At Least Somebody Shows Some Respect to Our Monuments (MD)
Sword swap: Statue of general who died after Battle of Camden briefly disarmed for repair
Sword swap: Statue of general who died after Battle of Camden briefly disarmed for repair
A statue in Maryland’s capital honoring Maj. Gen. Baron Johann DeKalb is looking a little different lately.
The 139-year-old bronze statue on the south side of the State House grounds is missing the blade of DeKalb’s sword. Instead of looking like he’s leading troops into battle, the Revolutionary War hero, clasping just the sword handle, looks a bit like an old man shaking his fist at the sky.
Fear not.
The removal is part of regular conservation efforts rather than theft or vandalism of the monument.
“The statue was conserved in June of this year, and during that process, it was determined that the replacement sword blade on the statue needed to be removed due to condition issues,” Chris Kintzel, director of the Maryland Commission on Artistic Property, said in an email.
“The statute receives conservation funding from the Maryland Military Monument Commission, and we work in conjunction with the Maryland Historical Trust/Maryland Department of Planning to arrange for its treatment, which is typically every two-three years,” Kintzel’s email said. “We are currently working with our partners to coordinate the installation of one of the replacement blades.”
DeKalb was a French general who fought with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Born Johann Kalb in Bavaria (southern Germany), he became…
Once again, thank you Dixie