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One More To Go: New Orleans Takes Down Civil War General's Statue

Workers removed another high-profile Confederate monument in New Orleans overnight, lifting a statue of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard on horseback from its spot at the entrance of City Park. One more statue remains to be taken down, of Gen. Robert E. Lee.

It took more than six hours for workers to remove the bronze statue of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, which is believed to weigh more than 12,000 pounds. Standing on a granite base, the statue's highest point was 27 feet from the ground. It was dedicated in 1915 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The statue at the main entrance to the 1,300-acre City Park is one of four that the City Council and Mayor Mitch Landrieu have targeted for removal in an attempt to put post-Civil War divisions to rest.

"While we must honor our history, we will not allow the Confederacy to be put on a pedestal in the heart of New Orleans," Landrieu said as the latest statue was being removed. "As we near our City's 300th anniversary, we must continue to find courage to stand up to hate and embrace justice and compassion."

Read entire article at NPR