BRADENTON – The Manatee County Commission discussion on the potential restoration of a controversial Confederate monument has been removed from the commission’s Tuesday, Jan. 31 meeting agenda.
According to the agenda item, county commission authorization was to be sought for County Administrator Scott Hopes, or his designee, to reinstall the monument at its previous location in front of the historic Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton, adjacent to the Manatee County Judicial Center.
The monument was removed as a result of a 4-3 county commission vote in 2017. The statue was fractured during its removal and has remained in storage ever since.
One of the monument inscriptions includes the words: “True to the best traditions of the South.” – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Jan. 27, The League of Women Voters of Manatee County distributed a monument-related email that carried the headline: “Citizen Advocacy Won! But more is needed.”
The email said, “The vote on reinstalling the Confederate monument has been removed from the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners agenda for Tuesday, Jan. 31 because of your hard work. There is no guarantee that reinstalling the statue will not be raised again on a different date. The county staff is continuing to spend time and taxpayer dollars attempting to find a place for the monument in another location in Manatee County.
One side of the monument features the likeness of the Confederate flag and pays tribute to Confederate soldiers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“If you wish your voice heard about the monument, whether it should stay in storage and why, please consider speaking at Tuesday’s meeting (during citizen comments). You must physically go to the meeting to comment. Phone in comments are no longer available,” the email said.
BRADENTON – On Tuesday, Jan. 31, the Manatee County Commission will discuss reinstalling a Confederate memorial monument that was removed from its downtown Bradenton location in 2017.
The monument stood in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse near the Manatee County Judicial Center. The two buildings share a public courtyard.
According to the meeting agenda, county commission authorization will be sought for County Administrator Scott Hopes or his designee to reinstall the monument at its previous location on the courthouse property.
In August 2017, a large protest and counter-protest took place at the monument location with many sides of the Confederate monument debate represented.
In 2017, many protestors called for the removal of the Confederate monument. – Joe Hendricks | SunIn 2017, many protest attendees expressed support for the Confederate monument. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Before the scheduled protest occurred, the county commission voted 6-1 to encase the monument in a plywood shell to protect it from vandalism.
Dressed in tactical gear, these Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies protected the monument that was enclosed in plywood before the 2017 protest took place. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After the protest, on Aug. 22, the county commission voted 4-3 in favor of removing the monument at an undisclosed time, in part for public safety purposes. The work crew tasked with removing the monument dropped it and it fractured into at least three pieces around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 24.
The fractured monument was placed in storage until a new and potentially more suitable location could be found. Several alternate locations were later proposed and rejected, including Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, where Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin took refuge during the Civil War, and the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground, where Confederate soldiers are buried. The monument currently remains in storage. During past discussions, county staff said the monument would be repaired on-site when reinstalled or relocated.
The monument was erected in 1924 with county commission approval by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The monument features inscriptions on all four sides.
One side says, “Erected by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy June 3, 1924,” with the name of Confederate Gen. “Stonewall Jackson” inscribed below.
An inscription on the Confederate monument references the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy and another includes the phrase, “Lest We Forget.”
One side of the monument says, “1861-1865, Lest We Forget,” with the name of the president of the Confederacy, “Jefferson Davis,” inscribed below.
One side of the monument 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.”
In that inscription, the word chivalrous is misspelled and the name of Confederate Gen. “Robert E. Lee” is inscribed below.
One side of the monument features an inscription that includes the phrase, “True to the Best Traditions of the South.” – Joe Hendricks | SunOne side of the monument includes the likeness of the Confederate flag. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
One side of the monument features an inscription of a Confederate flag and says, “In Memory of Our Confederate Soldiers.”
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 – By 4-3 vote, Manatee County Commissioners have rejected Vanessa Baugh’s motion to ask county voters if they want a Confederate monument returned to the Historic Courthouse in downtown Bradenton until a new location is found.
Erected in 1924, the memorial monument was removed from the courthouse square and placed in storage after a 4-3 commission vote in August. During the move, the 22-foot, 8.5-ton granite monument was dropped and broke into three pieces. The monument will be repaired when installed at a yet-to-be-determined location.
The unadvertised monument debate ensued when county resident Barbara Hemingway broached the topic during citizens’ input at the commission’s Tuesday, May 8, meeting.
Hemingway said a group she’s working with has proposed the Manatee Village Historical Park or the nearby Manatee Burying Ground as equally respectful locations, but the commissioners she previously met with preferred the Gamble Mansion Historic State Park in Ellenton, which would require state approval.
Hemingway referenced a letter from the Gamble Plantation Preservation Alliance and she said that location was a longshot at best.
“Right now, we’re having a hard time finding a home for this.”
Priscilla Trace, County Commission chair
In December, Preservation Alliance President Gail Jessee sent a letter to Florida Department of Environmental Protection District 4 Bureau Chief Valinda Subic stating, “This letter establishes for the record our opposition to the proposed relocation of the Bradenton Manatee Confederate monument to the state park.”
The letter said the threat of destruction the monument faced at the courthouse would follow it to the steps of the state park’s historic plantation house.
“It began with the removal of the song ‘Dixie,’ then the removal of Confederate flags, now it is our Confederate monuments, markers and memorials. Next it will be Confederate structures,” the letter said.
In October, the Manatee County Veterans Council sent the commission a letter expressing opposition to the monument being placed at Veterans Park, near the Bradenton Riverwalk.
Hemingway suggested the commission ask county voters if they want the monument returned to the courthouse square, accompanied by an educational sign describing the purpose of its existence.
Veteran Bob Greenwald said, “It is old verity that says those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat its errors in the future. Take responsibility for this well-intentioned mistake and restore the monument to its rightful place.”
Greenwald said letting voters decide would remove that burden from commissioners.
County resident Katherine Edwards disagreed and said, “I wonder when people are going to realize that the Confederacy was un-American and Confederate monuments have no place at the foot of the courthouse steps.”
Erected in 1924, the Confederate monument formerly stood across the street from the Manatee County administration building. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commission debate
Commissioner Vanessa Baugh took exception to Edwards’ comments and agreed the matter should be decided by voters. Commissioner Robin DiSabatino asked Baugh if that was a motion and then seconded it.
“I had relatives that fought in that (war) and none of us were for slaves,” Baugh said. “I take offense that all of you up on this board think that you can just talk about slavery and that’s what it was all about. It wasn’t. If you have any guts you will vote to let the people decide.”
Commissioner Carol Whitmore said she and some staff members have talked to Sen. Bill Galvano about the Gamble Plantation location, which already serves as a Confederate memorial. She said the goal is to determine whether the state park is a viable location to present to the citizenry.
“You can’t whitewash history, but this has happened. Now we’ve got to find a place where it can be respected and I want to make sure it’s at a safe place,” Whitmore said.
“If that’s not doable, we’ll be back at the table to see what options are available,” Commissioner Betsy Benac added.
Baugh, DiSabatino and Steve Jonsson supported the motion. Commission Chair Priscilla Trace, Charles Smith, Whitmore and Benac opposed it.
After the vote, Trace said, “I have no problem with people voting on it, but we don’t know where we have permission to put it. Right now, we’re having a hard time finding a home for this.”
She and Benac said they don’t see the point in returning the monument to the courthouse when it might have to be removed again. Trace said she wants to find a permanent location that spares future commissions from this debate.
BRADENTON – It’s going to cost the county an estimated $41,500 to repair and relocate the Confederate monument damaged in August when it was removed from the grounds of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse in downtown Bradenton.
On Nov. 30, John Bonacci, from the Karins Engineering Group (KEG), sent Manatee County Project Manager Michael DiPinto a letter detailing the repairs needed and the estimated repair costs:
According to Bonacci’s letter, “KEG has conducted a survey and engineering analysis of the confederate (sic) monument which was damaged during an August relocation. Video of the relocation operation shows the spire tipping off of the monument base and impacting the ground, resulting in a through fracture of the 15-foot tall spire approximately five feet from the top.”
KEG conducted a field survey of the monument on Oct. 26 at the monument’s current storage location.
“The monument was in three separate pieces stored under a tarp. The pieces consisted of the monument base and the main spire, which broke into two pieces during the relocation. Several smaller localized fractures were observed at the base of the spire, but these separated pieces were not present at the storage site and are assumed missing,” according to Bonacci’s letter.
“During the site visit, Ardaman and Associates performed non-destructive testing to determine whether additional cracks existed in the main spire. Ultrasonic pulse velocity scanning was done at regular intervals along the length of the spire and no signs of additional cracking were reported,” according to the letter.
“Stainless steel threaded rod dowels will be used to connect pieces of the monument. Dowels will be bonded in drill holes into the stone with a structural anchoring epoxy. Mating surfaces of stone will be joined with a stone epoxy,” Bonacci wrote, noting that stone dust mixed into the stone epoxy would be used for color matching.
What next?
The repairs will be made when the stored monument is relocated to a new public display site. Manatee County commissioners have not determined where the monument will be relocated.
According to County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, Sen. Bill Galvano is assisting the county in the efforts to determine if the monument can be relocated to Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton. Doing so would require permission from the state.
In October, the Manatee County Veteran’s Council notified county officials that its members do not support the monument joining the war monuments and memorial displayed at Veterans Park in downtown Bradenton.
BRADENTON – Manatee County commissioners face opposition by the Manatee County Veteran’s Council to placing a historic Confederate monument in Veterans Park.
Veterans Council chairman Carl Hunsinger sent County Commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac a two-page letter on Oct. 21 detailing the council’s position.
“As you are no doubt aware, the Manatee County Veterans Council has had a number of spirited discussions regard the County Commission’s recommendation to relocate the Confederate statue previously located at the historic courthouse to either Veterans Park or to Gamble Plantation Historic Park. The Veterans Council cannot endorse the commission’s current recommendation,” Hunsinger’s letter began.
The local Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the memorial monument in 1924. In August, the county commission ordered the monument be removed from its location in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse that serves as the Clerk of the Court’s office.
The memorial Confederate monument stood in front of the historic courthouse in downtown Bradenton until Aug. 24, 2017. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The commission requested the removal due to public safety concerns raised before and after a large protest took place in the courthouse square. The granite monument was damaged and fractured while being removed. It is currently being stored in an undisclosed location until county commissioners decide where to put it next. The plan is to repair the monument after it’s moved to its new location.
Hunsinger’s letter noted the Veterans Council represents approximately 40,000 veterans who are also county voters.
“With the Veterans Council responsibility to protect the original intent for Veterans Park, ensuring that only veterans serving the uniformed services of the United States of America be honored, and only those individuals from Manatee County would have their names memorialized on the walls, statues or memorials contained within Veterans Park. And please remember, these walls, statues and monuments were funded by private donations,” the letter states.
“Throughout our discussions, we have focused not only on what is best for Veterans Park, but also what is best for Manatee County. With the contentious nature of this issue, we believe there is significant risk of damage to present monuments, plaques, etc. contained within Veterans Park should the Confederate statue be relocated there. This, along with other issues, formed the basis for the overwhelming majority of council members to not endorse the county commission recommendation. However, our non-concurrence does not mean we do not have a recommendation. The council believes commission was on the right track in proposing relocation of the statue to Gamble Plantation Historic Park. Therefore, the Veterans Council strongly urges the county commissioners to expeditiously move forward and work with the State of Florida on relocating the statue to Gamble Plantation,” Hunsinger’s letter concludes.
County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said county officials have been in contact with state officials about the Gamble Mansion location.
“We are waiting to hear back from them,” she said last week.
The Gamble Mansion in Palmetto is open for guided tours six days a week. – FloridaStateParks.org | Submitted
The Gamble Plantation Historic Park website says it is believed that Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin took refuge in the mansion after the fall of the South, until he could arrange for safe passage to England. In 1925, the United Daughters of the Confederacy saved the mansion and the 16 acres of land it stands on in Ellenton.
BRADENTON – The Manatee County Veterans Council opposes a Confederate monument being relocated to Veterans Park, near the Bradenton Riverwalk.
The 16-1 opposition vote took place Thursday, Oct. 19, at American Legion Kirby Stewart Post 24 in Bradenton.
Before being removed in August, the displaced memorial monument stood for nearly a century in the courtyard square. That square is shared by the Manatee County Clerk of the Court’s office and the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton.
“We’re not in position to approve it or disapprove it, but we’re going to tell the commissioners what we want and don’t want,” Veterans Council Chair Carl Hunsinger said before the council members voted.
“If there’s a legal decision made and we don’t have a choice, then we’ll have to come up with another plan as to where we’re going to have our Veterans Park located – and maybe that statue will stand by itself.” – Carl Hunsinger, Veterans Council
The Manatee County Veterans Council represents more than 40,000 veterans in and around the county. Member organizations include local American Legion, VFW and AMVETS posts and other veteran-affiliated groups.
“There doesn’t need to be any more discussion. We talked about it last month,” Hunsinger said before calling for the vote.
The monument relocation was debated at the council’s previous meeting. An informal straw poll indicated 48 attendees opposed the Veterans Park location and four or five supported it. Council members were then asked to solicit official consensus from their respective groups prior to a formal vote on the 19th. Members were also asked to return with proposed alternative locations.
“The board of county commissioners could say you don’t have the authority to make that decision, but they’ve given us the opportunity to give them our recommendation,” Hunsinger told the voting members.
Peggy Van Gemert, from the Sarasota Manatee Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans, suggested the 1850 Old Manatee Burying Grounds on 15th Street in Bradenton.
Representing the VFW Auxiliary in Ellenton, Theresa Cobb recommended the Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton; a move that would require state approval.
After the votes were cast, Hunsinger said, “We do not accept the monument for our Veterans Park and that’s what we’re going to tell our Board of County Commissioners.”
Hunsinger said a letter would be drafted stating the council’s position and sent to the county commission.
A monumental decision
The United Daughters of the Confederacy erected the memorial monument in 1924 and it became the subject of local debate in August after a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. resulted in one death and several violent conflicts.
The Confederate memorial stood in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
On Aug. 21, a protest took place near the monument that had been shrouded in plywood for protective purposes.
On Aug. 22, Manatee County Commissioners voted to remove the monument due to public safety concerns; at that time, Veterans Park and Gamble Plantation were mentioned as possible alternate locations. No date was disclosed for the dismantling.
Overnight on Aug. 24, the work crew removing the granite monument dropped it and fractured it into two or three large pieces. The monument is now stored in an undisclosed location and the plan is to repair and reassemble it on site at its new location, wherever that may be.
Hunsinger’s take
When interviewed prior to the Oct. 19 meeting, Hunsinger said, “The concern is our Veterans Park has been set aside for veterans that raised their right hand in defense of these United States and its Constitution. It’s for veterans who served under the United States of America. The Confederacy was another country, or another government. All those soldiers fought for that country after they seceded,” Hunsinger said.
Veterans Council chair Carl Hunsinger addressed member voters before the monument vote took place. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Veterans Park honors those who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, but no conflicts in the 1800s.
“We’re not going to protest. We’re not going to be distractive. If we say it doesn’t go in our park and the Board of County Commissioners says it should, then we’re going to use legal means to back our decision. If there’s a legal decision made and we don’t have a choice, then we’ll have to come up with another plan as to where we’re going to have our Veterans Park located – and maybe that statue will stand by itself,” Hunsinger said.
The Manatee County Commission voted 4-3 in favor of removing and relocating the Confederate monument at the Historic Courthouse in downtown Bradenton Tuesday.
Potential new locations will include, but not be limited to the Veterans Park on the Manatee River in Bradenton or the Gamble Mansion in Palmetto. Further public input will help determine the monument’s next location. It is not yet known if the monument will be placed in temporary storage in the interim.
Commissioners Charles Smith, Betsy Benac, Carol Whitmore and Priscilla Trace voted in favor of the relocation. Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, Robin DiSabatino and Steve Jonsson opposed it.
The vote came the day after a protest at the memorial on Monday afternoon. During public input today, it was noted that another protest is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 28.
Monday night’s protests and counter protests of the Confederate monument in downtown Bradenton were a noisy but non-violent affair. Verbal exchanges between monument opponents and supporters became heated at times, but never escalated to physical violence.
Three arrests were made, but nobody was injured. There was an incident involving a monument opponent who grabbed an anti-fascist flag and tried to burn it, but the flag was fire-retardant and never fully caught fire. There was another incident involving a monument supporter who tried to grab a microphone or bullhorn from a monument opponent who was addressing the crowd.
Sheriff’s deputies in tactical gear stood in front of the monument that had earlier been encased in protective plywood, and also at various points around the large courthouse square. A Sheriff’s Office helicopter hovered above and large trucks blocked 12th Street West to prevent a vehicular attack like the one that occurred recently in Charlottesville. Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Dave Bristow estimated there were approximately 200 law enforcement officials in the area during Monday’s protest.
A large crowd of monument opponents gathered in the courthouse square and chanted “The monument must go,” and other catchphrases. Some monument supporters stood among the courtyard crowd, while others gathered closer to the monument and expressed their opposition to history being erased. On this night, the encased monument served as more of a backdrop than a primary focal point of the protesters’ attention.
Mounted deputies waited on standby in a parking garage around the corner. Shortly after 8 p.m., a large group of monument opponents marched to the nearby Riverwalk before dispersing for the night. Mounted deputies then arrived at the square and broke up what remained of the crowd.
By 9:15 p.m., the controversial monument again stood in silence and solitude.
On Tuesday, Manatee County Commissioners praised the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bradenton Police Department for allowing the verbal exchanges to occur but not escalate. Sheriff Rick Wells told the commission the extra police protection cost the county between $20,000 and $30,000.
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.
