BRADENTON – Next year, Anna Maria Island’s registered voters will help determine the new location for the Confederate memorial erected in front of the Manatee County courthouse in 1924 and removed and placed in storage in 2017.
Rye family legacy lives on at Rye Preserve
PARRISH – The Rye Preserve in Parrish has been mentioned as a possible location for the Confederate memorial.
When discussing the relocation of the Confederate memorial last week, Manatee County Commissioner Priscilla Trace and Deputy County Administrator John Osborne both mentioned that former Confederate soldier and Civil War veteran Erasmus Rye is buried at Rye Preserve, in what is now known as the Rye Cemetery.
Erasmus Rye fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. – Submitted
The small family cemetery is open to the public and located along the Settlement Trail at the east end of the preserve. A white picket fence surrounds the burial grounds and a gate provides access to the gravestones and markers.
Erasmus Rye’s grave is marked by a tombstone at his head and a footstone at his feet. He is buried next to his wife, Mary Lucebia Rye. The Rye’s children are also buried there.
Erasmus Rye was born on April 23, 1834. According to a historical timeline provided by Manatee County Historical Resources Director Cathy Slusser, Rye moved to the newly-formed Manatee County in 1855 and fought in the Billy Bowlegs War.
Rye met his future wife, Mary Lucebia Williams, when she accidentally threw dishwater on him while he stood at the back door.
In 1861, Rye acquired 39.8 acres on Gilley Creek (Oak Knoll) from the Florida Internal Improvement Fund. On Nov. 24 of that year, Rye and Williams got married. He was 27 and she was 17.
On March 10, 1862, Rye and his father-in-law, James Green Williams, joined the Confederate Army as members of the 7th Regiment of the Florida Infantry.
Mary stayed behind alone on the Gilley Creek homestead until she became frightened one day when a stranger came to the door asking for food. She then moved in with her mother and abandoned the Gilly Creek homestead.
On June 27, 1862, James Green Williams returned home from the war after being severely wounded in the chest. Four months later, Erasmus and Mary’s first child, Molly, was born.
On Nov. 25, 1863, Rye was captured by Union Forces and taken prisoner at Missionary Ridge near Chattanooga. He was sent to a Union military prison in Louisville and his name also appears on the roll of prisoners of war at the Rock Island Barracks in Illinois.
The Civil War ended when General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. On May 3, Rye was released for transfer from New Orleans. Having no money for transportation, he walked back to Manatee County.
The Rye Preserve features a picnic shelter, a playground and a nature center. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In 1865, James Green Williams’ 18-year-old daughter, Martha, died and was the first to be buried in what later became Rye Cemetery. Later that year, Williams became ill, transferred his land grant to Rye and moved to Frog Creek.
The Rye’s second daughter, Josephine, lived for only 10 days in December of 1868. Born in 1869, their son Joseph died in 1875.
In 1879, Rye hired Levi Thomas to build a new home because the family had outgrown Williams’ log cabin. That same year, Rye, Henry Craig and W.J. Gidding marked out the road from Oak Hill (Parrish) to Palmetto and the first Rye Bridge was constructed.
In 1884, the Rye Post Office was established.
Erasmus Rye was laid to rest in what is now known as the Rye Cemetery. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Erasmus Rye died on July 31, 1889.
The Rye Post Office closed in 1929 and Mary Lucebia Rye died on Sept. 15, 1930.
The Rye Homestead caught fire and burned on Nov. 11, 1988.
Acting on a motion that County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh made at the Tuesday, May 7 meeting, the commission unanimously agreed to appoint a nine-member committee to recommend at least three proposed locations for the Confederate memorial, to be placed on the 2020 ballot.
At the suggestion of Commissioner Reggie Bellamy – the commission’s only African American – the committee will include at least four black members.
Deputy County Administrator John Osborne will serve as the committee moderator and commission liaison.
Commissioner Priscilla Trace initiated last week’s discussion.
“I promised a lot of folks I would make sure this memorial was not forgotten,” she said.
Trace said the county learned in February that the state would not allow the memorial to be placed at the previously discussed, state-owned Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton. Her goal is to now find a location owned and controlled by the county.
At Trace’s request, Osborne presented several potential locations that included Bunker Hill Community Park, a county-owned utility property next to the Gamble Mansion, Emerson Point Preserve, Fort Hamer Park, Myakka Community Park, Riverview Pointe, Robinson Preserve and Rye Preserve.
Osborne said many of those properties pose challenges due to ownership, location, grant funding, deed restrictions and other concerns.
Trace said she prefers the Rye Preserve in Parrish.
“We could put it right on Rye Wilderness road. We could have proper signage which tells why they went to battle and what the conditions in Manatee County were. It’s probably 300 yards down to the cemetery. Mr. (Erasmus) Rye, a Confederate veteran, is buried there,” Trace said.
Monument history
The Confederate memorial was removed as a result of the 4-3 commission vote taken in August 2017.
Citing public safety concerns, commissioners Trace, Betsy Benac, Charles Smith and Carol Whitmore voted to remove and relocate the memorial. Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Robin DiSabatino and Steve Jonsson opposed the removal.
The Confederate memorial was the scene of a large but peaceful protest in 2017. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
That decision was reached after a large but peaceful protest occurred near the memorial in downtown Bradenton. The contractor hired to remove the granite monument dropped it and fractured it into three pieces. Officials say it will be repaired at its new location.
The memorial was erected in 1924 by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The monument inscriptions reference Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson.
One side says, “In memory of our Confederate soldiers.” Another says, “1861-1865, Lest We Forget.”
Engraved in capital letters with the word ‘chivalrous’ misspelled, one side of the monument says, “Calm and noble in peace. Courageous and chilvalrous in war. True to the best traditions of the south. The Confederate soldier lives enshrined in the hearts of his grateful countrymen.”
Public input
During the public comment period, Carol Driscoll said the memorial’s location should be decided by county voters and not the seven commissioners.
Joe Kennedy recommended placing it in the privately-owned Fogartyville Cemetery in Bradenton. He said there are more than 100 Confederate veterans buried in Manatee County and the memorial should be in or near one of those cemeteries.
Regarding the Rye Preserve’s remote location, Kennedy said, “That would be like taking the Iwo Jima Memorial and sticking it in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.”
David Dean lives near the preserve. He said he could support that location if it includes factual signs providing historical context.
“Being a veteran myself, I have no problem with the one side of the monument that is dedicated to the soldiers who fought. The other three are objectionable to me. Jefferson Davis and Judah Benjamin were not brave soldiers. They both ran away when it looked like their cause was lost. And to call it a noble cause in the first place I also object to. That statue was put up during the heyday of Jim Crow and the KKK,” Dean said.
Deborah Clark attended the 2017 protest.
“I want it put back where it was. Slavery was the worst evil that ever happened in this country. The racism that’s been borne of that is wrong, but it is part of history. The liberal left wants to erase history,” she said.
Commission discussion
Commissioners Betsy Benac and Carol Whitmore liked the Fogartyville Cemetery location but noted it would require approval by the cemetery’s board.
Jonsson said the previous location outside the Manatee County Historic Courthouse should be one of those included on the ballot.
The Confederate memorial used to stand in the courtyard square near the Manatee County Historic Courthouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Baugh proposed the committee, saying the memorial debate is probably the most difficult issue the commission has faced during her time as a commissioner.
“I didn’t vote to move the monument. I think it should go back where it was. But I also think the people deserve the right to make this decision, not this board,” Baugh said. “It is a war memorial. It is our history and we can’t change it.”
Commissioner Misty Servia was not in office when the memorial was removed. She said the most important thing to her is that it includes an educational component that tells both sides of the story.
“We need to have a plaque that explains why this memorial is so important to Confederate history and we need a plaque that explains why this memorial is viewed by many people as a symbol of hate,” Servia said.
Bellamy was not in office when the memorial was removed.
“The challenge for us is to take both sides in consideration,” he said. “I do want to make sure you all understand the interpretation on what has taken place and the impact that has had on the African American community. It’s been devasting. This particular issue does not lie amongst the seven of us.”
BRADENTON – The Confederate memorial downtown stands covered in plywood today in anticipation of a scheduled Unity March and counter protests.
Manatee County Commissioners voted against removing the memorial on Friday but directed that it be protected; on Saturday, the memorial was encased in plywood.
On Saturday afternoon, the memorial was encased in plywood. – Donald White | Submitted
The Confederate memorial stands in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse and near the Manatee County Judicial Center. The two buildings share a public courtyard.
The memorial features inscriptions on all four sides.
The west side says, “Erected by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy June 3, 1924” with the name “Stonewall Jackson” below; Jackson was a Confederate general in the Civil War.
The east side says, “Calm and Noble in Peace. Courageous and Chilvalrous (sic) in War. True to the Best Traditions of the South. The Confederate Soldier Lives Enshrined in the Hearts of His Grateful Countrymen.” with the name “Robert E. Lee” below; Lee was a Confederate general in the Civil War.
The Confederate memorial references southern traditions, Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Flag. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The north side features a Confederate flag and says, “In Memory of Our Confederate Soldiers.”
The Confederate memorial erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy includes the slogan “Lest We Forget.” – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The south side says, “1861-1865 Lest We Forget” with the name “Jefferson Davis” below; Davis was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Damage control
Black Lives Matter Alliance Sarasota Manatee Chapter, Indivisible Bradenton Pro-gressive, Answer Suncoast and Action Together Suncoast organized Monday’s march that was to begin at the Bradenton Riverwalk and end at the memorial. Supporters were asked to protest for the removal of a memorial they believe does not signify unity and justice for all.
Members of the Donald Trump-supportive America First-Team Manatee organization then announced plans to assemble in support of the memorial.
County Commission chair Betsy Benac called for Friday afternoon’s emergency meeting. Benac said Jan Greene requested the memorial be removed and placed in safekeeping until a new location could be found. Greene is affiliated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter that erected the statue. She also chairs the Manatee County Historical Commission.
One point of debate is that the memorial symbolizes a Confederacy that fought to preserve slavery, and that may not be an appropriate message to display near a public courthouse expected to offer equal rights to all who enter. An opposing point is that the War Between the States was fought primarily to preserve the right of states to govern themselves, and that the Confederacy was not exclusively comprised of slave owners.
“We do not want another Charlottesville.” – Priscilla Whisenant Trace, Manatee County Commissioner
The Gamble Plantation Historic Park in Ellenton was mentioned as a possible relocation point because museums and historic parks can provide a more encompassing historical perspective of the Civil War.
Monumental debate
Charles Smith, the commission’s only African-American, said the memorial does not represent both sides of history. He expressed concerns about Confederate memorials being used as recruiting tools by white supremacists. He also noted the Ku Klux Klan once killed an NAACP leader in Florida – Brevard County NAACP founder Harry T. Moore was killed by a bomb on Christmas Day, 1951.
“Men went to war because their leaders could not find a peaceful pathway,” Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace said of the Civil War, wondering aloud if America is headed that way again.
She questioned the need to remove historic memorials, but acknowledged public safety concerns.
“We do not want another Charlottesville,” she said.
Commissioners Robin DiSabatino, Carol Whitmore and Steve Jonsson said they never knew the statue existed until recently.
“If we start removing that memorial the next step is that flag; then the next step is everything else that we hold dear,” DiSabatino said of the American flag hanging in the commission chambers.
During public input, America First-Team Manatee member Yaya Stafford said, “We would not be where we are today had we not gone through that conflict. Erasing it doesn’t make it go away.”
David Finkelstein said, “Is it history if it only gives one side?”
Jack O’Keefe said the commission lacked the legal authority to remove a statue from a historical landmark. County Planning Official John Osborne said Bradenton’s historic preservation ordinance pertains to the courthouse, but not the memorial.
Commissioners and public speakers requested the memorial be discussed again at a future meeting and it was suggested Manatee County voters be asked to determine the memorial’s fate.
After nearly three hours of emotionally charged debate, Smith made a motion for the memorial to be removed per Greene’s request, at an estimated cost of $10,000. Benac and Trace supported Smith’s motion. DiSabatino, Jonsson, Whitmore and Vanessa Baugh did not. The commission then voted 6-1 in favor covering the memorial, which Smith opposed because it leaves the memorial in place.
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