Wednesday (April 9, 2015) was the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Appomattox, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant.
The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial (BVVM) used the anniversary to unveil and dedicate their Civil War monument.
Click below to listen to the dedication program.
Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial program April 9, 2015
Titled “Going Home”, Navasota sculptor J. Payne Lara created a Union soldier facing north and a Confederate soldier facing south.
From the dedication program, the Confederate soldier is described as walking in full stride and appears to have just noticed the passing Union soldier to his left. He is heading home to an uncertain future, and his reaction is one of uncertainty and caution. And the Union soldier appears to have just noticed his former opponent. He is watchful and reflecting upon the future of his former foe as well as his own.
Separating the two statues is a split-rail wood fence that was typical of that era. The fence was installed as an Eagle Scout service project in 2012.
The president of the BVVM board of directors, retired General Randy House, thanked Lara and those who contributed to the statues. House also recognized those in attendance who fought in the Civil War as well as descendants of freed slaves.
Another BVVM board member and event chairman Bill Youngkin read letters written by soldiers from Texas or who would migrate to Texas. Youngkin noted his father’s family wore the blue and his mother’s family wore the gray.
The keynote address, presented by American History professor Michael Parrish of Baylor University, named the statues “Johnny Reb” and “Billy Yank”. Dr. Parrish spoke that the Union and Confederate soldiers and African-Americans who fought for the Union all believed in democracy. And Parrish brought up the respect given to Civil War soldiers following battles at Appomattox and Gettysburg.
Period music was provided by a string quintet with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, which is holding a Civil War tribute concert on Sunday, April 26 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Theater.
The program concluded with a rifle salute by reenactors in Union and Confederate uniforms and the playing of Taps, which was composed during the Civil War.
