Grave of Robert E. Lee's Horse Desecrated, Plaque to Beloved Traveller Removed
Washington and Lee University (W&L) recently struck another giant blow for racism with the removal of the memorials of one of the nation’s most racist animals — Traveller, the notorious horse ridden by none other than Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.
It appears that wokeness now demands posthumous political correctness even from the deceased animal companions of historical figures.
The Traveller plaque was a longstanding fixture on the Washington Street wall of the Lee House stable and marked the last home of Traveller, the equine companion of Lee during and after the Civil War.
Erected in 1930, the plaque had become an integral part of the campus environment for nearly a century. However, according to the W&L Spectator, over the weekend, university officials quietly took down this plaque, along with two others located in Payne Hall.
The plaques in Payne Hall commemorated two significant rooms: one where Lee took his oath of office in 1865, and the other that served as his office from 1865 to 1868 before he moved to the newly-constructed chapel.
The university did not make any prior announcements about the removal of these plaques, despite being asked by The Spectator in late June about potential changes to Traveller’s grave.
Lynn Rainville, the Director of Institutional History and Museums, responded to inquiries by stating that updates on construction projects were communicated through stories published on The Columns, the university’s platform for news and updates. However, the removal of the plaques was not mentioned in these recent stories.
It wasn’t until The Spectator received a photo showing the removal of Traveller’s plaque that they reached out to Rainville and university administrators for clarification.
The Spectator was then informed that the four plaques would be relocated to a new permanent exhibit set to open in the University Chapel in the upcoming fall.
Days later, Traveller’s headstone was also removed.
The headstone had been placed over 50 years ago when Traveller, whose skeletal remains had been on display in multiple campus exhibits for decades, was interred outside Lee Chapel.
According to The W&L Spectator, university officials have not yet provided a reason for the removals, but unlike the plaques, the headstone is expected to be replaced on-site. It is unclear what the new marker will say, and, as of Friday, nothing had been added to the site.
For decades, it has been a tradition for tourists and visitors to leave pennies or apples on Traveller’s grave, paying homage to the memory of the esteemed steed. The act served as a tangible connection to the past, symbolizing respect and remembrance for the role Traveller played in the university’s history.
After The Spectator announced the removal of the plaques on Wednesday, a group of students and alumni joined forces to uphold a longstanding tradition at Washington and Lee University, placing numerous apples on Traveller’s grave as a tribute to the legendary horse.
The powerful image of the apples, captured on Thursday and shared by The Spectator, quickly went viral, captivating the online community with hundreds of shares and thousands of views in just a matter of hours.
Twitter users sounded off on the latest example of woke gone wild as well, one user tweeting: “The cancellation at Washington & Lee University continues. Today a traitorous horse had its plaque removed. Traveler is known to have owned 200 slaves. Hate the sarcasm? Well, Lee didn’t own 200 slaves either.”
The cancellation at Washington & Lee University continues.
Today a traitorous horse had its plaque removed.
Traveler is known to have owned 200 slaves. Hate the sarcasm? Well, Lee didn’t own 200 slaves either. #cancelculture #history #WokeMindVirus https://t.co/8oEJZkpyCE
— Jefferson Davis (@Jeff_Davis1808) July 13, 2023
The Generals Redoubt (TGR), a non-profit alumni group with a following of over 12,000, made its stance clear by sharing the aforementioned photograph in an email.
“President Dudley is hell-bent on eliminating all references to Robert E. Lee from the campus of W&L,” the email said. “And now that Lee has been almost completely erased, Dudley is going after Traveller.”
Lee served as the university’s most transformative president from 1865 to 1870, which led to the university changing its name from Washington College to Washington and Lee University after Lee’s death in 1870.
Legend has it that the doors of the stable at Washington and Lee University must be kept wide open so that the ghost of Traveller can visit at will.
But it seems unlikely the loyal equine would feel welcome at a university systematically erasing his master and him from their history.
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