted on 12/22/2013 1:53:26 PM PST by jazusamo
There was an article by Rowan Scarborough this week in the Washington Times which claimed that the US Army War College in Pennsylvania was considering removing portraits and statues of Confederate Army leaders such as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The purported reason for the possible “purge” was depicted as being some sort of statement against the CSA.
Nestled in rural Pennsylvania on the 500-acre Carlisle Barracks, the war college is conducting an inventory of all its paintings and photographs with an eye for rehanging them in historical themes to tell a particular Army story.During the inventory, an unidentified official — not the commandant, Maj. Gen. Anthony A. Cucolo III — asked the administration why the college honors two generals who fought against the United States, college spokeswoman Carol Kerr said.
“I do know at least one person has questioned why we would honor individuals who were enemies of the United States Army,” Ms. Kerr said. “There will be a dialogue when we develop the idea of what do we want the hallway to represent.”
She said one faculty member took down the portraits of Lee and Jackson and put them on the floor as part of the inventory process. That gave rise to rumors that the paintings had been removed.
This spurred a rather heated discussion, as you might imagine, but Dr. James Joyner seemed to smell a rat immediately.
Let’s stipulate up front that this is thinly-sourced linkbait. As best I can glean from the story, some unknown person asked a question and the Army War College may or may not be doing anything to answer it; from here, the author conjectures that the debate might spread. It’s pretty much a non-story.
The reason why I even clicked on it from the Defense News daily roundup is that I was amused by the notion that there’s any controversy at all about the paintings of Lee and Jackson when the Army has forts named after both men. Fort Lee, located “alongside the Tri-Cities of Virginia – Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell – as well as the counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie and Prince George” is home to to the Combined Arms Support Command along with the Army Logistics University, the U.S. Army Ordnance School, the U.S. Army Quartermaster School and the U.S. Army Transportation School.
Joyner’s skepticism appears to have been well founded. After a period of time of the “controversy” making the media rounds, Major General Tony Cucolo, the commandant of the War College, felt compelled to address what he saw as a non-issue.
I’d like to address an issue that has come up based on a Washington Times web posting and article in its paper of 18 December 2013.
Even though last night’s posting had a photo at the top of that article showing a picture of one of our entry gates with huge statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson mounted on horseback on either side of the sign, and today’s posting showed a dignified photo of Robert E. Lee at the top of the article, it might be misleading as to what is in question. For what it is worth, I must tell you there is only one outside statue on Carlisle Barracks and that is of Frederick the Great. There is no statue of Lee, there is no statue of Jackson; that picture is photo-shopped – I assume to attract attention to the article. We do however have many small monuments, mostly stone with bronze plaques, but those are for a variety of reasons. There are small memorials to the service of British units (during the French and Indian War), memorials of Army schools that had been based at Carlisle Barracks over the last two-plus centuries, memorials to Carlisle Indian Industrial School students and significant personalities of that period from 1879 – 1918, a memorial for US Army War College graduates killed in action since 2001 and more. We do not have any public memorials to the Confederacy, but we do have signs on the walking tour of the base that will tell you for a few days during the Civil War, three North Carolina Brigades camped on the parade ground and then burned down the post (save one building) as they departed on July 1st, 1863, to rejoin Lee’s forces at Gettysburg. We also do not have any large stand-alone portraits of Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson.
So, no statues or big portraits, but a recent event here sparked the reporter’s and other public interest in the topic of the article, which I find makes a good point – for topics like this, have a thoughtful conversation before making a decision.
Here is what happened: a few weeks ago, while relocating his office to a new floor in our main school building over the weekend, one of my leaders looked outside his new office location and simply decided to change the look of the hallway. He took down, off the wall, a number of framed Civil War prints that depicted Confederate States of America forces in action against Union forces or depicted famous Confederate leaders. He did this on his own. There was no directive to “remove all traces of the CSA.” Since this is a public hallway with seminar rooms and offices, the sudden new look drew attention the following week. And since there was no public explanation of my leader’s action, some of my folks jumped to conclusions, even to the point of sending anonymous notes to local media. We have since attempted to clarify the action within our own ranks.
The General goes on to explain that the art on display is intended to portray a thoughtful, accurate military history of the United States, both the good and the bad. It is a college, after all, and teaching history is part of their mission. So this looks pretty much like a drummed up media example of link bait, as Joyner suspected, but it does open up an old – but still valid – line of questions. Is it “wrong” to commemorate the leaders of the Confederate forces and the soldiers who fought and died in America’s bloodiest war?
There is an old maxim which reminds us that “history is written by the winners.” Having grown up and studied high school history forty years ago in the Northeast, I can tell you that there are few better examples of that lesson than the traditional school lessons on the civil war. And regardless of how you feel about it, there is a justifiable pride and sense of history among many southerners for their ancestors who stood their ground on their own lands and shed their blood in the war. They answered the call, just as their northern brothers did, and fought and died for what they saw as the defense of their homes and their country. Is it so awful to commemorate that in the artistic portrayal of our nation’s history?
I would argue the opposite. And apparently the War College will continue to remember that these things did happen and those men did fight with bravery and honor, no matter what you may think of their cause.
More Political correctness crap. Both Lee and Jackson were Americans both great leaders in a terrible time. These Pictures have hung on the walls for many years and never bothered anyone...but now comes the PC crowd. As for me I say leave them!!!
Looks like the original article in the Times was wrong and they will be staying, as they should.
How do you feel about commeorating Benedict Arnold?
How many Union generals deserted to the Confederate side in the midst of combat operations while bearing valuable intelligence information and demanded commissions in the Confederate army?
James,
Your are right. Lee was a tremendous leader and military mind. Even with hindsight and second guessing, his war strategy was sound. He was also a great Virginian and American.
What is often overlooked about Lee, is his understanding of peace at the end of the War. A continuing low-level guerrilla war throughout the South (and perhaps in the Border States) would have been tragic and costly. Peace, like victory, needed to be complete and final. He worked with Grant to ensure that it was.
That’s my opinion.
Oldplayer
On the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point there are plaques commemorating all of the generals that served in the Revolution. One plaque bears only a rank and a date (”major general...born 1740”) but no name.
A historical marker in Danvers, Massachusetts commemorates Arnold’s 1775 expedition to Quebec. There are also historical markers bearing Arnold’s name in Moscow, Maine, on the western bank of Lake Champlain, New York, and two in Skowhegan, Maine.
The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing Arnold as an “American Patriot.”
Surprised PA liberals haven’t already removed Lee and Jackson
I believe it is right to continue to have these paintings in a place on honor. It is a reminder that 2 officers who served with distinction and honor in the US Army once became enemies of that Army. Lee, for his part, was among the first to ask for his US Citizenship back after the war. It was returned... under President Carter, I think. The only thing Carter ever did with which I agree.
Thanks, I fully agree and if Carter was responsible for Lee’s citizenship it’s the only good thing he did while in office.
The American Revolutionary War would have failed had it not been for Benedict Arnold’s bravery and skill. Nonetheless, the American Revoultionary War may have also failed to defend the independence of the Unnited States of America had Benedict Arnold’s acts of treason and the murder of George Washington, his friend and mentor, succeeded. I’ve visited Benedict Arnold’s tomb. So, I am very much aware of his background, which is why I asked the question you have not yet answered.
How do you feel about commemorating Benedict Arnold?
Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson was originally an artilleryman. Jackson began his United States Army career as a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery Regiment.
He was military professor at VMI. Parts of Jackson’s curriculum are still taught at VMI, regarded as timeless military essentials: discipline, mobility, assessing the enemy’s strength and intentions while attempting to conceal your own, and the efficiency of artillery combined with an infantry assault.
Lee, Jackson, et al did so. You do not seem to understand that an officer may resign a commission only with the approval of the Commander-in-Chief, and even then is obligated and subject to recall to active duty the remainder of the officer’s life, once the person has accepted the commission.
In other words, Robert E. Lee could have resigned his commission with the approval of President Lincoln and the Secretary of War, honorably sat out the war as a civilian; but he was subject to the orders of his Commander-in-Chief, President Lincoln, and subject to the oath of Loyalty to the United States of America for the rest of his life. Taking up arms against the government to whom he swore his oath of loyalty for life was an act of insurrection and treason no matter how you try to pretty it up.
Oaths have consequences, and should not be taken lightly, foolishly, or dishonestly.
Any oath issued or called in by Lincoln became null and void once he took up arms against the States, in this case, against Virginia.
nothing ever changes...the bean counters and button polishers always want to get rid of those pesky warriors...the military is so nice without those types of people around. We can put on our pretty uniforms and march and give orders and tell each other what it was like when we were at West Point, while we knock our rings on the wood work...
Lee graduated second in his class at West Point and was the finest officer in the US military when South Carolina seceeded. His father was a hero of the American revolution. His wife was the granddaughter of George Washington. Before the War to Prevent Southern Independence, there was no such thing as the United States of America. Each state was sovereign and took care of themselves. The Federal government had little power and that is exactly the way the Founding Fathers started this country. State sovereinty came before any alligance to the Federal government. Every state, including Northern states believed in the right of secession. Every Founding Father believed in the right of secession, especially Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, which was a declaration of war against the United Kingdom.
Lincoln tramped all over the Constitution when he invaded the Southern States to bring them back into a voluntary union at a cost of almost a million American lives.
The tactics of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and the
great Nathan Bedford Forrest are still being taught at West Point and all other military academies across the United States. Deo Vindice.
I can see the point of those who want to remove Lee's and Jackson's portraits. And at first I agreed with that. Because, like Arnold, Lee and Jackson did take up arms against the United States Army.
But here's the difference. Arnold deserted to the British for base and selfish reasons. There was no honor in his actions. I think even Arnold himself would have admitted to that.
But no one can sensibly call Lee or Jackson dishonorable men. They were rebels, but they really thought the were doing the right and proper thing for their people.
So this Northerner thinks that the Lee and Jackson portraits should remain.
“They were rebels”
They were not rebels they were active duty soldiers, then veterans of the US military (some of them), and then veterans of the Confederate States of America.
Confederate veterans are considered US veterans by the Dept
of Veterans Affairs and are all accorded all the rights and honors of any US veteran.
If I'm reading the comments by the commanding general correctly there weren't any specific pictures of Lee or Jackson at all.
I have a preference for history, and no particular iron in that fire, but I see no problem at all in commemorating Arnold, remembering both the good and the bad.
I would think it best to remember General Pershing that way as well. While there is no direct evidence that he ordered war crimes to be committed, his subordinate commanders most certainly did, even if under the guise of General Order 100.
Likewise, General W.T. Sherman, whose men were ordered to “forage freely on the land”, can be commemorated as well.
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