Woman, man oppose Confederate statue being removed

Mar. 25—Rachel Holland Smith is opposed to the removal of the Confederate statue in downtown Milledgeville.

She isn't the only one in opposition.

Retired Army Col. John Alton, a member of the Milledgeville Planning & Zoning Commission, also recently address City Council about keeping the statue in place.

The statue sits between the Mary Vinson Memorial Library and Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.

Smith and Alton recently spoke during the public comment portion of a Milledgeville City Council work session.

Smith said her husband's family has been in Baldwin County for 208 years, having received a land grant after the Revolutionary War.

"His descendants would later enlist and left Milledgeville to fight in Virginia and other parts during the war," Smith said. "The majority of these men throughout the generations have fought and served this country, including my husband."

Smith asked about her children.

"What about their story and where they came from," she said, addressing Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan, as well as all six members of city council. "Do I get the opportunity to take my children to this monument and have a conversation about that time in history and where they came from or will it be removed as slavery already has been because of the personal hatred of some?"

Smith said history is always "messy."

She said those who wish to talk about such hard conversations and still do so and learn from them or they can try to erase those times and be worse for it.

"How can this statue be about hate when not one of the men in the Baldwin blue of whom we have documentation owned the slaves," Smith said.

She said she had documentation on at least nine different ethnic groups who served in the Confederacy, including African-American soldiers as early as 1861.

"So, I asked, what about their stories," Smith said. "Do they get to be told or will they be lost forever because of the prejudice because of this time in history?"

Smith contends that most of the arguments made during a previous city council meeting by those requesting that city officials remove the statue were either "impassioned or historically inaccurate."

Smith presented each council member with copies of historical documents to support her comments.

"All over the state, monuments have been moved against Georgia state law, and others damaged and destroyed in these so-called safe places such as cemeteries and museums," Smith said. "If we are truly about diversity and equality, then both sides must be told and represented. If the NAACP doesn't like it, then let them work to tell the story of those they represent instead of erasing the stories of others."

Alton also addressed city leaders.

"This is not something that is political," said Alton, who has lived in Milledgeville for the past 30 years. "I came here because of the friendliness of the people and the history of the city. And I love this city."

Alton was a member of the city's Historic Preservation Committee for more than a decade.

Alton also is a member of the Main Street Downtown Development Board.

"So, I have a significant concern for the city," Alton said. "My concern is that we preserve our history. I know that you know that this monument was funded by the people of Milledgeville — sons, daughters, husbands, and wives of those that were lost during the conflict."

He contends the statue commemorates those who served during the war and their bravery and sacrifices.

"I've read nothing on that monument that indicates its derogatory, racist or hateful," Alton said. "It's simply commemorative to the people who served — who gave their lives for that cause. And it doesn't make any difference what you thought of the cause, it's history and it's part of Milledgeville."