The idea has gained impetus since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. The removal of monuments to Confederate soldiers and leaders has hastened in the past three weeks and their battle flag is no longer welcome at NASCAR races. The Marine Corps has banned the flag at its facilities and the Navy is in the process of doing so.
There’s a new push to remove the names of Confederate commanders from 10 Army installations in Southern states. President Donald Trump is against the idea, saying the posts trained and deployed heroes « on these hallowed grounds. »
The idea has gained impetus since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. The removal of monuments to Confederate soldiers and leaders has hastened in the past three weeks and their battle flag is no longer welcome at NASCAR races. The Marine Corps has banned the flag at its facilities and the Navy is in the process of doing so.
Here’s a look at the 10 Southern officers — all but one a general — who fought to preserve slavery and the posts that carry their names. The Civil War — which cost more than 600,000 lives — led to the abolition of slavery but did not eliminate the systemic racism that persists in the country today.
Camp Beauregard, Louisiana
Its mission: The post is the principal training ground for the Louisiana National Guard.
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Trump opposes efforts to remove Confederate commanders’ names from military bases
Who it is named for: Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893)
Beauregard’s legacy: The flamboyant Louisianan led Southern victories at Fort Sumter and Bull Run then fell out of favor as the conflict dragged on. According to historian T. Harry Williams, Beauregard believed African Americans were « naturally inferior. » After the war, he was convinced that whites could « manage » blacks « politically as they had controlled them economically when slaves, » Williams wrote. Beauregard even argued that blacks be granted the right to vote to help restore the South to its former glory.
Fort Benning, Georgia
Its mission: This major Army installation near the Alabama border is the « Home of the Infantry » and features airborne, infantry and ranger training, among other functions.
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Who it is named for: Brig. Gen. Henry Benning (1814-1875)
Benning’s legacy: Back in 1968, an article in Infantry Magazine called the Confederate an « outstanding » lawyer-turned-soldier.
