Second Time Capsule Found Under Robert E. Lee Statue

Workers dismantling the pedestal of a Robert E. Lee statue that’s at the moment being eliminated in Virginia found a second time capsule on Monday, elevating hopes that the field from 1887 may comprise one thing attention-grabbing. The discovery comes after a special time capsule was opened on the web site final week however was crammed with nothing however boring paperwork and soggy envelopes, a sadly common occurrence for a lot of time capsules opened right here within the twenty first century.

The statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate normal and traitor to the United States, was eliminated in September and staff have been dismantling the positioning, together with a pedestal the place a time capsule was rumored to have been. Workers now imagine this second time capsule that was found on Monday is the one that would comprise some attention-grabbing items of historical past, based on the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The time capsule will probably be opened at 1:00 p.m. ET, based on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. The Governor’s workplace notes {that a} dwell video will probably be offered, but it surely’s not clear the place individuals may have the ability to watch the occasion.

What may very well be inside this unusual time capsule? Historians imagine there could be roughly 60 objects from the Confederacy, together with a uncommon photograph of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln mendacity in his coffin. Why would a bunch of Confederate losers put a photograph of Lincoln in his coffin inside a time capsule that was honoring Lee? Because they have been celebrating the warped beliefs of the Confederacy, most notably slavery.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Historians have described the articles as Confederate propaganda. The picture of Lincoln in his coffin was yet another approach for the South to spite the Union and stick with it the thought of the Lost Cause, stated Dale Brumfield, an writer and historian who has studied the capsule’s historical past.

Only one real photograph of Lincoln after his dying exists, Brumfield wrote in a 2017 Richmond Magazine article. It was taken in 1865 in New York by Jeremiah Gurney whereas Lincoln’s physique was on its approach for burial.

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The Richmond Times-Dispatch printed a listing of attainable objects within the time capsule that have been found in a newspaper article from 1887, when the capsule was first interred, including:

• An image of Abraham Lincoln mendacity in his coffin donated by Pattie Leake;
• A historical past of Monumental Church donated by George Fisher;
• A group of Confederate buttons from Cyrus Bossieux;
• A replica of Carlton McCarthy’s “Detailed Minutiae of Soldier Life in the Army of Northern Virginia” given by J.W. Randolph & English publishers;
• A information to Richmond with a map of the town and a map of Virginia;
• Three bullets, a bit of shell and a Minié ball lodged in a bit of wooden from a Fredericksburg battlefield, given by Frank Brown;
• A Bible from Thomas J. Starke;
• Statistics of the town of Richmond from J.B. Halyburton;
• A battle flag and a sq. and compass comprised of a tree over Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s grave from J.W. Talley;
• A $100,000 Confederate bond from John F. Mayer;
• An English penny from 1812 from W.T. Moseley;
• Oct. 26, 1887 version of the The Richmond Dispatch.

Time capsules tend to disappoint individuals sooner or later for 2 causes: 1) People of the previous typically overestimate how fascinating we’ll discover their lists of outstanding businessmen and political leaders, assorted cash, and numerous bibles. And 2) Burying one thing within the floor is without doubt one of the worst methods to protect one thing for historical past. As a outcome, they’re typically a soggy mess as a result of water usually penetrates no matter field has been used, regardless of how fastidiously constructed.

But there’s nonetheless the chance that this time capsule won’t be the “correct” one both. The dimensions are nonetheless barely off from the time capsule dimension described in a newspaper article from 1887, which stated a 14 in. by 14 in. by 8 in. copper field was buried on the web site. The dimensions of the copper field found on Monday have been 13.5 by 13.5 by 7.5 inches and weren’t within the precise location described within the article.

Whatever occurs throughout at the moment’s time capsule opening ceremony, no less than Robert E. Lee is useless and his modern-day followers are crying their little tears over the removing of his statue. Former President Donald Trump, as only one instance, whined concerning the removal of the statue.

The Confederacy is useless. Get over it, losers.