I live in Alabama ....There are laws on the books that prohibit removing Statues of any kind now. Birmingham paid over a million in penalties until a statue was sent to the Museum . A group wanted to melt it down and turn it into some sort of shrine for Northern Agitators ....My cousin had the Plantation Home as a part of his Hunting Club on the Tom Bigbee River .....The house was used by Mrs' Jefferson Davis whenever Mr Davis was in Montgomery running the Confederacy ..
You can go all over this state and find cemetaries with Conferderate Dead and some with Union dead from a battle during the war. I have a favorite I visit often ...Shelby County outside of Shelby, AL. The railroad line orginates in Vicksburg. The Seige of Vicksburg forced the evacuation of many wounded from the front lines. Those guys traveld on that rail line to a Hotel outside of Shelby. The Hotel was turned into a hospital. Those that died were buried in an obscure Cemetary with one plaque and about 120 graves. Futher down I-65, north of Montgomery, sits the Alabama retiement home for Confederate Vets ....They and their wives lived in the small village, now a state park. There are three cemetaries on the property. I always get the historian or curator invguided involved in a guided tour. I started asking "I see most of these guys were enlisted or volunteers. There appears to be a special place for officiers." In most cases, when the officer of a unit passed away, he requested to be buried with his troops.
It sounds odd, I enjoy cemetaries, especially remote ones. You get a quick idea of when the cemetary was active and then your mind starts running wild ...An entire family dead on the same day, same time ......Fire? Disease? Indian Attacks? There is a cemetary in Shelby that goes back to the founding family of the city. They have gone through papers, records and have identified every grave site on both sides of the road.....To the ealry 1800's late 1700's
I did an inspection in a remote area, where there were no other homes nearby .....Confederate battle Flags flying. Old black man on the porch ..."You don't sound like you are from here," "Mom and Dad born and raised in Birmingham. Great Grandparents owned the Ice House in New Orleans. The entire family went to Auburn, So I am and I'm not from here .....but I was southern born and southern raised." "he laughed, "Sit down and have a glass of lemonade with me..." "Yes Sir" "Does that come from the southern part of you or the military part of you?" "Both. Why the Confederate Flags?" "Keeps bad people away from my goats, cows, chickens and pigs."
To give an idea .....There is a Battle flag on I-65 north of Montgomery. About 30'x 40' you can see it for miles ....On I-22 headed to Memphis there is a battle Flag about 25'x30' Both flags sit on property owned by Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy ...I been all over Selma "OK Civil Rights, I get it." But I'm interested in the houses and why all the historical plaques for houses .....in a City that every house was burned to the ground except for one. The one was hiding slaves when the north took over the city ....then was ordered to burn it all down ....
.
