Confederate statue taken down

Statue of the "East and West Baton Rouge Parishes Confederate Soldiers" Memorial. Remained on the medium of North Blvd. at 3rd Street for 125 years.

Recently, this old statue of a Confederate Soldier was taken down. It use to sit atop a cement base with steps until the base began to crumble and they replaced the statue on this unworthy base. It was taken down for the construction of the new "Baton Rouge Town Square" and It will eventually be installed onto the Old State Capitol grounds beside the "Merci Railroad Boxcar" (additional link). For now it is at DPW on Chippewa St.

The original base with statue was erected in honor of the veterans of the Civil War from East and West Baton Rouge Parishes. It was dedicated by Governor John McEnery (Jan. 13,1873-May 22, 1873).

[Note: McEnery was not allowed to finish his term as it was illegal for Democrat's in Louisiana to be elected under Federal reconstruction edicts until the Federal troops left Louisiana in 1877. Reason being Democrats was made up in part by White supremacy (old South); Republicans being the anti-slavery party.] 

See main post on statue and close-up photos of statue: 

UPDATE: The preserving of the statue was put to a vote parish wide, and it was elected to be preserved on the Old State Capital Building grounds. The Town Square is completed (the reason why the statue was taken down in the first place), but I went down town to see it, expecting it to be installed, but it was nowhere to be seen, unless the Executive Branch of Parish Government vetoed the election to save it.

Magnolia Cemetery Slideshow

If someone wanted to get a glimpse of Magnolia Cemetery in detail and get a sense of past Baton Rougeans long gone, I just found a really nice slide-show that might do that and I think that it deserves a post of its own instead of just placing the link in my link list.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smailtronic/sets/72157600055147841/show/

Civil War Provost Marshal's jail and Hospital of the Union Army Beneath Old State Capitol.

Recently, I was asked by the Director of the Old State Capitol Building to go to the ground floor of the Old State Capitol Building beneath the main floor as you walk in. I wanted to go to see the place where the Union forces which was occupying Baton Rouge had a place for the Surgeon to perform surgery and the Union Provost Marshal had a jail.

My guide told me as we passed a room, "This is where they had their hospital". Then we proceeded to the jail area.

During one of their renovations of the Old State House they accident broke through a brick wall, what they found was amazing. They found a jail cell with Civil War era artifacts, which they left intact. I could see the ragged edge of the old brick wall that was broken into. A steel door resembling a old steel jail door (solid not bars) was put in place in the wall that was broken into with two sliding doors, one for adults and one for children to look into. There is a projection of a ghost prisoner that appears and disappears.

Federal Provost jail cell beyond door with two viewers. Notice the ragged brick wall that was broken into, it must have been erected long ago to close off that jail cell after the occupation. I know the door looks wooden but it seemed iron when I was there. Either my photography is going bad or my camera, my latest photos has been out of focus.

 Actual Civil War Provost Jail with ghost-like projection.

As a compiler of Baton Rouge History and one that loves history so much I felt so privileged to be there. nothing could compare to the excitement I felt in being there.

The plaque reads: This mysterious jail cell was discovered when a brick wall was accidentally demolished during recent renovations. The cell is believed to have been used by the office of Provost Marshal, which was the law enforcement arm of the occupying Union Army during the Civil War. In 1862 the Provost Marshal used the State House as headquarters and used some parts of the building to hold prisoners for civil offenses and anti-Union activities.

The cell remains exactly as it was found. The objects have been identified as authentic to the Civil War Era, but little is know beyond that...

 Last part of the plaque is in reference to the ghost-like projection.

I apologize for my camera flash in this photo, but maybe this plaque will add to this post.

DUTIES OF THE PROVOST MARSHAL

The duties of the Confederate field provost marshals mirrored quite closely those of their Federal counterparts. The provost marshal's responsibilities (both Confederate and Federal) were the following:

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- Suppression of marauding an depredations, and of brawls and disturbances, preservation of good order, and  suppression of disturbances beyond the limits of the camps.

- Prevention of straggling on the march.

- Suppression of gambling houses, drinking houses, or barrooms, and brothels.

- Regulation of hotels, taverns, markets, and places of amusement.

- Searches, seizures, and arrests.

- Execution of sentences of general courts-martial involving imprisonment or capital punishment.

- Enforcement of orders prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.

- Deserters.

- Countersigning safeguards.

- Passes to citizens within the lines and for purposes of trade.

- Complaint of citizens as to the conduct of soldiers.

- Confiscation of contraband.

- Prisoners of war.

- Intelligence.

- Passports for travel.

- Arrest of "Draft-dodgers" and men who were "AWOL".

  Source