Tarboro, North Carolina - Edgecombe County Confederate Monument in the Town Common Removed, Remains in Storage
Salute! NEVER FORGET! This is the Edgecombe County Confederate Monument in Tarboro, North Carolina that was removed in 2020. It was erected in 1904 in the Town Common, a historic park established in 1760. Sponsored by the William Dorsey Prender Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, it honored the Confederate soldiers from Edgecombe County who answered the call to defend their homeland, homes, and families in America's largest war. On the side of the memorial is inscribed, "Defenders of State Sovereignty" and dated 1861–1865. The monument was unveiled on October 29, 1904 with a ceremony that included speeches and music like "Dixie." A time capsule was placed beneath it, later excavated in 2020. (photos taken June 13, 2020) The war memorial had been the pride of the city until August 29, 2020, when the Tarboro Town Council voted 5-3 to remove it amid nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death in a far away northern Yankee state. It was offered...