Following Charlottesville, there have been many instances of vandalism of CSA and otherwise controversial monuments.
This week, there was a vandalism incident involving the Manassas National Battlefield Park monument for Confederate States of America General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
According to ABC Birmingham, the Stonewall Jackson monument was spray-painted with the word “Dead!!!” in gold paint. The statement was surrounded by “a large quantity of white paint.”
The National Park Service (NPS) reported on Wednesday morning that the vandals struck overnight.
According to an NPS press release, the monument was built in 1940, and stands at "the site where Jackson first received the nickname 'Stonewall,' at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861.”
The First Battle of Manassas was called the First Battle of Bull Run by the USA forces, and was the first major battle of the Civil War. As such, both sides sent very poorly trained troops into the fray. The CSA forces sent in men by rail, and were able to overpower the United States. The battle took over 3,000 lives, and served as a wakeup call for those on both sides who thought the war was going to be easily won.
What does the NPS plan to do about its monument to the general?
Removal isn’t an option unless directed by Congress. NPS policy states that statues must remain in place "even when they are deemed inaccurate or incompatible with prevailing present-day values," according to DCist.
This is because they are seen as being pieces of history. "A key aspect of their historical interest is that they reflect the knowledge, attitudes and tastes of the people who designed and placed them. Unless directed by legislation, it is the policy of the National Park Service that these works and their inscriptions will not be altered, relocated, obscured or removed."
The cleanup process — which is being handled in a way that doesn’t damage the monument — began early Wednesday afternoon.