Two More Louisville Statues Are Exiled

By Charles H Bogart · Originally published October 2018 · p. 28

On August 8, 2018, Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fisher announced that two more politically incorrect statues would be removed from the streets of Louisville to an unknown location at an unknown cost. The basic reason given by the mayor’s office for removing the two statues is that the values held by these two men during their life time do not reflect the values held today by the citizens of Louisville. Mayor Fisher claims that by Louisville removing the two statues from public view “it allows us to examine our history in a new context that more accurately reflects the reality of the day, a time when the moral deprivation of slavery is clear.” He went on to say that the city needed to “rationalize the suffering still caused to people whose ancestors were bought, sold, and bred like animals on a farm…that [Louisville] must not maintain statues that serve as validation symbols for racist and bigoted ideology” On Twitter, he posted “I’m mindful of the horrible display of hatred & bigotry by white supremacists in Charlottesville that occurred almost a year ago… We cannot ignore that Castleman fought to continue the horrific and brutal slavery of men, women and children; heralded that part of his life in his autobiography; and had his coffin draped with both a U.S. and Confederate flag.” Interestingly in July 2018, the mayor when commenting on the Castleman statue said; “Clearly it is not a Confederate monument like … in some cities with Confederate generals on a horse with their guns facing north.” The statue of John. B. Castleman that is the center of this controversy shows him life size in civilian clothing riding a horse. The statue is presently located in Cherokee Triangle just outside Cherokee Park, which Castleman was instrumental in developing. Below the statue are two plaques. The first reads “Erected 1912 in honor of John Breckinridge Castleman Born June 30 1841 Died May 23, 1918 by friends who loved and respected him as a noble patriot, a gallant soldier, a useful citizen and an accomplished gentleman Major CSA Brigadier General USA.” Beneath this is another bronze plaque that reads “General John B Castleman & Carolina Restoration Project 1992” followed by a list of donner names. The charges levied by “Activist” against Castleman is that he was a Confederate officer, kept the city parks segregated during his service on the Park Board, and his coffin was draped with both an American and Confederate flag. At present the proposal is to move the Castleman statue to Cave Hill Cemetery where Castleman is buried. The George D. Prentice statue is located in downtown Louisville next to the Public Library. The statue shows Prentice in civilian clothes setting in a chair with a book in his hand. While Prentice was a loyal Union man during the Civil War and promoted the Union cause within the pages of his newspaper, the Louisville Journal, during the 1840s and 1850s, he used newspaper to promote pro slavery legislation and anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic polices. His editorials are credited with causing the day long August 6, 1855, Bloody Monday Riot in Louisville during which Catholics and Germans were killed and property destroyed by a Protestant mob. Except for Prentice name on the pedestal supporting the statue there is no other information to explain who he was. The Mayor’s Office has stated that no relocation place has been suggested for the Prentice statue and until such time that a suitable location can be found it will be put in storage. Interestingly while both statues have been vandalized during the past two years no effort has ever been made by the Louisville Police Department to identify and apprehend those who have vandalized these public statues with paint and graffiti. It is being suggested that the next statue that will be removed from public viewing in Louisville will be that of King Louis XVI. Charles H Bogart is a tour guide at Frankfort Kentucky Fort Boone Civil War Battle Site. He has a BA in History from Thomas More College.

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