Museum to display bust of Confederate general, KKK leader that was removed from Tennessee Capitol
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee State Museum will soon allow the public to view the busts of three military leaders, including a former Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader.
On Friday, officials removed a Nathan Bedford Forrest bust that had been displayed inside the Tennessee Capitol since 1978. The busts of Union Navy Adm. David Farragut and U.S. Navy Adm. Albert Gleaves also were moved.
Forrest was a Confederate cavalry general who amassed a fortune before the Civil War as a Memphis slave trader and plantation owner. Later, he was a leader of the Klan as it terrorized Black people, reversing Reconstruction efforts and restoring white power in the South.
The statue was not an early furnishing in the Tennessee Capitol, which was constructed just prior to the Civil War, but rather was installed in 1978.
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According to Gov. Bill Lee's office, the busts will be on display and available to be viewed at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville starting Tuesday.
“After more than a year in the making, this process has finally come to a close,” Lee said in a statement Thursday. “I thank the members of the Capitol Commission, Historical Commission and State Building Commission for providing thoughtful input and ensuring confidence in the process. The State Museum provides the full historical context for these figures as we remember our state’s rich and complex past.”
Forrest was a Confederate cavalry general who amassed a fortune before the Civil War as a Memphis slave trader and plantation owner. Later, he was a leader of the Klan as it terrorized Black people, reversing Reconstruction efforts and restoring white power in the South.
It's unknown what exact details will be posted about Forrest to accompany the bust in the museum.
Contributing: Natalie Allison of the Nashville Tennessean
