As the Mid-Shore community begins a weekend of celebration of Juneteenth, the national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, it seemed like the appropriate time to focus on the controversial “Talbot Boys” Confederate memorial that sits on the Talbot County Courthouse lawn. While the arguments for maintaining or moving the statue are now increasingly well-known to Spy readers, for the first time, we have reached out to the two organizations who have either taken the lead in preserving it where it stands now (Preserve Talbot History) or moving it (Move the Monument Coalition) to a less controversial location to provide short summaries of each group’s position.
We conclude today with Preserve Talbot History’s President David Montgomery. In his interview with the Spy, David talks about the misinterpretations those seeking to move the Talbot Boys have on the statue and a false reading of Eastern Shore history. He also talks about his organization’s proposal to build a memorial to commemorate soldiers from the Union side of the Civil War. David also responses to the recent lawsuit by the NAACP/ACLU against the Talbot County Council and how the community should embrace its full history as part of its tourism industry. Finally, he speaks about his group’s desire to see a county-wide referendum on the future of the Talbot Boys.
On Wednesday, the Spy published our interview with Move the Monument Coalition leaders Ridgely Ochs and Jess Taylor. You can view that video here.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the Preserve Talbot History organization please go here.
Keith Alan Watts, Esq. says
“The First Law of Holes . . . .”
“Nor would a wise man, seeing that he was in a hole, go to work and blindly dig it deeper . . . .” The Washington Post dated 25 October 1911.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_holes
Henry Herr says
If it’s history, why don’t historians agree with you? I think it’s important to contextualize that Mr. Montgomery’s statements are his opinions, not necessarily facts. I do not see that listed here.
Paul Callahan says
What is absolutely amazing is how our local NAACP and the Move the Monument Coalition completely refuse to acknowledge historical truth surrounding our Confederate ancestors and the conception and placement of the Talbot Boys monument. The evidence unearthed by the Preserve Talbot History coalition has been specific to our men and our statue and is overwhelming. After all this time the NAACP and the Move Coalition has provided NO evidence specific to our men and our monument and continue to cling that because it was built during the “100 years of Jim Crow” it must have a racist intent. These groups refuse to even consider that it is just what it is presented to be, a memorial to our ancestors who fought.
As the Preserve Talbot history unearthed numerous historical documents from our State and Nation Archives, uncovered 100+ year old newspaper accounts and researched the actual enlistment dates of our Talbot Boys, the NAACP and the Move the Monument Coalition has provided NO actual evidence but continue with the same unfounded accusations – just louder.
They say they want to have an “open dialogue” on the issue, but they refuse to acknowledge anything other then their unfounded version of our history. Then they state once Talbot County “accepts” their version of our racial past they will tell us what we all must do to “reconcile.” These people see racism and white supremacy behind every tree, rock and sign post in our county.
I have attended nearly every one of their online guest lectures and there was no evidence presented against our men and our monument. Yes everyone understands that there were monuments built somewhere in the South that had less than honorable motives, and yes everyone understand that the issue of slavery was an important issue as to why 7 southern States seceded.
The only issue that we are concerned with is OUR monument and OUR ancestors. The NAACP and the Move the Monument Coalition attempt to assign “guilt by association” to the Talbot Boys. Their position is that because these men and this monument is associated with the confederacy then it must me “evil.” They seem incapable to understand that this “guilt by association” is no different than a police officer assuming a black man is evil just because he’s black or because he lives in the inner city, or maybe his father was a convicted felon so by association this individual must be evil also. These groups can not see the hypocrisy in the position they take and are in direct violation of the teachings of Dr. Ibram X Kendi that it is racist to judge individuals solely by the group to which they associate.
The NAACP and the Move the Monument coalition attempts to assign guilt by “association” but the historical evidence speaks overwhelmingly that our monument is only a memorial to Talbot Countians and nothing else. The historical evidence, particularly the research that documents that over 50% of our men joined the confederacy shortly after federal troops surrounded our courthouse and BEAT, and IMPRIOSONED Talbots Judge Carmichael, is both well documented and overwhelming.
It is well past time that these groups accept the truth behind why our ancestors fought against the Union and why this monument was constructed. Once they accept this truth we can then sit down and have an open dialogue on how to “reconcile” and remedy the confederate symbol on the monument.
Stephen Schaare says
Dear Paul Callahan,
WOW.
Henry Herr says
Once again, as I’ve stated, the PTH is presenting theories, not facts. This herein lies one of my main problems. No historian agrees with PTH assertions that this monument is different. (It’s literally a copy of other monuments built during the Jim Crow era. The topper is not original either.)
Once again you quote Dr. Kendi, who is against all Confederate monuments.
If historical societies do not agree with your assertions, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of Maryland has already removed Confederate iconography, and local governments all over Maryland have removed Confederate symbols from public land, when will PTH realize they version of events is inaccurate?
Lastly, again, this will never be the focus for me personally. Creating a equitable community today for all is what matters. Listening and caring for POC matters. Placating white theories of events does not matter to me. PTH will never acknowledge that there are more important elements to building an equitable community than history.
The monument will come down eventually. It’s the last one in Maryland. Experts have all agreed that this statue does not accurately describe history. It’s just a matter of time.
Suzanne Todd says
Mr. Callahan,
Do you have documentation regarding why each man whose name is on the monument fought for the confederacy?
Paul Callahan says
Do you?
Keith Alan Watts, Esq. says
“He, I think, just realized that he was on an island alone,” said Cornyn, who attended the White House ceremony on Thursday. “I think he just realized that when you know you’re likely to lose, sometimes it’s good just to pull your flag down.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/juneteenth-holiday-marking-the-end-of-slavery-becomes-law-after-decades-of-inaction/2021/06/17/b3d5dba4-cf89-11eb-a7f1-52b8870bef7c_story.html
Thomas Malone says
We can preserve the history of Talbot Co. by putting the confederate monument in a museum! This argument is nonsense!
Michael Davis says
I doubt if a museum wants it. Even cemeteries don’t want such monuments.
It really belongs on the property of a PTH member. There is someone in Oxford who has his yard filled with Trump signs and flags. And a PTH sign. Move it to his place.
Richard Marks says
Likely not the last word by any stretch, but I view this controversy as an amazing teaching opportunity. I challenge the Preserve Talbot History coalition to take a moment to appreciate and empathize with our fellow citizens who find the message a painful reminder of the oppression that existed in our country. Nothing more and nothing less, just a modicum of understanding that elicits understanding in the most humane way. In doing so, without relinquishing their argument as to the why the monument was built creates a second teaching lesson. The monument can then be moved to a new location broadly contextualizing the history with equal representation and presentation. Future generations then continue to learn and discuss history with civility as I do believe we have managed to do over this past year even if our disagreements have been testy at times.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Not going to happen, although I really admire your diplomacy. PTH is not just about history, it’s about the forces today that are challenging us to examine our past. People cling on to what is familiar and justify it any way they can. To them, hearing about a great uncle or great grandfather’s “heroic” fight for the Confederacy is easily understood as “patriotic”. Who the heck wants traitorous ancestors? Combine this with racial recency like Juneteenth , and one has a massive group of people left in a void. Change is difficult for those without empathy for minorities.
Many cling to the past to help them cope with societal changes in the present.