GDG- Lee's Circle

[Jeff Burk]

Hey Kieth
   
  At least you had fun drinking.  So the trip wasn't a total loss. lol
   
  Jeff Burk

keith mackenzie <bluzdad at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:




Just back from New Orleans where I found the Washington Artillery monument (by accident), and mused while looking over the Big Muddy, how they could claim to be the longest serving Arty Unit in the US military, when it specifically points out that they served in the ANV during the CW. 
While driving back from the French Quarter on Sunday Afternoon, I was happily discussing the LSU/ Florida State and the Saint's/ North Carolina contests with the cabbie, an elderly black gentleman, when we came upon a traffic circle anchored by a colossal center island and a monument on a pillar that rivaled anything I have ever seen. " Hey what the heck is this?" I asked in my most excited, touristy voice. 
"This is Lee's Circle."
"Wow" I said, ready to show the proper enthusiasm for what was obviously one of the city's founding fathers. "this is really something..." 
Wait a minute, I thought, catching a glimpse of the statue at it's top.
"Lee who?" I asked.

"General Lee."
"General Lee?"
"Yessuh."
"The Confederate General, Robert E Lee?"
"Yessuh."
There was a moments silence as I digested the concept of a memorial in the middle of a major American city, dedicated to a man who had actively worked to destroy that country, The country that is financing what seems to me to be a very large renovation project in areas that I'm told were not affected by Katrina. A man who fought to keep a percentage of that country's citizens, one of whose descendants was currently driving me to my hotel, in involuntary servitude and helped kill off a sixth of the male population of the country.
"Well," I said shortly, nearly at a loss for words. "that sucks..."
(more silence)
"So. um, What do you know about the Jet's -Giants Game?"
"I believe the Jet's lost suh, here's yo stop."
I gave him a big bill and told him to keep it.


The next morning, Monday, I went down to the Civil War Museum,( temporary hours, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday until further notice), then so it wouldn't be a complete loss, the the WW ll /D-Day museum, (closed on Mondays). feeling I could use the exercise to work off some of the alcohol that seems to be some sort of religious sacrament in this town, I decide to walk the half mile back to our hotel, and took the opportunity to tour Lee's circle.

My first impression was that it was big. That was my second impression too. there's a very nice plaque dedicated to the landscapers who redid the plantings, but it seems they're not being paid to keep it up.Though not precisely overgrown or unkempt, it's lost most of it's definition.There were overflowing garbage cans with what seemed to be household waste, in a city where I watched the public receptacles emptied twice in one morning, and the cardboard platforms that say "someone sleeps here." The great mans statue stands on such a high pedestal that he looks for all the world like one of those Blue and Grey toy soldiers I had when I was a kid.

I walked down St. Charles with an uncomfortable feeling. I KNOW why his statue is there, and I even think I understand why it's not as well kept as the rest of the tourist attractions, but it irked me none the less. Then it started to rain.

Later that afternoon, drinking martini's with a guy from Jersey who had asked, "Are there any other Yankees here?" and who works on the rigs as an electrician. While being served by a bartender from Rochester and after throwing back a shot of something I knew was probably gonna get me in trouble, I asked in my best Lawnguyland accent
"So am I da only wun heah whose troubled by a statue of Bobby Lee in da middle a town?"
My new friends laughed and New Jersey said no, you're not and Rochester told us there had been some discussion a few years back to remove it, but she didn't know what had become of it. I thought that was probably when they did the landscaping.

Anyway, when I got home, I immediately looked up the Washington Artillery in my G'burg library and was reminded that they had fired the signal to start the bombardment on Day three.

That is not mentioned on their plaque.

K.
(Not trying to start something, just sharing. ) 
on
Long Island, NY.



---------------------------------
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. 
----------------------------------------------------------------
You may unsubscribe by going to http://mailman.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg

You can add yourself to the GDG map at: http://www.frappr.com/gettysburgdiscussiongroup

View archived posts from May 2004 - present at http://mailman.arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg/


       
---------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.