So what was so wrong and offensive about ole “Dutchy,” sculpted by Arthur Beter? (Beter was credited with building Elberton’s first granite finishing shed and, as the story goes, thereby setting it on its course to making millions off its granite and becoming “The Granite Capital of the World?”)
Are you sitting down?
“Dutchy” was wearing “a heavy United States Army overcoat and heavy marching order…like Confederate soldiers DIDN’T wear during the War Between the States.” And his “stocky build, foreign helmet and decidedly northern dress drew ominous rumors of his true sympathies. He was called ‘Dutchy’ by the unfriendly populace.”
“Dutchy” was exhumed in 1982, washed and rinsed of Georgia red clay inside a car wash, and has since been proudly displayed inside the Elberton Granite Museum and become a roadside attraction.
See also:
Why Those Confederate Soldier Statues Look a Lot Like Their Union Counterparts
Atlanta History Center | Confederate Monument Interpretation Guide