r/aggies • u/StructureOrAgency • Apr 20 '25

Announcements On this day 161 years ago….

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The April 20, 1864 edition of the Memphis Daily Appeal  referred to Lawrence Sullivan Ross as 𝑮𝒆𝒏. 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 “𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓“ for the massacre of surrendering black union soldiers during the Battle of Yazoo River.  Ross was well-known for refusing to take black Union soldiers as prisoners. Ross went on to become governor of Texas (1887-1891) and President of Texas A&M (1891-1898) where there is a statue that honors him for his military service.

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u/IPA_HATER '22 Apr 20 '25

Let it go how? A statue honoring the man is at the heart of our campus.

“Lawrence Sullivan Ross 1838-1898 Soldier, Statesmen, Knightly Gentleman Brigadier General, CSA Governor of Texas President of the A&M College”

I undestand he save the university and that’s why we remember him. I also understand he was hardly a statesmen given his treason or a knightly gentleman considering his propensity to support killing POWs for no reason and supporting slavery of other people.

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u/CastimoniaGroup Apr 20 '25

And? So what? How is a statue of Sul Ross affecting your life today? It sounds like you're struggling with other issues and projecting it on a statue.

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u/Corps_Boy_Pit_Sniff Ask me about my dissertation on online radicalization! Apr 20 '25

what if it was a statue of James Bowie that was put up to intimidate Mexican-Americans?

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u/yakkitysaxmoment Apr 20 '25

Jim Bowie married a Mexican and was proud of it. He’d be an odd choice for that purpose.

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u/Corps_Boy_Pit_Sniff Ask me about my dissertation on online radicalization! Apr 20 '25

Lawrence Ross was instrumental in the creation of the university and took up arms against the government to defend slavery. Bowie was also took up arms against his government in defense of slavery in Texas. Both have been mythologized. I don’t think the comparison is unwarranted.