The Commonwealth of Virginia has removed three Confederate memorials from Capitol Square in Richmond, a city that formerly served as the Confederate capital. The statues honored Confederate Generals Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and Gov. William “Extra Billy” Smith, along with Confederate Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire. These monuments had stood in the public park near the state Capitol for over a century.
The Virginia legislature ordered the removal of the statues during its 2026 session. Former Democratic State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who sponsored the legislation, stated that the action does not alter Civil War history but changes "who we choose to venerate on the Capitol lawn."
Efforts to remove Confederate statues from prominent locations in Richmond began in 2018, according to Democratic state Sen. Mike Jones. He described the monuments as "symbols" and questioned whether they represented the values and priorities of the Commonwealth.
The Virginia division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy issued a statement expressing a desire for the memorials to be displayed as intended by their donors, allowing the public to learn from and reflect upon them. The statues are slated to be preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and relocated to battlefield sites within the Shenandoah Valley.