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The Historian Confederate Descendants Want Fired for Writing a Critical Review of Gods and Generals

On Sunday October 12 HNN received the following correspondence. The letters concern an effort to fire the director of the Museum of Mobile after he panned the movie, Gods and Generals. On Tuesday October 14 an effort will reportedly be made to press for his removal by the Mobile city council. (Click here to read his movie review.)

LETTER FROM MIKE THOMASON TO THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

To: History Dept members

From: Mike Thomason

Subject: George Ewert and the Neo-Confederates

Date: Oct. 2, 03

There is a serious problem developing at the Museum of Mobile. George Ewert wrote a review of the film, "Gods and Generals" which was published in the Southern Poverty Law Center's Quarterly. It was a companion piece to a story of the flap over putting a statue of Lincoln in the Virginia state capitol.Although George's review echoes much that has already been said about the film, Ben George and a group known as the Lee-Moses-Dixon Vindicator Camp #408, Sons of Confederate Veterans, took exception to what he wrote and the fact that he was identified as the Director of the Museum of Mobile. Dr.George and others are calling for Ewert's resignation or dismissal as Director of the Museum of Mobile. They have contacted members of the City Council and Mayor Dow several times to repeat their demand.

At the last Museum Board meeting, on Sept. 22, Harry Teaford addressed the board on their behalf to demand Ewert's dismissal. Since then the campaign has escalated. ... Dr. George's people, and some like-minded citizens on the board, also want to completely overhaul the museum's Civil War exhibit. It will be called The War Between the States; the Confederacy, is to be the Second American Confederacy (the first was the US government under the Articles of Confederation) , and the exhibit will stress Southern virtue and that war had nothing to do with slavery. That is just for openers!

It is tempting to dismiss these people as a members of a fringe group, but I can assure you that they are adept at representing their viewpoint and bringing effective political pressure to bear. If Ewert is reprimanded for his article they will take it as a victory in their campaign to distort the history presented in our museum out of all recognition. I urge you to write Mayor Dow and your council representative, if you live in the city, to support Ewert's professional qualifications, and his right to free speech. I think it is also appropriate to state your feelings about Ben George's goals and tactics. It is important that the mayor know that we, as academic historians and as voters, are watching and will oppose any effort by an interest group such as Ben George's to dictate what the museum presents to the public. Even if you are not an American historian, or do not live in Mobile, you can still write the mayor. After all, Ben George lives outside of Mobile and is originally from New Jersey!

Mayor Dow, and the city council members can be reached by writing them at City of Mobile, PO Box 1827, Mobile, Al 36601. I am attaching copies of relevant documents for your information. I will be happy to talk with you individually about this whenever you wish.

This is serious, please write and do so before the mayor meets with Mr Ewert next week. The Ben Georges of this world are not the only people interested in history. We must make that point forcefully.

LETTER FROM HISTORIAN MICHAEL THOMASON TO MOBILE MAYOR MIKE DOW

Mayor Mike Dow October 2, 2003
City of Mobile
P.O.1827
Mobile, AL 36601

Dear Mayor,

I am writing you on behalf of George Ewert and the presentation of accurate history in our museum. I understand that Dr. Ben George and his cohorts are demanding that you take disciplinary action against Mr. Ewert for his review of the film "Gods and Generals". They would like him dismissed, but what they really want is to rewrite history as our museum presents it to conform with their myths about the Civil War and the Confederacy. I have reviewed their proposed changes in that part of the museum, and listened to their criticism of Ewert's review of the film. Their positions have no support among serious scholars of the conflict or our region. Ben George and his supporters are propagandists for a long discredited myth, and should not be allowed to dictate policy to you our our museum.

Over the years you have been a good friend to the museum and what we are trying to do, and I am sure I can count on you in this case also. I am sorry Ben George uses the tactics he does, but we cannot allow him to bully our city.

Sincerely,

Michael Thomason,
Professor of History
University odf South Alabama

LETTER FROM HISTORIAN RICHMOND F. BROWN TO MOBILE MAYOR MIKE DOW

Dear Mayor and Council Members,

I am deeply distressed to learn that Museum Director George Ewert has been asked to apologize for comments made in a recent review of the movie, "Gods and Generals."

Beyond such basic constitutional issues as intellectual freedom and freedom of speech, it saddens me very much to think that the mayor and several council members are siding with a fringe group bent on rewriting history to suit their romantic notions. I would hope our elected leaders would fight for a serious representation of history that reflects the views of our country's most respected scholars. There is nothing objectionable to Mr. Ewert's well-written and thoughtful review, despite what you may have been told.

George Ewert is a great credit to the city and to his alma mater, the University of South Alabama (where I teach). I refer you to recent reviews of the Museum of Mobile in the Journal of American History and the Gulf South Historical Review, which praise the museum as among the best in the nation for a city of our size. That will certainly not be the case if you allow the likes of Dr. George to dictate museum policy.

I'm afraid it is you who owe George Ewert an apology for infringing on his rights of expression. If it is true that you support the efforts of Dr. Ben George, then I'm afraid you also owe an explanation to your constituents as to why you believe he (and his ilk) are to be taken seriously.

It is true, perhaps, that politics makes for strange bedfellows. I urge you to look closely at your sleeping partners. Mobile deserves better from its elected leaders. George Ewert deserves your support, not condemnation for telling the truth and representing the city (and its past, warts and all) in the most accurate way he knows how.

Richmond F. Brown
Associate Professor of History
University of South Alabama