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Virginia begins removal of three Confederate monuments from state Capitol grounds

Statues of Stonewall Jackson, William Smith, and Hunter Holmes McGuire will be relocated from Richmond to battlefield sites.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 21:20 UTC2 reports

The short version

Virginia state authorities began removing three Confederate statues from Capitol Square in Richmond following legislative approval in 2026.
The monuments honor Confederate Generals Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Gov. William "Extra Billy" Smith, along with Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, all of which stood on the lawn for more than a century.
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation will take custody of the statues and relocate them to battlefield sites in the Shenandoah Valley.

Virginia initiated the removal of three Confederate statues from Richmond's Capitol Square following a 2026 legislative directive.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The monuments honor Confederate Generals Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Gov. William "Extra Billy" Smith, as well as Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The statues had been situated in Capitol Square for over 100 years prior to their removal.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Former Democratic State Sen. Adam Ebbin sponsored the legislation authorizing the removal.[Associated Press]
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation agreed to preserve the monuments and place them at battlefield locations in the Shenandoah Valley.[Associated Press · ABC News]