Statue ceremony won't include Confederate flag

Memorial ceremony not to include Confederate flag

BENTONVILLE - For 100 years now the Confederate statue of James H. Berry has stood in the Bentonville Square, a symbol to honor the southern soldiers who died fighting for their cause, but the centenniel celebration this Friday won't include any Confederate flags.

City leaders say this celebration commemorates the centennial unveiling of the statue, not the Confederate flag. They say they felt it inappropriate to fly any flags, Confederate or otherwise.

The unveiling of the soldier monument took place on August 8th, 1908, 43 years after the end of the Civil War. It was built as a tribute not only to those who died, but also to honor James Berry, his family, and their legacy that's so intertwined with Bentonville's history.

Berry lost his leg during battle, served as the first Arkansas governor from Benton County, and as a US Attorney for 22 years, among other things.

The many speakers at Friday's event will not only discuss the moment of the unveiling, but also why it's important to acknowledge this sort of centennial.

While officials say they can't rewrite history, they say the statue and what it represents is part of the community, which is Berry and his legacy, not the Confederacy or it's many flags.

City leaders wanted to celebrate the centennial of the statue's unveiling appropriately and they did not want any of the many different Confederate flags, especially the one considered the most controversial, to take away from the focus.

The centennial celebration starts at 11 a.m. this Friday in the Bentonville Public Library.