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Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue

1998 establishments in Tennessee1998 sculpturesBuildings and structures in Nashville, TennesseeConfederate States of America monuments and memorials in TennesseeEquestrian statues in Tennessee
Monuments and memorials in TennesseeNathan Bedford ForrestOutdoor sculptures in TennesseeRemoved Confederate States of America monuments and memorialsVandalized works of art in Tennessee
Nathan Bedford Forrest statue
Nathan Bedford Forrest statue

The Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue is a 25 feet (7.6 m) equestrian statue of Confederate Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest. It was located on private land near Nashville, Tennessee, and was visible from Interstate 65 at 701D Hogan Road. The work, by amateur sculptor Jack Kershaw, was unveiled in 1998. It drew intense controversy and was removed on December 7, 2021. Forrest was depicted shooting behind himself and was flanked by Confederate battle flags. Critics said the work's distorted facial features bore little resemblance to Forrest himself.The statue was owned by Nashville businessman William C. “Bill” Dorris and was located on a narrow strip of property on the east side of I-65 in Nashville. When he died in November 2020, he left the statue in his will to the Battle of Nashville Trust (BONT), a historical non-profit which preserves and maintains portions of the Battle of Nashville battlefield. According to BONT, the statue was disassembled and moved from the site after its removal; it will not be remounted or displayed. In a joint statement issued on that date by the Trust along with the Executor and attorney for the Dorris Estate, the BONT specified the reasons for removal of the statue, noting that “each reason sets aside the contentious debate about Forrest as a person or as a Confederate general:”1. Forrest was not present at The Battle of Nashville. 2. The statue is ugly and a blight on Nashville. 3. It has been vandalized, is in disrepair, and is dangerous. 4. Having the statue in such a prominent location in Nashville distracts from the BONT’s mission and would be and has been divisive in the city we all cherish.In a separate statement, the BONT also noted that "even Forrest himself would think it was ugly,” adding that the Dorris property and statue were not on core battlefield ground. The BONT stressed in its statements that the Forrest statue was not consistent with the historical significance of the Battle of Nashville, which was one of the most decisive of the Civil War and ended the Confederacy’s western campaign, nor was it consistent with BONT’s efforts to protect the remaining historic sites of the battlefield, which currently exist within residential and commercial properties of South Nashville.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue
I 65, Nashville-Davidson

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N 36.061666666667 ° E -86.771388888889 °
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I 65
37220 Nashville-Davidson
Tennessee, United States
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Nathan Bedford Forrest statue
Nathan Bedford Forrest statue
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