Now They’re Going After Shrines
— The Virginia Council
The Virginia Council is troubled by an ongoing initiative at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (FSNMP) to change its interpretation of Stonewall Jackson’s legacy at the Stonewall Jackson Death Site. Known to many Virginians by its old name, the Stonewall Jackson Shrine, the Death Site is the building where Jackson died after being wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
In July of this year, FSNMP personnel put up hand-lettered signs at the Death Site. They questioned how Jackson’s legacy has been and should be viewed. To put it mildly, these signs cast Jackson’s legacy in a skeptical, almost disapproving manner. FSNMP has reworded those signs, but the new wording leaves the impression that FSNMP personnel are uncomfortable with how Jackson’s legacy is currently portrayed and feel that it needs to be changed. Pictures of the signs can be seen here.
This Virginia Council is concerned, because of a pattern that we Virginians have seen played out across the Commonwealth in the past few years: an attempt by elites and activists to object to any positive mention of any Confederate in the public sphere. It is time to push back. Enough is enough.
FSNMP has been respectful and professional in its dealings with us. Its communications indicate that the park staff sincerely want to hear all viewpoints on this issue.
Stonewall Jackson is a bona fide Virginia and American hero. During the Civil War the units he commanded accomplished amazing things. He was also an amazing citizen. He established a Sunday school for slaves at a time when it was illegal for slaves to be taught to read and write in Virginia. He continued to operate that school even after prominent Lexington citizens threatened him with legal action. He deserves to be honored, especially at the place where he died! He also deserves to have his legacy evaluated fairly, without presentism, and in the context of the times in which he lived.
The Virginia Council expects that FSNMP will give Stonewall Jackson’s legacy the respect it deserves. FSNMP says that it wants to “spark conversations and to broaden the story of the site and context for Jackson’s death and memory.” We encourage the public to join The Virginia Council and engage in the conversations that FSNMP has now sparked.
The Death Site closes for the season on Saturday, October 19th. (It is ONLY open on Saturdays!) We encourage people to visit the Death Site and respectfully, and with dignity, express their views on how the park service should interpret Jackson’s legacy for the public. We also encourage everyone to contact FSNMP and share their thoughts on this matter. The POC there is Ranger Elizabeth Parnicza, at elizabeth_parnicza@nps.gov.
The Virginia Council was created to preserve “the traditions that make us distinctly Virginian” and advance “civil discourse and the rule of law so that all citizens of the Commonwealth can prosper.” Its website is here.