Robert E. Lee on Traveller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert E. Lee on Traveller |
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The statue in 2007
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| Artist | Alexander Phimister Proctor |
| Year | 1936 |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture |
| Subject | |
| Dimensions | 2.7 m × 3.7 m × 1.5 m (9 ft × 12 ft × 5 ft) |
Robert E. Lee on Traveller is a large bronze sculpture by Alexander Phimister Proctor. It shows Robert E. Lee, a general from the Confederate States Army, riding his horse named Traveller. Next to them is a young Confederate soldier. This statue used to be in Turtle Creek Park in Dallas, Texas. It was first shown to the public by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. The statue was taken down in 2017 and later sold to a law firm. Today, it stands on a golf course in Texas.
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About the Statue
This statue is an equestrian statue, which means it shows people riding horses. It features General Robert E. Lee on his horse, Traveller. A young Confederate States Army soldier is also shown on another horse.
The sculpture is made of bronze. It is about 9 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and 5 feet long. It sits on a base made of Texas pink granite. This base is about 6 feet tall and weighs 7 tons.
On the front of the base, it simply says "Robert E. Lee". Other parts of the base show the sculptor's name, "A.P. PROCTOR – 1936", and the company that made it, "Roman Bronze Works N.Y."
There are also bronze plaques on the back of the base. These plaques thank the groups and people who helped restore the statue in 1991. They also mention that the statue was given to the City of Dallas in 1936 by the Dallas Southern Memorial Association. One plaque explains that the young soldier with General Lee represents all the young people of the South who were inspired by him.
Statue's History
How the Statue Was Made
The artist Alexander Phimister Proctor created the Robert E. Lee on Traveller statue. When he was first asked to design it, Proctor planned a different scene. He wanted to show Lee and the young soldier heading into a storm, looking defeated.
However, the Southern Women's Memorial Association, who hired him, did not like this idea. They wanted a statue that showed strength, not defeat. So, Proctor changed his design. The new design showed Lee confidently moving forward. This new plan was quickly approved by the association and Lee's grandson.
The statue cost $50,000 to make. Proctor believed that Lee "was never personally defeated," a popular idea in the Southern United States. He used old photographs to create Lee's likeness. For Lee's horse, Traveller, Proctor studied a friend's horse, Lee's own writings, and photos of Traveller. It took Proctor two years to make a small working model and another two years to finish the full-size statue.
The Unveiling Ceremony
The statue was officially revealed on June 12, 1936. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was there to honor Confederate veterans. During the ceremony, President Roosevelt gave a speech. He praised General Lee as a great leader and general. He also called Lee "one of our greatest American Christians and one of our greatest American gentlemen."
Robert E. Lee IV, a descendant of the general, helped President Roosevelt pull a ribbon to unveil the statue. Proctor, the sculptor, heard the president call his work "magnificent!" An old soldier who fought with Lee was also brought to meet the president.
During the ceremony, many flags were flown. These included American flags, Confederate flags, and Texas Lone Star flags. At the time, the unveiling of this statue did not cause any arguments.
Historians have noted that many U.S. presidents have spoken positively about General Lee. This includes presidents like Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and others.
What Happened Later
In the same year the statue was unveiled, Oak Lawn Park was renamed Robert E. Lee Park. In 1987, a local newspaper asked people about their favorite statues in Dallas. Proctor's statue of General Lee came in second place.
In 1991, the Dallas Southern Memorial Association spent $50,000 to fix up the monument. It then received a special historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission.
In July 2015, someone spray-painted the word "shame" on the statue's base. This happened during a time when many people across the United States were protesting against Confederate monuments.
The statue was removed in 2017. This decision came after a large protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, where people were protesting the removal of another statue of Lee. The mayor of Dallas and the city council decided to remove the statue because they saw it as a symbol of unfairness.
In 2019, the city of Dallas put the statue up for auction. The money from the sale was planned to help pay for the removal of another monument, the Confederate War Memorial. The bidding started at $450,000. A law firm in Dallas, Holmes Firm PC, won the auction with a bid of $1,435,000.
The rules of the sale said that the statue could not be displayed again within Dallas city limits. It also could not be sold or given to anyone who would display it there. In September 2019, the statue was moved to a golf course in Terlingua, Texas. This golf course is owned by Kelcy Warren.
