Statue of Confederate general removed from perch off I-65

By Tony Garcia

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — A controversial statue is being removed from its perch alongside I-65 in Crieve Hall on Tuesday.

For over 20 years, Bill Dorris kept a statue of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest on his private property, along with flags representing the Confederate states.

Dorris has since passed away. The statue has been a continuous subject of debate in recent years, following the removal or relocation of many historical monuments around the country.

In July, a bust of General Forrest was one of three that were removed from Tennessee’s capitol building, spurring further debate on the future of Dorris’ statue off I-65.

The statue, along with the flags, was erected in the late 1990s. Dorris has said he purposely placed the statue in plane view of the Interstate to remind Tennesseans, and visitors to Tennessee, of the area’s history.

Activists have vandalized the monument over the years, with the most recent attempt leaving the word “monster” on the side Forrest’s horse.

In September, Middle Tennessee State University voted unanimously in favor of gaining permission from the state to remove Nathan Bedford Forrest’s name from its Army ROTC building.

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