The far-left mayor of Richmond, Virginia, the former capital city of the Confederacy, ordered the body of a Confederate general dug up and reburied in an effort to be “more inclusive.”
After years of legal wrangling, a judge in Richmond Circuit Court has finally authorized the removal of a Confederate monument erected to honor the memory of General Ambrose Powell “A.P.” Hill Jr. The monument had stood at the intersection of Laburnum and Hermitage, a busy thoroughfare in Richmond, since 1891.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a Democrat who has stood in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in the past, ordered the removal of all Confederate statues in 2020 amid public disturbances and riots following the death of George Floyd. At the time, Stoney blamed white supremacists as the “driving force” behind many of the riots.
Until recently, Hill’s remained the last publicly displayed Confederate monument in the city, but on December 12, it, too, was removed. However, removing Hill’s monument was not as simple as removing other monuments for one fundamental reason: Hill’s remains had been buried beneath the monument. To completely remove the monument, Hill’s body would have to be dug up and reburied elsewhere.
Over two years ago, Richmond was home to more confederate statues than any city in the United States. Collectively, we have closed that chapter.
— Mayor Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) December 12, 2022
We now continue the work of being a more inclusive and welcoming place where ALL belong. pic.twitter.com/3DHUSUg2Ea
And that’s exactly what Mayor Stoney has ordered the crews to do. Hill’s indirect descendant, John Hill, strongly opposed the removal of his ancestor’s body, but his objections were ignored. John Hill was present on December 12 when undertakers at the Bennett Funeral Home assisted with the removal.
A moment of silence marked the occasion Hill’s remains were brought to the surface. Hill was killed by a Union officer in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1865. The container for his remains had been covered with a plain quilt and a Confederate flag, reports said. He will be buried about 80 miles north in Culpeper at a pre-designated site, which the City of Richmond recently purchased for $1,000.
The moment of silence was finally broken by a rioter, who taunted John Hill and threatened to “beat” him as “daddy” was supposed to.
For his part, Stoney celebrated Hill’s ouster, calling it a victory for inclusivity.
“More than two years ago, Richmond was home to more Confederate statues than any other city in the United States. Collectively, we have closed that chapter. Now we continue to work towards being a more inclusive and welcoming place where ALL belong,” Stoney tweeted.
It is unknown whether Stoney believes John Hill and members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, some of whom assisted in Hill’s removal, also belong to Richmond. Richmond officials say any Confederate monuments that have been removed will be turned over to the Virginia Museum of Black History and Cultural Center.
