Statue of Patrick Cleburne explained

Statue of Patrick Cleburne
Location:Cleburne, Texas

A Statue of Patrick Cleburne stands in Cleburne, Texas. The statue honoring Confederate General Patrick Cleburne, the town's namesake, was installed in 2015.[1] [2]

History

Patrick Cleburne was born in County Cork, Ireland. During the American Civil War, he reached the rank of General in the Confederate States Army. Towards the end of the war, Cleburne became outspoken in favor of emancipation.[3]

The town of Cleburne, Texas was named after the general, and the statue was installed in 2015, close to the Johnson County Courthouse.[4] [5]

The 6-foot tall bronze statue was created by local artist Jeff Gottfried and was installed at a busy intersection between Buffalo and Chambers streets.[6]

Controversy

During the 2020 George Floyd protests, a number of monuments and statues of Confederate figures were removed. During the protests, there were calls to remove the statue to Patrick Cleburne, however mayor Scott Cain emphasized Cleburnes anti-slavery views, and the fact that Cleburne himself was an immigrant from County Cork, Ireland.[7]

See also

References

32.3461°N -97.3892°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Noelle . Walker . North Texas City Has Relatively New Memorial to Its Confederate Namesake . June 12, 2020 . . en-US . August 16, 2017.
  2. Web site: Blanchard . Bobby . August 21, 2017 . Texas has more than 180 public symbols of the Confederacy. Explore them here. . June 12, 2020 . . en.
  3. Web site: Patrick . Young . January 2, 2014 . Pat Cleburne: The Irish Confederate's "Emancipation Proclamation" . June 12, 2020 . Long Island Wins . en-US.
  4. News: Smith . Matt . City's namesake statue unveiled . June 12, 2020 . . en . April 14, 2015.
  5. News: John . Austin . Texas' Confederate icons continue to raise questions . June 12, 2020 . . en . August 24, 2017.
  6. News: Smith . Matt . Pat Cleburne statue unveiled . June 12, 2020 . . en . April 11, 2015.
  7. News: Smith . Matt . Rumored protest fails to develop; Counter-protestors arrive in Cleburne in force . June 28, 2021 . . July 28, 2020.