Monday, June 23, 2008

Soldiers in the Same Struggle: Jim Limber and Black Confederates

Proposed Statue in Richmond, VA

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the statue controversy in Richmond was back in the news.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans have unveiled their proposed statue design, featuring Jefferson Davis (pictured above).

Their design is breathtaking.

Compare it to the current statue of Lincoln and his son, Tad:

Lincoln at Richmond National Battlefield Park

Notice: Lincoln is sitting, while Davis is standing; Lincoln is looking down, but Davis is staring defiantly. But that's not all.

Who are the children in these statues?

Lincoln is with his son Tad, but Davis appears with two little boys. One of them is his son Joe, while the other one is not related to him. His name is Jim Limber, a mixed-race child who allegedly stayed with the Davis family. Little is known about him, but that hasn't stopped partisans from using him to reconstruct Davis' complicated record regarding race.

Now that the SCV has officially enlisted Jim Limber in their ongoing public relations war to rewrite America's Civil War narrative, I suppose we might add his name to the growing list of "black Confederates" who are soldiers in the same struggle.

Though a final decision on whether to include the Davis, et al. statue is expected in August, we must recognize that the verdict doesn't mean much. The SCV will not accept their cause is lost.

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