Virginia State Government Removes Three Confederate Statues from Richmond's Capitol Square
The Department of General Services has removed three Confederate monuments from Richmond's Capitol Square, marking the end of the site's long-standing Confederate iconography. The statues, which honored General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Governor William "Extra Billy" Smith, and Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, were removed on Friday following a mandate from this year's state budget. State Senator Michael Jones noted that the removal aligns with the current administration's goal to move forward, arguing that the statues were symbols that pointed to the past. The monuments have been gifted to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which will relocate them to appropriate battlefield sites. While some observers, such as Thomas Whitlow, expressed sadness over the removal of historical landmarks, others viewed the move as a necessary step in updating the aesthetic of the capital. The Department of General Services confirmed that while the statues are gone, the removal of their concrete pedestals may take up to a week to complete.