One listener submitted a Civil War historical site he visited in the South, and shared the significance of the park.
William Harris writes to KSMU:
"Earlier this summer, you said that you wanted to see pictures of listeners' summer travels that are related to the Civil War. This picture was taken from a moving tour bus while in Savannah, GA.
"Savannah was laid out by Gen. Oglethorpe shortly after he arrived. The original city had 24 squares, little parks set every three blocks and each taking up about 1 1/2 acres of space. Each of these Squares has a different theme. For example, one of the Squares commemorates John Wesley, the first pastor in Savannah.
"22 of the original Squares still remain and they are a very pleasant and picturesque part of the historical district of the city. But the largest park in the historic district of Savannah is Confederate Park. I would estimate that it was about 15 acres. This statue is at the center of Confederate Park.
"The tour guide said, 'This statue of a Confederate soldier was erected byt he widows of the noble Georgia warriors who fought for the Southern cause. It depicts an ordinary soldier, tired from his exertion, facing North toward his enemy. He remains unflinching in his duty. After the war, there were no longer any foundries capable of casting such a piece, so the statue was made in Canada. The contract specified that he must be shipped by water to Savannah so that the soldier would not have to suffer touching Yankee soil on his way to this park.'"
We invite all listeners to send us pictures of your visits to battlefields, monuments, and other places of historical significance, during this 150th anniversary year of the start of the Civil War.
