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 One of the things I like about living in the South are the great Southern monuments to the Civil War. I know these monuments trouble some of our citizens, particularly those whose ancestors suffered from slavery or discrimination. I empathize and respect those feelings; however, that is not the focus of this article today.
I like those Southern monuments from the perspective of a Southerner who admires the best, not the worst, of our heritage. To our credit, and the benefit of the country, we have come a long way since the days of slavery and Jim Crow. As a young man, I remember observing Jim Crow being practiced at the Health Department in Suwannee County. One door was for “Coloreds” and one door was for “Whites.” As a young man, I informed my family that I disfavored discrimination and throughout my life, I have opposed disparate treatment on the basis of race or other forms of unlawful discrimination.
We live in the New South, and we are to be commended for our progressiveness. Anyone who accepts the premise that Southerners are as portrayed in stereotypes is unfamiliar with how the South really is. Sure, we are a genteel society, and more courteous than other parts of the United States, but I can live with that.
It seems as though every courthouse has a memorial and statue that honors our Civil War dead. I lost a great-great uncle, John W. Fletcher, in the Civil War, and my great-great grandfather DeKalb Calvin Fletcher was injured three times, at least two quite seriously, fighting on the side of the Confederacy. Other relatives also fought in that war.
DeKalb Fletcher died shortly before his 50th birthday, yet his grandfather, John Fletcher, lived to be 95, and DeKalb’s great-great grandfather William Fletcher III, who, along with four of his sons, including John Fletcher, all fought during the Revolutionary War, had lived in excess of 101 years of age. I hope to someday have more information on DeKalb’s injuries and to know the cause of his death. The unanswered questions are what make genealogy so interesting to me.
I have wondered whether my GG Grandfather’s life ended early due to the severe injuries he sustained in battle during more than one occasion.
GG Grandfather DeKalb is buried in the Hickory Grove Cemetery in southern Lowndes County. The Civil War is over, but I admire the courage of the men and women who fought on both sides in that war, for their courage and dedication to the causes to which they fought. Even though we disagree with the injustices of the past, we honor that courage through the memorials dedicated to honor those who served with gallantry.
John W. Fletcher (April 3, 1826, Telfair Co., Ga. – Sept. 14, 1862, Boonsboro, Md.). Civil War Soldier (Pvt., A Co., 506th Ga. Regiment (Pierce Co.): wounded in Battle of Boonsboro, died shortly thereafter. Married Susan E. Dasher in 1854; 4 children.
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