John B. Castleman Monument — Attraction in Louisville

Edit 5/10/2019: Well congrats Mayor Toolbag and the cowardly Cherokee Triangle Association (who was also for removal). You got your way. The mayor says we are a "welcoming city" in his statement to the media (the biggest tools in the toolbag BTW). That is so true now...if you are trying to be Pyongyang. Everyone that sat on their hands or was for this, you better start wondering where the line on this kind of political correctness stops. Because if we are now rewarding vandals and criminal activity, where does it end? Next up perhaps the Daniel Boone statue! Especially since he is holding a rifle that could offend people who are against guns. Surely we can't have that. What a joke these people are! While we're at it, make sure to close the Muhammad Ali center. He was against interracial relationships (YouTube it folks). That's "racist" and can't be tolerated by our wonderful, "inclusive" city.

BTW the statue was just vandalized AGAIN last night. So rewarding these liberal CRIMINAL vandals has already paid off. You can bet no one saw anything. It's no wonder this city is just a bush league wannabe New York that continues to decline in nearly every way.

Original review: It's too bad we now live in a world where the loud minority overrules the silent majority. I've lived in this neighborhood for over twenty five years and never even thought a whole lot about the statue until the last year, after vandals made it an issue. It's funny the generation that incessantly bemoans "intolerance, bigotry and violence" are the very ones practicing it on a daily basis. Some simple research explains the history of John B. Castleman. How we wouldn't have two major parks in this city if not for him. How he refused to consider black soldiers in WWI to be of lesser value than any other soldiers, just for openers. Why pay attention to history or facts though right? Especially when it interferes with certain political agendas like this mayor here has (making sure he maximizes the minority vote in November in case you can't do math). Reality check, the minority community here is too worried about drugs and gun violence to be concerned with a statue, but those are REAL problems that a politician like Greg Fischer doesn't want to address.

On a final note, another shame is how the neighborhood (the so-called hip Deadlands that actually was DECADES ago) that has allowed an increase in bars, litter, graffiti and panhandlers now sits on its hands while a statue that stood for over a hundred years is taken down. Oh yeah, that will definitely improve the quality of life around here. Good luck with that. History has always proven apathy and appeasement works...

This statue stands for an ex-Confederate who pledged his life to the the flag of the United States and was forever grateful to Abraham Lincoln for sparing his life. He founded the Louisville Park Department.

From an artistic standpoint it is a fine equestrian statue and portrait of John B. Castleman created by artist Roland Hilton Perry. It was funded by hundreds of small donations by the community.

"I unhesitatingly say that I would or will, at any time salute an officer, superior or inferior, who salutes me without regard to the color of his skin. The regulations, the laws, and the fundamentals of courtesy and discipline upon which these regulations and laws are based prescribe this." - General John Breckinridge Castleman (The New York Times Nov, 12, 1917)

[In 1918, The Wisconsin State Journal wrote John B. Castleman "was opposed to the institution of slavery but he was a hot-headed advocate of the principle of state's rights and to him every state was a republic unto itself."

At the Lincoln Memorial in Hodgenville, John Breckinridge expressed his emotions, “I cannot describe my feelings. Here from a home of lower birth than that which I knew, the humblest hut of a cabin, came a man who lived to have the power to save my life. Had Lincoln lived, I always knew that I would have returned from exile not two years after but at the close of the war. In giving me my life this man gave me the light to see the wrong cause I had championed, the right cause that he battled for. I have given my life in a humble effort to carry on his work, to bring his divided people once more,”

General Castleman lived the repentance of a mistake against a just cause and a flag that was borne into battle for liberty and for a government that stood for both freedom and...

I'm VERY dumbfounded! I cannot believe we are going to stand by and let people try and ERASE our history our legacies!! If people would take 5 minutes to read about this wonderful man named John B Castleman they will see that he was NOT against slavery!! Lololol He was a very interesting man... If we allow ANYONE to take away our heritage or our history then we are preparing ourselves for a seriously dreadful and heartless future! If they continue to remove our monuments due to slavery or what ever the reason then what is going to happen in our future???? Are they eventually going to fine the homes in the far future to anyone that owns history books in their homes!? I mean seriously come on!! It has gotten extremely rediculous! I'm a people person a people lover a human lover.... I've never treated anyone different for the color of their skin! But I promise you this, if we continue to allow this crazy behavior to persist then its just going to open a can of worms. PLEASE just move forward! If we constantly teach our children and highlight our differences than how can we move forward.... If we continue to remind them about how we were once slaves and was treated badly or how we owned slaves and treated THEM. badly then you tell me how we can move on.... WE CANT! WE WILL NOT!! All I can do in my home is focus on not just the past but the present and the future. We can't change the past but we CAN change how ALL the new generations can live together from this point and move on and live in HARMONY! Please comment or LIKE if you agree... I would hope I didn't stand...