Monument foes continue to call for its removal

Citizen to supervisors: More important to “Love Neighbor” than Condfederacy, questions letting electorate decide issue

by Larry Chowning –

Decorated Vietnam War veteran Lewis Briggs of Locust Hill wants the Confederate monument on the grounds of the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse removed and encouraged Middlesex supervisors to do so.

During public comment period at the board’s March 1 board meeting, Briggs spoke with emotion to remove the monument. At one point he held up a copy of the Feb. 10 issue of the Southside Sentinel pointing to this article.

He criticized the previous board that included former Saluda District representative Pete Mansfield for giving the electorate the opportunity to vote. “You should have known what the vote was going to be with the majority of this county being white and Republican,” he said.

In July 2021, Mansfield, Harmony Village Supervisor Reggie Williams and Hartfield Supervisor John Koontz voted to remove the monument.

In August 2021, Mansfield changed direction and made a motion to give the electorate an opportunity to vote on the matter. The results had the electorate overwhelmingly vote no (77.3%) — not to remove the monument.

“Somebody threw a few snowballs at you (supervisors) and you changed your minds,” said Briggs. “You shouldn’t have done that!”

Board chairman, Pinetop District Supervisor Lud Kimbrough, who in July voted against removal of the monument, along with Jamaica District Supervisor Wayne Jessie, has put together the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse Committee that is charged with creating in an educational context an accurate political and social history that surrounds the historic courthouse in Saluda.