Talbot boys confederate statue prepped for relocation, residents react
EASTON, Md. – For more than five years community members have been working to remove a Talbot Boys Confederate statue from the courthouse lawn and after efforts from multiple organizations, they finally came to a resolution.
Back in 2015, the NAACP began the push to remove it, however, it wasn’t until 2020 when the move the monument coalition renewed the call for relocation.
“It just shows what you can do when you all work together and that you can peacefully go through the process for change and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” says Move the Monument Coalition leader, Jessica Taylor.
The Talbot Boys Confederate monument has been the talk of the town for years now. “It was after the murder of George Floyd, I think there was just a feeling of we needed to do something and this was concrete, I mean in a literal sense,” says another Move the Monument Coalition leader, Ridlgey Ochs.
Back in June of 2021, community members flooded the streets, marching, and peacefully protesting for not only the removal of what they called a painful reminder of America’s dark past but for change. “There are a lot of residents who cared about this and who did want change and we’re willing to keep speaking up over and over until there was a change,” says Taylor. Six months ago, the Talbot County Council voted to remove the confederate Talbot Boys monument from the courthouse lawn.
Meanwhile, a Talbot community member who is also a Vietnam war veteran tells 47 ABC, when it comes to the difference between preserving history and honoring mistakes of the past, it’s complicated. “I would look forward to helping the people who had family in the war on both sides but in this case, the confederate side preserve their history and keep their history, it’s a rich history,” says Totch Hartge. However, he says although the rich history is something we can all learn from, this was simply a difference between right and wrong. “And how you treat your neighbors and if you don’t treat my neighbor nicely or you diss them, I think I need it needs to be protested, successfully, so it’s nice to be on that side,” says Hartge.
No matter which side of the debate you fall on, coalition members say with the statue gone, they hope to see unity grow in its place. “I think we all want to remain engaged and I think they’ll be gratified this happened it means that change can happen so it’s worth being involved,” says Ochs. Taylor adds, “There’s a lot more work to do but we’re really thankful that this is being done.”
On Monday, March 14 the Talbot Boys Confederate statue will begin its a journey to its final resting place at the Cross Keys Battlefield in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The Move the Monument Coalition and a group of county residents raised more than $80,000 to fund the statue’s relocation.
There will be a dedication for the statue later this year.
