Protesters just tore down another statue on the other side of the Capitol, Hans Christian Heg. pic.twitter.com/Z7iFNlIswt
— Emily Hamer (@ehamer7) June 24, 2020
Protesters in Madison, WI, tore down a statue Tuesday night of Hans Christian Heg, a Norwegian immigrant who fought in the Civil War against slavery.
Heg came to Wisconsin in 1851 where his family established a Scandinavian newspaper. He and his family grew in stature as political figures in Wisconsin. He was a lifelong abolitionist that advocated fiercely for prison reform.
Heg joined the Army when the Civil War began, heeding calls put out by President Abraham Lincoln for volunteers. He led an anti-slave militia that helped to protect escaped slaves.
He would rise to the rank of colonel and led an infantry of fellow Scandinavian immigrants. He died in 1863 in the battle of Chickamauga.
On Tuesday rioters destroyed his statue, which stood outside the Madison Capitol building, decapitated it and dumped it into nearby Lake Monana.
The Hans Christian Heg statue is lying headless in lake Monona. #wkow pic.twitter.com/0grawivgtf
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) June 24, 2020
Protesters also scribbled “Black is Beautiful” on the base of the monument after removing the statue.
Protesters have also torn down the Hans Christian Heg statue outside the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/lTwBOUXQST
— Lance Veeser (@lanceveeser) June 24, 2020
A descendent of Colonel Heg’s, William Newell, said he believes protesters didn’t really know the history of his great uncle. “He had nothing to do with slavery,” Newell said. “He was fighting for the Union. He was fighting against slavery.”