Denton, Texas, City of Denton, Confederate Monument: A Rebuttal On Changing "History"

"the imperial US occupiers".............may I ask a stupid question? What is YOUR nation of origin Aron Duhon.  May I also ask your religion?

Maybe you should spent a little more time researching a topic before you write a column such as this. The lack of accuracy of your "story" only magnifies your ignorance of TRUE American history. Let me give you a lil test............

1.) Who is the father of slavery in this country? What year did slavery start?

2.) How many monuments to the slaves are there in the North? How many in the South?

3.) Which side (North or South) petitioned Congress after the war to give land, homes and money to the freed slaves?

4.) Why, if the war was fought over slavery, the United States government keep all the slaves in the Northern states and the occupied territories of the Southern states in bondage until the 13th ammendment was pass 8 months AFTER the war was over?

5.) Which nation, the Confederate States of America or the United States of American, had an intergrated military? Which paid their troops equal wages?

6.) At the first reunion of Battle of Gettysburg, which side had the most old Negro soldiers attend North or South? 

If you find the monuments to MY ancestors offensive, that is a "right" you have in the United States.....whether a citizen or not! Hell, your lack of a basic knowledge of the War Between the States offends me............

Your references to torture and rape of the Negro race is almost accurate. You seem to have gotten your sides confused though.......it was the Federal troops not the Confederate troops who was committing those types of crimes.

I suggest you read "War Crimes Against Southern Civilians", "Black Confederates", "North Across the River", "The real Lincoln" and any of the letters/messages Gen. Sherman wrote regarding the Negroes he encountered.........maybe then you will have a better understanding of the Cause the Southern people (ALL Southern people) fought and died for.

I will close by saying I respect your right to be offended. Being a student of history, I respect all others rights to their history and heritage. You should respect mine.

"Don't Tread On Me!"

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsouthernhistory/

Please sign this petition if you do not agree with this article! Thank you!

I am so tired of bigoted, ignorant people paticularly Southern ones, if you are truly Southern and not a yankee in disguise. Trying to destroy our heritage, if you don't like the way we do things here leave, go back where you come from so you don't have to put up with "us ignorant, racist, slow, lazy, etc. hicks" We sure as heck did not invite you here.

Also for your information did you know that there were Black, American Indian, Hispanic & even Asian Soldiers in the Confederate Military which was integrated, which is something the US military did not do until over 80 years later. Leave our memorials alone and mind your own business, most local Black folks that have a memorial in their area don't really care until people like you try to stir up trouble.

There's a CSA Memorial in my county and nearly every other one in North Carolina as well as the rest of Dixie and there always will be because we honor our heroes. "Just leave us alone"...

So, Aron, would you feel better if the monument was replaced by one commemorating Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, or another such historical despot?  Son, get an education, and I don't mean that so-called history about the so-called Civil War that's spoonfed to us through public schools, TV, Hollywood, the media, the government, etc.

Rodney Combs, Noble, Oklahoma

"Every man should endeavor to understand the meaning of subjugation before it is too late... It means the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern schoolteachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the war; will be impressed by the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit objects for derision... It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of our rights and liberties."

-- Maj. General Patrick R. Cleburne, CSA, January 1864, writing on what would happen if the Confederacy were to be defeated

I called the Texas Historical Commission:

The monument cannot be moved or altered because the monument is protected several different ways:

1)The State if Texas has a “Texas Historical County Protection Easement” which included the statue.

2)The statue falls under the classification of “State Archeological Landmark”.

3)The statue is recorded as a “Texas Landmark”.

4)The Statue is protected under Texas Protection Act, Chapter 442 Sec. 008

If for some reason the statue was to me moved or replaced the State of Texas was levy a fine of $1000.00 per day.

This information came directly from Austin.
You are wasting your time.

PS
please visit my website at www.texasconfederateveterans.com

I grew up in Denton Aron. Get out of my town!

Oh, and while you're at it Aron, erasing our history, why don't you go after Fred Moore High School too? Need to have it torn down as well...or did you not know that prior to 1963 only white students went to Denton High...that's okay, you're probably not from Denton anyway and probably don't even know who AO Calhoun was and if you did you'd probably want to tear down his middle school too. Let's tear down all the houses on Silk Stocking Row (I'll let you find that one) because the wealthy families had black servants at the turn of the century.

Dolph Evers would laugh in your face....he and I sat outside the store many afternoons when I was a kid, listening to his stories and looking at that monument.

Citizens of Texas, we in the UK salute and support you. You must keep the monument and dont bow to any pc crap

I can't believe what I am reading...if the writter feels so strongly...why not set up a fund and look for a site to put up a monument in memory of those he feels that this monument insults...I don't know if the writter is serious in his comments or if they are designed to create argument...but it would appear that if he is trying to make a serrious point he should have approached it in a more academic manner...rather than like a hormonal 14 year old writing from the pit of his stomack instead of using the head to rationally consider the situation and present something that comes close to a mature argument...Scotland supports Denton (well at least I do) Tommy

So they destroy Fry Street, and now you are agitating that they destroy a monument to the Confederacy as well, huh?  Why is it that multiculturalists always want to destroy true culture?

The Romans kept slaves, yet we do not see any European Cities destroying triumviral arches erected by the Romans as a symbol of their conquest.  Denton, Texas is the South, if you do not like our Southern culture or or Texas culture please leave.  You are welcome to come in and add to our culture but no one has invited you or anyone else in to destroy our culture, you have no right to destroy our heritage.  Same thing with Negroes, if they do not like the monument let them move on down the road.  There is plenty of their kind in Dallas and Irving, where they do not have any monuments to the confederacy let them live there, but leave our heritage alone.

Why is it that you compare the Confederates to the Nazis?  Few Confederates owned slaves, they were not fighting for slavery but rather they were fighting against oppression.  The United States had no right to declare war on the South, and we have been an occupied country ever since. 

So, Aaron Duhon - you were born in Denton, TX?

I would venture to say that more than likely, you have great, great, great grandfathers who fought during the War Between the States.  And they very likely fought for the South.  Have you taken the time to research your ancestry?  Have you taken the time to find out how they served, which battles and for what state? 

They could have been captured at one of the many battles and they could have been sent to Elmira Prison Camp in Elmira, New York or Camp Douglas Prison Camp in Chicago, IL.  Why don't you write about these atrocious hell holes and the mistreatment and death experienced there. 

I challenge you Aaron Duhon!  Check out your own family.

I have 14 ancestors who fought for the War Between the States that I have found so far.  There are more to be discovered.  9 of these were all brothers from one family in AL.  Why did all 9 of these brothers stand up and fight for Alabama? 

Get busy Aaron Duhon!

United for the Confederacy!

Aron, don't worry, you and your buddies can stay.  You might pick your battles a little more wisely, and rethink what you may have heard about our Texas hospitality,

No telling what these "(not verified)" people might do.

Giles T. Holley, Confederate Veteran

My great, great grandfather Pvt. Giles T. Holley was a Confederate veteran who

served in Co. E, 1st Battalion, Alabama Artillery.  Giles enlisted 22 Jan 1864 at

Montgomery, AL as a Private.  His military records from the Adjutant General’s

Office, Washington, DC, shows that he was captured on 23 August 1864 at Fort

Morgan, AL.  The fort is located on the tip of the island defending Mobile Bay

and serviced the Civil War, Spanish-American War and both World Wars.  He was

placed in prison in New Orleans, LA then later Giles was transferred to POW

Prison Camp in Elmira, NY.   Known as “Hellmira” to Confederate soldiers, the

camp swelled in population from 4500 in late July to 10,000 by fall. Elmira was

said to have been the worst prison camp in the North.  Inadequate housing for

the influx of prisoners and a shortage of medical supplies and doctors created

ideal conditions for small pox and other epidemics which ran rampant.  A harsh

winter in 1864-65 made matters worse.  On St. Patrick’s Day of 1865 the

Chemung River flooded, filling their tents and barracks with anywhere from six

inches to two feet of water.   Disease, overcrowding, a shortage of food rations

and natural disaster took its toll.  Of the 12,123 prisoners, 2,963 died in all.  At

war’s end, prisoners received railway passes and money enough to get home. 

Giles was released 11 July 1865 when he pledged Oath of Allegiance to the U. S.

at the age of 19.

Giles T. Holley born 13 Jan 1846 to Calvin Holley and Mary Ann Driver in Pike Co,

GA.  Giles was one of 12 children.  The entire Holley family with his grandfather

John Holley and Nancy Dawson with 10 sons (including Calvin) and 4 daughters

and families migrated to Coosa Co, AL in the mid 1840’s.  

Confederate blood runs deep in this Holley family.  Eight of nine uncles of Giles T.

Holley served during the War Between the States.  Giles T. Holley’s father Calvin

served in Sheppard’s Co, AL State Reserves.  He and 2 other brothers had

Pension Records.  Three of Giles uncles died during the War: Giles Holley died 27

Aug 1864, Fielder Holley died 7 Jul 1862 at Atlanta, GA, and David Dawson Holley

died 30 Dec 1864 at Douglas Prison Camp and was buried in Confederate

Mound, Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, IL.   Four uncles were POW’s: Joseph

Holley POW captured at Vicksburg, MS; David Dawson Holley who died at Camp

Douglas; William H Holley who was paroled at Alton Military Prison, Alton, IL; and

Elon Holley who was paroled at Rock Island, IL June 1865.  

Giles Holley married Laura Ann Justice on 5 Jan 1871 in Tallapoosa Co, AL.  They

migrated to Hill County, Texas in 1872 for a year, then to Bosque County where

my great grandmother Emma Elizabeth Holley was born on the banks of the

Brazos River 20 May 1874.   Giles and Laura settled in Bosque County near

Iredell and had 7 children: besides Emma Elizabeth there was Calvin Lee, William

Giles, Minnie, John, Elon H and Albert Marion.  They were all very active in the

progress of the area.  And there are many Holley family members here today.  I

salute you all!  

From his obituary I quote: “Giles was of a kindly disposition and even though he

was nearing the century mark, he still had a merry twinkle in his eye and his

ready wit!  Many years ago he was converted and joined the Macedonia Baptist

Church.”  

Laura passed away 20 Feb 1936.  For the past several months Giles

had been failing in health and had returned to the Old Confederate Home for

Soldiers in Austin, TX.  In his last illness, all of his children had visited him while

his mind was clear.  Giles passed away 10 Dec 1938 at the age of 92.   “He leaves

to mourn his passing, two daughters, Mrs. Minnie Eoff of Hamilton County and Mrs.

Emma Houston of Iredell; five sons, Will of Pie Town, NM, Elon of Hico, Lee of

Tahoka, and John and Albert of Iredell.” 

Giles and Laura are buried here in Spring Cemetery.  And here today we

we come together to honor our Confederate war hero Pvt. Giles T. Holley,

Company E, 1st Battalion, Alabama Artillery. 

My Great Great Grandfather  Was W.H. Giles / Co. F 63 Tenn. Inf. I have No Inf. On Him . Holley Giles Was My Great Granrdfather,My Grandfather Eules Grant Giles,My Father Was Earnest Darrell Giles.I'm David Dewayne Giles . I'm From Alabama.