"''Dutchy''" is the nickname of a

Confederate monument In the United States, the public display of Confederate monuments, memorials and symbols has been and continues to be controversial. The following is a list of Confederate monuments and memorials that were established as public displays and symb ...

in Elberton, Georgia. Unveiled in 1898, the statue was criticized for its poor design, and in 1900 the statue was toppled and buried by townspeople. The statue was later unearthed in 1982 and currently is on display in a local museum.

History

Elberton, Georgia, is a city in north Georgia that is nicknamed the "Granite Capital of the World" due to its

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

production. In the late 1890s, residents of the city, wanting to promote both their granite industry and the

Lost Cause of the Confederacy The Lost Cause of the Confederacy (or simply Lost Cause) is an History of the United States, American pseudohistorical historical negationist, negationist mythology that claims the cause of the Confederate States during the American Civil Wa ...

, commissioned the creation of a

. This was during a time when many other cities and towns in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

were erecting monuments and memorials to the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. Sculptor Arthur Beter was commissioned to create the monument. Little is known about Beter, except that he was an immigrant to the United States, possibly from either

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The granite for the statue was donated by Nathanael Long, a local doctor and businessman, at the request of the Women's Confederate Memorial Society.

Unveiling

Beter's monument was unveiled on July 15, 1898. It consisted of a statue of a Confederate soldier atop a pedestal. The location of the monument was in Elberton's

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

, named Sutton Square. The statue was notable for being the first statue carved from granite from Elberton, which later became a major center for granite monument construction. From the time of its unveiling, the statue was the subject of criticism due to its appearance. According to legend, Beter had never seen a Confederate soldier, and the statue depicted a soldier wearing a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

outfit and a kepi. In a 1945 article in ''

The Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', the statue was described as having a “foreign helmet and decidedly northern dress.” The statue was also criticized for looking like "a cross between a

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

man and a

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

," and shortly thereafter the statue adopted the nickname "Dutchy." Beter left Elberton shortly after the monument's unveiling.

Removal

The statue was removed on August 14, 1900. That morning, townspeople, including some Confederate veterans who took issue with the figure's resemblance of a Union soldier, toppled the statue from its pedestal. An empty

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...

barrel next to the statue led many to joke that Dutchy had gotten

drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...

and fallen. The next day, the statue was buried in the square, facing face-down. The decision to bury the statue rather than remove it may have been due to the statue's large size, with Dutchy weighing about . Following Dutchy's removal, a

tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...

statue of a Confederate soldier was erected as a replacement.

Recovery

On April 19, 1982, Dutchy was dug up as part of a project by the Elberton Granite Association. Dutchy was found to be in good condition, and the statue was cleaned at a local car wash. Scenes from the statue's recovery and cleaning were later featured on the television series ''

Mysteries at the Museum ''Mysteries at the Museum'' is an hour-long television program on the Travel Channel which features museum artifacts of unusual or mysterious origins. Plot Each episode is focused on interesting and unusual artifacts held in museums. The show ...

''. Following this, the statue was placed on display at the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, where it currently resides.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Elberton Granite Museum

Dutchy the Hated Confederate Statue
via

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