LOCAL

'A blight on Nashville': Statement explains removal of Nathan Bedford Forrest statue

Rachel Wegner Mariah Timms
Nashville Tennessean
The Nathan Bedford Forrest statue was removed along Interstate 65 on Tuesday. The Confederate flags surrounding it are still standing.

The removal of a controversial statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest in Nashville drew national attention on Tuesday. 

The statue portrayed the early Ku Klux Klan leader and former Confederate general riding a horse and sat along Interstate 65 for more than two decades. Its future was uncertain after its owner, Bill Dorris, died last year. 

The statue, which sat south of downtown on Dorris' property off Hogan Road, was repeatedly vandalized, had been shot several times and was in disrepair. The removal of the statue was not announced ahead of time, and a security guard said it was moved to a shed on the property.

On Tuesday night, Trent Watrous, the executor of Dorris' will, released a joint statement with his lawyer, Todd Presnell, and the Battle of Nashville Trust explaining why the statue was removed. 

STATUE REMOVED:Nathan Bedford Forrest statue along Interstate 65 taken down in Nashville

The will left Dorris' property on Hogan Road, where the statue stood, to the Battle of Nashville Trust. After getting Waltrous' approval, the organization decided to remove the statue, according to the statement. 

The statement listed four chief reasons the statue was removed: 

  • Forrest was not present at the Battle of Nashville
  • The statue was "ugly and a blight on Nashville"
  • The statue had fallen into disrepair, was vandalized and was dangerous
  • Because of its divisive nature, having the statue in a prominent location distracted from the mission of the Battle of Nashville Trust
The Nathan Bedford Forrest statue on I-65 was vandalized multiple times, including having pink paint thrown on it.

"Each reason sets aside the contentious debate about Forrest as a person or as a Confederate general," the statement said. 

The statement also cited widespread interest in Civil War history in the Nashville area as part of its decision process.

"The Battle of Nashville was a pivotal moment in our nation's bloodiest conflict. The Hogan Road property is not core battlefield land. It is a sliver of the retreat," the statement read. "Given the factors outlined above, the BONT, in consultation and with the approval of Trent Watrous, made the decision to have the statue removed."

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The statement did not include future plans for the statue.

The will intended to leave certain real estate — including the Confederate flag display, an ice house and an artesian well on the Hogan Road property — to the Sons of Confederate Veterans or a similar group, like the Battle of Nashville Trust. 

Those three items will be preserved in a trust, according to the statement. The future of Dorris' estate is still being decided in probate court. 

Natalie Alund contributed to this story.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.