We recently sent to Lee County Commission Chairperson Cecil Pendergrass our request that the County work with the City of Ft Myers to relocate the memorial to Robert E. Lee to the grounds of the Lee County Courthouse--the original planned destination for the monument. Click on the link "HERE" to read / download our letter and the reasons we feel Lee is as important today as he was in the past.
Recent actions by the City of Fort Myers to remove the last vestiges of the Robert E. Lee memorial have not deterred local members of the Major William Footman Camp, S.C.V. from continuing their annual tribute to Robert E. Lee. The City chose--in the middle of the night--to remove the plinth upon with the bust of Lee sat for decades. In the process, it also disturbed the contents of a time capsule which lay underneath the monument--the contents of which were partially donated by Footman Camp ancestors.
Below are the remarks of the current Commander of the Camp at this year's ceremony.
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Greetings Members of the Major William Footman Camp And Friends of the SCV.
Yesterday not only marked the 215th anniversary of the birth of Robert E. Lee but also exactly 56 years to the day that the Lee Monument was dedicated to the citizens of Lee county.
I would like to thank all who attended the memorial service in person and those who attended in spirit.
The city leaders of Fort Myers and the county commissioners have breached their authority--the authority that was granted to them to “do the people’s work”! I do not believe that removing a monument dedicated to the people, as a sign of unity, should in any way be considered “doing the people’s work”.
The removal of this monument is nothing short of a hate crime. A hate crime fostered by the prejudices of city council, mayor Anderson and the NAACP.
The city council and mayor were not elected to office so they could further their personal prejudices. We will not stand for this! I want to assure you that we are fighting back. We have an attorney. It is said “you can’t fight city hall,” well we’re going to try, but like all things it costs money. The Footman Camp has set up a legal defense fund. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Adjutant Shell or myself.
Our next camp meeting will be held on January 22, 2022 at our regular gathering spot. At that time I will give an update on what happened, where we stand legally, and where we go from here. If you have questions or concerns please attend the meeting.
Yours in service,
SCV Commander Ross Barnett
William M. Footman Camp #1950
Smith, Bill. The News-Press; Fort Myers, Fla. [Fort Myers, Fla]. 14 Jan 2022: A.3.
A private contractor has removed the last element of the Robert E. Lee monument from its spot in a median strip on Monroe Street in downtown Fort Myers. The plinth on which a bronze bust of Lee had rested since 1966 was taken away less than a week before the annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day honoring the work and legacy of the civil rights leader.
The Fort Myers City Council had voted 5-2 in September 2020 to order that the pedestal be removed. City Attorney Grant Alley had offered an opinion to the city council that the city owns the land on which the Lee monument stood. Flint and Doyle, a moving company that specializes in relocating buildings, handled the job after being hired by the city.
"They reached an agreement on the cost and the city manager followed the directive of the city council," said Mayor Kevin Anderson.
Long a point of controversy and bitterness between some who see is as a sign of racism and others who believe it represents Southern traditions and values, the plinth was placed in storage this week. The bust is in the possession of the Major William M. Footman Camp, Florida Sons of Confederate Veterans.
A leader of the Footman Camp did not immediately return a request from The News-Press for comment. When the monument was unveiled in 1966, the ceremony included statements from leaders of the Daughters of the Confederacy, which raised funds for the monument, that it was being dedicated to Lee County and the city of Fort Myers.
County Attorney Richard Wesch gave the county commissioners an opinion a few years ago stating that "the bust is not owned or controlled by the Board (of County Commissioners). Alley, the city's lawyer, told the board that based on his research, "I believe the city owns that land" where the monument stood for nearly a quarter-century.
At the time, City Council member Teresa Watkins Brown said it was a time to "do the right thing" with respect to the Lee memorial. "I'm sure nobody will want a statue of one of my ancestors hanging from a tree in downtown Fort Myers," she said. "You don't want to see that because you wouldn't want to be reminded that there are things in our history that are hurtful."
