Memphis City Council: Nathan Forrest’s Family Does Not Want Remains Exhumed Or Statue Removed, Mayor Claims Otherwise

Yesterday, the Inquisitr reported on the Memphis City Council wanting to remove the remains and statue of a Confederate lieutenant general, Nathan Forrest. Today, more information on the story is available. The Memphis City Council has voted unanimously to exhume the remains of Nathan Forrest and his wife, which have been interred underneath that statue memorializing Nathan Forrest, a statue that has stood since 1904. In order to complete the exhumation, the Memphis City Council needs a court order and permission from Nathan Forrest’s family.

A spokesperson for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Lee Miller, speaking on behalf of people claiming to be descendants of Nathan Forrest, claims the family is not going to give their consent to remove the remains.

“The Forrest family is solidly opposed to digging up the graves and moving them any place. The statue just as well. They’re opposed to moving the statue too. This appears to me to be another knee jerk reaction to that anti-Confederate hysteria. Some people here are trying to get on the bandwagon in erasing Confederate history and it’s just wrong.”

The Sons of Confederate Veterans mission statement is to preserve the “history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.”

Memphis mayor, A.C. Wharton Jr., says that Nathan Forrest never wanted to be buried where his remains currently are located. The mayor claims that the will of Nathan Forrest expressly states that Forrest wished for him and his wife to be buried at Elmwood Cemetery. Elmwood Cemetery was where the remains of Forrest and his wife were located until the remains were exhumed and placed with the Forrest statue in 1904. Caretakers at Elmwood Cemetery have stated on the record that they would take the remains back of Nathan Forrest and his wife, but they will not take the statue.

Memphis City Council member Myron Lowery understands that this process is going to take some time, and the times are changing.

“It is no longer politically correct to glorify someone who was a slave trader, someone who was a racist on public property. It was clearly after what happened in South Carolina. It was clearly after what happened in the state capital of Tennessee.”

Should the Memphis City Council allow Nathan Forrest and his wife to rest in peace? Share your thoughts in the comments.

[Image via Cubiclane.com]