''Edmund Kirby Smith'' is a

bronze sculpture Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...

commemorating the Confederate officer of the same name by

C. Adrian Pillars Charles Adrian Pillars (1870–1937) was an American sculptor. He chiefly worked in Florida from his studio in St. Augustine. Pillars was born in Rantoul, Illinois. He studied with Daniel Chester French, Edward Potter and Lorado Taft at the A ...

that was installed in the

United States Capitol Visitor Center The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the US Congress.National Statuary Hall Collection The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old ...

from 1922 to 2021. The statue was gifted by the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in 1922. Smith, who died in 1893, was the last surviving General of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, as well as the last surviving full General from either side of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. After he died, his family changed their name to Kirby-Smith to help “distinguish him from the other Civil War 'General Smiths,'" of which there were approximately 35. At the statue’s unveiling in Congress, Representative

William J. Sears William Joseph Sears (December 4, 1874 – March 30, 1944) was a lawyer and U.S. Representative from Florida. A Democrat, he was an avowed white supremacist. Early life and education Born in Smithville, Georgia, Sears moved with his paren ...

quoted a resolution from the

Confederate States Congress The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

that praised Kirby Smith’s “justice, his firmness and moderation, his integrity and conscientious regard for law, his unaffected kindness to the people, the protection of their rights and the redress of their wrongs, and has thus won the confidence of he ConfederateCongress.” On March 19, 2018, Governor

Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott ...

signed legislation replacing the statue with one of African-American educator and

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

activist

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, Womanism, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established th ...

. On September 4, 2021, the statue was removed from the U.S. Capitol. The replacement statue of Bethune was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol on July 13, 2022. The fate of the statue of Smith, once removed, has been much discussed, and as of August 2020 remains unresolved. His birthplace, St. Augustine, does not want it. The statue was to have been moved to the Lake County Historical Museum, in

Tavares, Florida Tavares (, ) is a city in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Lake County. The population at the 2020 census was 19,003, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 17,749. It is part of the Orlando&ndas ...

, but there has been significant local opposition. Smith never lived in Lake County; at the time Smith was born Lake County was part of St. Johns County, whose county seat is St. Augustine. On July 7, 2020, Lake County commissioners voted 4–1 against accepting the monument. In September 2021, the Tampa Bay Tribune reported plans of having the statue temporarily stored at the

Museum of Florida History The Museum of Florida History is the U.S. state of Florida's history museum, housing exhibits and artifacts covering its history and prehistory. It is located in the state capital, Tallahassee, Florida, at the R. A. Gray Building, 500 South Brono ...

out of public display until a permanent home is found.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Edmund Kirby, statue of 1922 establishments in the United States Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C. Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.

Statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

Formerly in the National Statuary Hall Collection Sculptures of men in Washington, D.C. Statues removed in 2021

See also

References