Richmond, Virginia’s far-left mayor, which was once the capital of the Confederacy and Virginia, had ordered that the body a Confederate general be disinterred in order to make it more inclusive.
After many years of legal battles, a Richmond Circuit Court judge approved the removal of the Confederate monument, which was erected in honor of General Ambrose Powell (“A.P.”) after much legal haggling. Hill Jr. Hill Jr. The monument was located at the intersection Laburnum/Hermitage, a busy thoroughfare in Richmond since 1891.
Levar Stoney of Richmond, a Democrat, who has stood with Black Lives Matter in past years, ordered that all Confederate statues be removed by 2020 amid unrest and rioting following the death of George Floyd. Stoney claimed that white supremacists were the “leading force” behind the riots.
Hill’s was the last Confederate monument that was on display in the city until recently. However, it was removed on December 12. It was more difficult than removing other monuments because Hill’s remains were buried beneath the monument. To remove the monument completely, Hill’s remains would need to be excavated and reburied somewhere else.
That’s exactly what Mayor Stoney directed crews to do. John Hill, Hill’s indirect descendant and a vocal opponent to the removal of his ancestor’s body, however, his objections were ignored. John Hill was present on December 12, as Bennett Funeral Home’s morticians assisted with the removal.
Hill’s remains were brought to the surface again after a moment of silence. In 1865, Hill was shot to death by a Union officer at Petersburg, Virginia. According to reports, the container containing his remains was covered with a simple quilt and Confederate Flag. He will be buried 80 miles north of Culpeper, at a prearranged location that the city of Richmond recently bought for $1,000.
John Hill was taunted by a heckler who threatened to “beat him” like his “daddy should have.”
Stoney, for his part, celebrated Hill’s expulsion, calling it an achievement for inclusion.
“Richmond was home to the most confederate statues in America, more than any other city. This was over two years ago. We have now closed that chapter. Stoney tweeted that we are now working to make the world a more welcoming and inclusive place where ALL people belong.”
Stoney is yet to confirm that John Hill and some of the Sons of Confederate Veterans members, who were present at Hill’s removal, are part of his belief system. Richmond officials claim all Confederate monuments will be removed and given to the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
