I have a confession: I'm a Yankee, and proud of it.
Sort of. I'm from Wisconsin, which is not what I call "the North-North" but really the "Midwest North" which I prefer for its cheese-covered dishes and confusion over sweet and unsweet tea. I moved to Georgia in July 1998, and made it through the Fulton County public school system beginning in the second grade before I found Gainesville and Brenau.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned previously that I'm a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Long before I applied to be a member of the DAR, I knew my ancestors came over from Europe, and that they have fought in many wars, including the not-so-Civil War, and that they fought on the Union side. That detail was a disappointment to many of my fellow daughters, who would have loved to have me in the Daughters of the Confederacy. Sorry, ladies!
But even a Yankee can appreciate Old Joe, a confederate soldier that watches over Gainesville, perched atop a granite pedestal .
I began to love Old Joe just for the sake of it. I love public art, and he's a great example of fine craftsmanship . Someone put love into that soldier, not just a commission. But I really appreciated him when I learned about the Tornado of '36.
I have a LOT of thoughts on that storm, too many for this post, so here's the short version: Old Joe stayed standing. The whole downtown Square, the whole city, practically destroyed, but that soldier stood his post.
I decided to do a little digging about our friend, poised north, smack dab in the middle of the Gainesville Square.
According to an Associate Press article that our retired editor Ken Stanford added to, Old Joe was one of many statues that went up following the end of the war in 1865. Our old faithful was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, made of bronze and marble. Called "Single Soldiers" or "Silent Sentinel," the article attests there must be one in every county, as there are so many.
Joe has had an identity crisis though, and some time back the Washington Post reported an architect may have discovered some Union roots, specifically, a "U.S." on his knit bag, implying he'd fought for the other side.
That architect also says Joe was made from a Spanish-American War soldier cast, and that his rifle is a few years too late.
Despite this identity crisis, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, along with many Gainesville residents, know Old Joe is really a rebel at heart.
And don't worry, Joe, I'm not perfect either.
Unmoved by tornados, rain storms, and the baking Georgia summers, the rebel soldier could be seen as a metaphor for character (despite how you feel about the Civil War): A loyal soldier, imperfect, but strong and patient, and standing tall, as is.
Despite my Yankee roots, I have the Old Joe Christmas ornament from many years past hanging on my tree each year, peacefully alongside a Bucky Badger ornament.
We'll do something fun and festive next week too, something in honor of Halloween, no doubt. Spooky stuff, or maybe something less than scary. We'll see....
Until then, stay curious.
