Orange County Confederate Monument

On October 18, 1900, a crowd—"the largest gathering ever assembled here before"—assembled in downtown Orange, Virginia to witness and celebrate the unveiling of the county's newly erected Confederate monument. The day's ceremonies began with music, followed by a prayer by Reverend John S. Hansborough. The statue was then unveiled to an approving crowd. The monument itself, located on the grounds of the Orange County Courthouse, stands 26 feet high and features a Confederate veteran atop a granite pillar. Inscribed in the monument's base is the following:

"They fought for the right.

They cherished their country.

Cherish their memory.

Imitate their example."[1]

The keynote speaker for the ceremonies was Reverend Reuben Lindsay Cave, a former sergeant in the 13th Virginia Infantry, which served in the Army of Northern Virginia throughout the Civil War. Though of humble rank in the military, Cave rose to some prominence postwar as a university professor and president of Kentucky University (now Transylvania University). He was active in the United Confederate Veterans, a group that often espoused "Lost Cause" ideals which minimized slavery's role in causing the war, promoted the righteousness of the Confederate cause (as reflected in the monument's inscription), downplayed Confederate military defeat, and opposed African American political power in the Reconstruction era. Rev. Cave's address "was a very masterly effort, and was greatly enjoyed by all present."[1]

In 2020, during nationwide protests over system racism and a reckoning over public Confederate monuments, the Orange County Confederate Monument (one of over 200 Confederate monuments in Virginia) drew criticism and calls for removal. A circulating petition calling for the statue's removal gathered nearly 10,000 signatures. As local resident Griffin Floyd argued, "It's a monument to oppression. We've got the courthouse right there and then we've got the monument that is putting it up on a pedestal quite literally, people who fought and died to keep other human beings enslaved."[3] Not everyone agrees with removal, however. Steve Reuss believes the monument is simply "honoring the debt" of those who ided in the war."[2]

The monument's future is uncertain. The Orange County Board of Supervisors, impeded in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, has yet to take any course of action regarding the monument's fate. "We want to do what is appropriate for all citizens of the county and not do away with something that removes something that may have a good reason for being where it’s at,” stated Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Crozier.

1. "Confederate Monument. Unveiled by Veterans of Orange County, Va." October 19, 1900. Virginian-Pilot. Web. Accessed July 31, 2020 via Chronicling America. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071779/1900-10-19/ed-1/seq-8/

2. "Orange, Fluvanna counties debate future of their Confederate monuments." June 23, 2020. NBC 29. Web. Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.nbc29.com/2020/06/23/orange-fluvanna-counties-debate-future-their-confederate-monuments/

3. Darnell Myrick. "Online petition calls to remove Confederate statue in Orange County." July 24, 2020. CBS 19 News. Web. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.cbs19news.com/story/42410147/online-petition-calls-for-confederate-statue-to-be-removed-in-orange

4. Caroline E. Janney. "The Lost Cause." July 27, 2016. Encyclopedia of Virginia. Web. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Lost_Cause_The#start_entry

5. Scott Harp. "Reuben Lindsay Cave." History of the Restoration Movement. Web. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/tennessee/cave,rlin.htm

6. "Confederate Monuments in Virginia." June 15, 2020. Virginia Public Access Project. Web. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.vpap.org/visuals/visual/confederate-monuments/