“After the Civil War, the United Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy were very active in helping the old Civil War Veterans and began to erect monuments in their honor. There are more than fifty Civil War statues and memorials located in Texas and hundreds throughout the South.  The United Confederate Veterans of Texas and The United Daughters of the Confederacy usually sponsored the construction of the Confederate monuments and statues, with the most popular design being the traditional statue of a confederate soldier who stands at parade rest on summits overlooking parks, cemeteries, and courthouse lawns throughout the state of Texas.  When the Confederate statues in Texas were being erected, many communities struggled for years raising the funds for the confederate monument to honor the veterans.” 

The only way our future can be brighter than our past is through remembering ALL sides of the many debates our nation has had to deal with since its formation.

The removal of the local Confederate monument at the Titus County Courthouse is a removal of local history and tribute to those that fought the war. It is not a symbol of hate and was not erected for such purpose. While racism should never be condoned, this Confederate monument honors the sacrifice of many local Texans and their families. Taking inspiration from the American Patriots of the Revolutionary War, Confederate soldiers were willing to die to preserve their political freedom and ability to represent themselves. To fight government control just as their predecessors had done against the tyranny’s of England. 

In 1861, Titus County voted for secession by a vote of 411 to 285 and sent as many as 1,500 men to fight in the Confederate Army. During the Civil War, Mount Pleasant was the site of a confederate transportation depot which employed blacksmiths, carpenters, harness makers and wheelwrights. This statue serves as a memorial to those men. In 1929 and 1958, Congress designated all Confederate soldiers as United States veterans, making it illegal to remove monuments to the Confederacy. 

The majority of southerners DID NOT own slaves and did not fight in the Civil War to preserve the institution of slavery. There were even those that already opposed slavery in the South. Abraham Lincoln did not declare war on the southern states because of slavery. 

Sign this petition to keep this statute and preserve it. A pillar of local history that serves not only as a tribute to the many lives lost, but also as a reminder to us today to take a stand for things we believe in, even when it is difficult to do so.