Monuments to Civil War dot New Mexico

[struggle4progress]

By Lauren Villagran / Journal Staff Writer - Las Cruces Bureau
PUBLISHED: Monday, September 7, 2015 at 12:05 am
Copyright © 2015 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry may have taken down the Confederate flag from Old Town, but monuments to the Civil War – occasionally skewing toward a Southern version of events – are scattered around the state ...

Many historical markers in New Mexico, including the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway designations, aren’t official signage put up by the state or U.S. government, but were rather sponsored by organizations such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans.

“The South, because it lost and because it paid such a price, they were more concerned with the memory of the war,” said Dwight Pitcaithley, former chief historian of the National Park Service and New Mexico State University history professor.

“The Daughters and Sons expended a lot more time and energy putting up markers than did the North to Union veterans. Here in New Mexico – which was pretty much left out of it, except for this incursion – life just went on. But the Daughters needed that memory and kept pushing it. There is a subliminal piece of neo-Confederacy in existing interpretative or informative markers” ...

http://www.abqjournal.com/640456/news/headli.html

[marble falls]

1. I never knew about this. Thank you.