Monuments honoring the Confederacy that stood for more than a century have been removed from the grounds of the county courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia. A statue of John Quincy Marr, plus a historical marker and two Dahlgren naval howitzer cannons were removed early Friday morning. Marr was the first Confederate soldier killed by Union troops during the Civil War. His death happened during a battle at the courthouse in 1861. The statue was installed in 1904. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted in September to allow removal of the monuments following a public hearing that included several passionate speeches arguing that they should remain. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay tweeted Friday morning that the removal “better reflects” the county’s “values.”
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McKay said the items are now sitting in a county warehouse and will be relocated. Eventually the Marr statue will be donated to the Stuart Mosby Historical Society and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources marker will be returned to the state. The cannons will be sent to the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
