Congressman calls for removing Lee statue at Antietam
KEEDYSVILLE, Md. (AP) – A Maryland congressman says a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee should be removed from the Antietam National Battlefield.
Rep. John Delaney says he doesn’t believe monuments meant to glorify the Confederacy belong on federal land, unless they serve the purpose of educating people and are in proper context.
Media outlets report in 2003 that historians believe the statue was historically inaccurate, because it was erected in a Union-held portion of the battlefield. Historians also have noted Lee rode in an ambulance when he arrived in Maryland after falling from his horse.
Battlefield Superintendent Susan Trail said last week there are no plans to remove it. But Delany says it’s time to reconsider after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over a statue of Lee.