Here is the statue in question. I saw it nearly everyday growing up nearby. The pedestal reads, "Erected to the memory of the confederate dead of Alexandria VA. by their surviving comrades, May 24, 1888." It is a memorial to the dead. To me, it captures the complex emotions of the south during post war reconstruction and reconciliation. The subject's expression is mournful, not proud, not angry, and not righteous. His hat is off in respect for the dead. His left hand grips tightly his right arm, showing anguish. Sad, defeated and resigned, much in the way that the south must have felt after the war. His sad eyes and furrowed brow shows contemplation. One can almost hear him whispering, "We fought and died for nothing." He's right. His cause was tainted by slavery. It is just that he lost.