​University Ponders Memorials to Slave Holders, Confederates

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

As the University of the South prepares to relocate the General Kirby-Smith Memorial, a University project is considering the future of Sewanee’s other memorials tied to the Confederacy and slavery.
The University is moving the bas-relief and plaques honoring Edmund Kirby-Smith—a Civil War general and later a Sewanee professor—from the intersection of Texas and University avenues to the Kirby-Smith plot in the University Cemetery.
Sewanee Vice-Chancellor John McCardell said on Oct. 2 that there are currently no plans to move other monuments.
“This is an important and complex subject,” he said. “I think we are wisely taking our time to deal with those complexities before rushing to judgment. Above all, participants in our discussions need to be informed and to understand those complexities, not the least of which is that not a single one of us has ever led a completely blameless life, or one that may not subject us, 100 years hence, to judgments that we, in our own time, might regard as secondary or partial.”
Leading the discussion is the Working Group on Slavery, Race and Reconciliation, a team tasked to “study the significance of slavery and slavery’s legacies in the history and day to day life of the University,” said Woody Register, a history professor and director of the group.
Register said the group will present principles, guidelines and recommendations by the end of the academic year to lead decisions about “the place and prominence” of memorials, symbols and names related to the antebellum South.
“As an institution of higher education founded in the late 1850s by slaveholders, for the benefit of slaveholders, and to serve and protect a slaveholding society—a civilization based on bondage—our University of the South bears, I think, a distinctive obligation to re-examine its history and reflect on how that history necessitates careful, thoughtful reflection,” Register said. “How will that knowledge of our past, shape and guide the kind of a university Sewanee will be today and in the decades to come?”
Register spoke about the project at a packed Gailor Hall on Sept. 28 in the first of a series of public forums. The forum highlighted the Kirby-Smith monument as a talking point, but Register said the working group had no role in the monument’s relocation.
Sewanee Vice-Chancellor John McCardell, in an email to the University community the day before the event, announced the monument was being moved after a request from Tom Kirby-Smith, great grandson of the general, that it be removed. The vice chancellor said several stakeholders were consulted before the decision.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy, Kirby-Smith Chapter 327, raised $2,000 for the monument, which was dedicated in May 1940, said Tanner Potts, the working group’s research assistant.
Ginger Delius, current president of the Kirby-Smith chapter, declined to comment for this article, stating the group would wait until the state convention later this month to comment on the monument’s relocation.
Potts offered information on Kirby-Smith and the memorial during the Sept. 28 forum, where he highlighted the controversial sides of the general, like the fact that he was a slaveholder and opposed giving prisoner of war protection to Union soldiers who were black. He also noted Kirby-Smith’s contributions to the Sewanee community.
“Teaching botany and mathematics among other fellow Confederates on the new University faculty, Edmund Kirby-Smith became a beloved member of the community,” Potts said. “He served as superintendent of the local Sunday School at St. Paul’s on the Mountain, which was a predecessor of Otey Parish. He also served as a mentor to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.”
McCardell, who is also a history professor, noted on Oct. 2 that the context of memorials should be considered.
“I think it is important to keep in mind why a particular individual is being honored or commemorated,” he said. “Kirby-Smith is a case in point. He is justly celebrated for his participation in the life of this community and as a member of the faculty. But the memorial in question depicts him as a Confederate and highlights his non-University-related life. That may prove to be one useful line of distinction as we wrestle with this issue.”
The state of Florida is also in the process of removing a Kirby-Smith monument. A statue of the general, who was born in St. Augustine, Fla., is one of two statues representing prominent Floridians at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. The Florida legislature voted to replace the statue in 2016, but has yet to decide on a replacement.
The next forum will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Gailor Auditorium.

Public comments
Register noted there are many options available for dealing with symbols of the antebellum South in Sewanee, including leaving things as they are. During the Sept. 28 forum, more than a dozen people shared their thoughts.
One student said he is inspired by the changes to the University and the country that he sees depicted in the historical scenes on the stained glass windows at All Saints’ Chapel and he encourages changing the meaning of the monuments.
“Here, when I walk through All Saints’, when I read the history, when I know what it’s about, it almost creates admiration, just the juxtaposition of a general who fought for me not to be here and I’m walking right there. That’s the beauty for me,” he said.
History is a gray area, said another student, and even though the past is controversial it should not be erased, but the other side of the picture should be built up, like honoring slaves and workers who took part in constructing the University.
Another student had a similar suggestion, including honoring Kirby-Smith’s personal assistant, Alexander Darnes, a slave who went on to become Jacksonville’s first black doctor and only the second black doctor in Florida at the time.
A professor in attendance said she views Kirby-Smith as a traitor, a war criminal and murderer and asked if Confederate soldiers should be memorialized given their deeds and the unwelcome message it sends.
Another student said she likes the idea of listening to various opinions, remembering that Confederate soldiers and supporters were humans with many sides, both good and bad, who are worth memorializing and learning from.
The people who should be honored are the professors, the “great men and women” who were part of the Civil Rights Movement, said an alumnus.
The monuments are meant to glorify Confederate soldiers and should be moved to educational areas, like museums, one student said. Another student countered that a college campus is an educational area, and mistakes of the past should not be hidden.
One student asked those in attendance to consider what it was like for a black student from the north to go to the University of the South and the first thing they see is a Confederate monument.
The memorials do not promote the University motto of Ecce Quam Bonum, said another student. EQB comes from the Latin translation of the Psalm “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity!”
“If our goal is to make Sewanee a more inclusive place for all people, in the spirit of EQB, we have to look at whether having these memorials works towards or against that goal,” she said, “and I think that’s pretty clear.”
A lifelong resident of Sewanee said Kirby-Smith serves as a reminder that no matter how brilliant and accomplished someone is, they can be fundamentally wrong on an issue.
2024 March
2024 February
2024 January
2023 December
2023 November
2023 October
2023 September
2023 August
2023 July
2023 June
2023 May
2023 April
2023 March
2023 February
2023 January
2022 December
2022 November
2022 October
2022 September
2022 August
2022 July
2022 June
2022 May
2022 April
2022 March
2022 February
2022 January
2021 December
2021 November
2021 October
2021 September
2021 August
2021 July
2021 June
2021 May
2021 April
2021 March
2021 February
2021 January
2020 December
2020 November
2020 October
2020 September
2020 August
2020 July
2020 June
2020 May
2020 April
2020 March
2020 February
2020 January
2019 December
2019 November
2019 October
2019 September
2019 August
2019 July
2019 June
2019 May
2019 April
2019 March
2019 February
2019 January
2018 December
2018 November
2018 October
2018 September
2018 August
2018 July
2018 June
2018 May
2018 April
2018 March
2018 February
2018 January
2017 December
2017 November
2017 October
2017 September
2017 August
2017 July
2017 June
2017 May
2017 April
2017 March
2017 February
2017 January
2016 December
2016 November
2016 October
2016 September
2016 August
2016 July
2016 June
2016 May
2016 April
2016 March
2016 February
2016 January
2015 December
2015 November
2015 October
2015 September
2015 August
2015 July
2015 June
2015 May
2015 April
2015 March
2015 February
2015 January
2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January
2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September
2013 August
2013 July
2013 June
2013 May
2013 April
2013 March
2013 February
2013 January
2012 December
2012 November
2012 October
2012 September
2012 August
2012 July
2012 June
2012 May
2012 April
2012 March
2012 February
2012 January
2011 December
2011 November
2011 October
2011 September
2011 August
2011 July
2011 June
2011 May
2011 April
2011 March
2011 February
2011 January
2010 December
2010 November
2010 October
2010 September
2010 August
2010 July
2010 June
2010 May