Crews find second time capsule from 1887 under pedestal of Robert E Lee statue

‘This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for’, says governor ahead of opening

A second time capsule has been found by crews working to remove what remains of the statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee in Richmond, Virginia.

Governor Ralph Northam said a long sought-after box was discovered matching a capsule documented by historians and in records, on Monday.

It is thought to be from 1887, when thousands of Virginians attended a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the statue of the former Confederate general, Robert E Lee.

In addition to Confederate memorabilia, the capsule could contain a rare photo of former US president Abraham Lincoln. Although that remains to be seen.

Mr Northam said in a news release that X-ray images had revealed items including books, coins, buttons and possibly a type of ammunition from the Civil War era inside the copper box.

It will be opened during a live video event on Tuesday afternoon.

It follows the discovery of another capsule in the pedestal of the former statue of Robert E Lee this month, with historians hoping that it might have been the documented 1887 capsule.

A person or persons who constructed the monument in the 1880s were thought to have placed the unknown capsule, which featured a few waterlogged books, a silver coin and envelope with some papers, it was reported.

Mr Northam, announcing the discovery of the sought-after capsule, tweeted on Monday: “They found it! This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for”.

A contractor whose company was overseeing the removal of the Robert E Lee pedestal said the box was found inside a granite enclosure at almost ground level.

It was in the northeast corner of the pedestal, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) below an area initially searched, Devon Henry added.

Virginia’s governor had intended to keep the pedestal following the removal of the Confederate era statue last September, but announced in early December that contractors would remove the graffiti-covered block of stone.

The statue was one of five enormous Confederate tributes along Richmond’s Monument Avenue, and the only one that belonged to the state.

All of them were eventually takendown following anti-racism demonstrations across the US in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.