We should celebrate how Castleman turned his life around. That's the statue's true legacy

“White supremacy symbol! Bigot! Terrorist!” These are the inflammatory accusations by the activist group Showing Up for Racial Justice Louisville which seeks the permanent removal of the John B. Castleman statue, which had stood for over 100 years without controversy until 2017.

Do the historical facts validate or repudiate SURJ Louisville’s description of Castleman’s life?

First, yes, Castleman served as a Major in the Confederate Army before being captured, imprisoned and sentenced to death. Saved from execution by President Abraham Lincoln, Castleman was exiled to Canada before being pardoned.

The remainder of Castleman’s life, based on the documented record, was spent making his adoptive hometown of Louisville a better place to live for all residents.

For instance, would a “white supremacist” keep the parks fully integrated during his lifetime? As President of the Parks Board of Commissioners, Castleman was steadfast in rejecting racist demands to segregate the parks.

More: Castleman statue: Why I decided to find out whether Gen. John Castleman was really racist

Or, would a “white supremacist” save the lives of Black prisoners from being lynched? Certainly a “white supremacist” would not introduce acclaimed Booker T. Washington to a large Black audience who cheered Castleman, or order White officers to salute Black officers!

Nineteen prominent Black leaders, who praised Castleman after his death, would definitely not do so if he were a “white supremacist.”  And, why would Castleman advocate locating the Black academic school, the Lincoln Institute, in Louisville or eulogize President Abraham Lincoln at Lincoln’s birthplace memorial dedication if he was a symbol of “white supremacy?”

His statue was paid for by local citizens, many whom contributed less than five dollars, and not by any Confederate organization. It was designed by a northern sculptor, not a southern one. This doesn’t sound like something a “white supremacist” hate group would honor does it?

As to being a terrorist, or a traitor as some others have stated, why would the U. S. Army elevate him to the rank of General if he possessed such a despicable character? Castleman served in the Spanish-American War, was a Veteran of Foreign Wars, and commanded the Louisville Legion, a forerunner to today’s Kentucky National Guard.

The whole story: Was John Castleman a racist whose statue deserves to come down?

The Castleman statue is not a military one

Castleman is wearing equestrian attire, not a military uniform, on his statue, and there are no weapons. His horse, Carolina, is a saddlebred and not a military horse.

Castleman was friends with Union Army and Gettysburg hero Andrew Cowan. They planted a “peace tree” together in Cherokee Park. Doesn’t sound like something a terrorist would do, does it?

Both Cowan and Castleman were pro-unification of the country and this was reason for the two-flag American-Confederate display on Castleman’s casket that many misinterpret. Even Cowan made a similar two-flag display at a Civil War convention. Castleman’s pallbearers were U. S. Army soldiers, not Confederate. Castleman apologized for his rebel activities on several occasions.

Castleman advocated for the Women’s Right to Vote and donated money to the Suffragette movement. He proudly rode his horse in Suffragette parades. Castleman even befriended sculptor Enid Yandell and helped her get the commission to design statues at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. No bigot would ever have done this.

Background: Kentucky Supreme Court to review Castleman statue's potential return to Cherokee Triangle

Castleman is not on the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of Confederate monuments

Finally, perhaps the best repudiation of SURJ Louisville’s outrageous slurs against Castleman is that the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks over 1,800 Confederate monuments and is no fan of white supremacists, bigots, terrorists, or traitors, does not list the Castleman statue on its infamous list.

Yes, Castleman did serve in the Confederate Army. He also was a General in the  U. S. Army and supervised the construction of Louisville’s wonderful Olmsted Parks, for which the citizens commissioned this statue to honor him.  Let’s celebrate how Castleman turned his life around and made our city a better place for all to live.

After all, isn’t that what Restorative Social Justice is all about?

Steve Wiser is a local architect, historian and author of over twelve books on Louisville history and architecture.  He regularly gives presentations on the city's notable people and places. Wiser is also a member of Friends of Louisville Public Art (FOLPA) is a group of residents that seeks historical accuracy for the Castleman statue. Their email is FriendsOfLouisvillePublicArt@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The Castleman statue's true legacy is how he turned his life around.