The closest living collateral descendant of famed Confederate Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, known historically as A.P. Hill and sometimes called “Lee’s forgotten general,” announced an effort to erect a new monument for the Civil War hero after his monument was ceremonially removed following a years-long legal battle with the city of Richmond, Virginia.
General Hill’s monument – a statue on a significant base, with a time capsule and Hill’s remains buried underneath – was erected in commemoration of his bravery and heroism fighting for the Confederate Army during the Civil War in 1891. It stood until it was taken down on the orders of the Democrat-dominated City of Richmond in a widely publicized ceremony last year.
The effort was originally spearheaded by the Mayor of Richmond, then-Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, and Black Lives Matter member Levar Stoney in the summer of 2021.
The statue’s removal prompted a legal kerfuffle in which multiple organizations objected to removing the statue, as it also required Hill’s skeletal remains to be exhumed more than 150 years after he was buried.
John Hill, an indirect descendant of the Civil War hero who spoke to Valiant News, explained his effort to gain possession of his “gallant” ancestor’s monument and outlined his game plan to erect a new one.
“They didn’t realize that forcing me to exhume his remains would have the opposite effect that they originally hoped for. They wanted to ‘remove’ him from Richmond history. It has been the exact opposite,” Hill said in a tweet Wednesday.
The more I read and study about A.P. Hill, the more similarities I find with me and him. We both look very similar, have hazel eyes, and red beards. We were both very close to our fathers. We are both impulsive, impatient, have tempers, and crack a lot of jokes (especially in… pic.twitter.com/WVfeLIvdOR
— John Hill
(@JohnnyReb1989) May 3, 2023
“I have made sure that thousands of people who knew nothing about Hill, now know the true history of his gallant deeds,” said Hill. “I will continue to do everything that I can to make Hill a household name amongst the likes of Lee and Jackson. They’ve messed with the wrong descendant.”
Despite proving his lineage to the general in a Richmond court, Hill’s legal challenge to keep the monument in place fell short.
“We lost that case and currently have an appeal filed,” Hill told Valiant News, adding that the city “will do whatever they can to keep us from getting possession of [Hill’s] monument.”
Who would be interested in helping me erect a new Monument for my gallant ancestor? I will be setting up a 501c3, an account for the funds, and a P.O. box. But I need help with some donations to get it all started. If anyone would like to help me get this started, and give back… pic.twitter.com/G2auQN9K6P
— John Hill
As Hill’s closest living descendant, John travels tens of thousands of miles across the nation delivering speeches and presentations for the slain hero.
He explained, “I drove over 11k miles in 2 months. I bring relics that were owned by Hill, and I tell interesting details about him that not many people know. I also do a presentation on the relics.”
Hill exhumed the general’s remains in Richmond on December 13, 2022, was a Pallbearer during his January 21 re-interment, and is now, proudly, his National Guardian.
“I will spend the rest of my life honoring his gallant deeds and telling the true history of the Confederacy,” Hill wrote on Twitter.
“I will make sure that he is a household name with the likes of Lee and Jackson. ‘If you will not follow me, I’ll die alone!’ are words that I live by.”
Hill continued, “He was not only a gallant warrior, he also had a heart of gold. He didn’t just die for Virginia, he died for you and me. He died for our freedom from a tyrannical government. He gave everything for us. Lest we forget.”
Hill explained to Valiant News that he wants to erect a new statue to “give back to our General what Richmond stole from him.”
John Hill, General A.P. Hill’s closest living collateral descendant, exhumed the Civil War general’s remains on December 13, 2022.
General Hill was the final Confederate General to be killed in battle during the Civil War. He died near Petersburg, Virginia on April 2, 1865.
Upon learning of his death, General Robert E. Lee is said to have broken down in tears. “He is at rest now,” General Lee said. “And we who are left are the ones to suffer.”
Notably, Hill never owned slaves and personally detested slavery. Hill’s descendant recalled a story in which the general expressed his anger over the lynching of a young African-American who was falsely accused of murdering a white man.
“Virginia must crawl unless you vindicate good order or discipline and hang every son of a b*tch connected with the outrage,” Hill fumed to his brother.
John Hill is soliciting donations from those concerned with the fate of A.P. Hill to aid his effort in building a new monument for the Civil War hero.
“He led his men in a charge. So far ahead of them, all they could see was his red shirt,” Hill wrote of his famous ancestor. “The sight of General Hill at a full gallop, saber drawn, and that red shirt was legendary. He was the God of War amongst the smoke and cannons, lead and shot whizzing by him as he rode into what could have been death. But he saw none of it.”
“All he saw was freedom. Freedom for Virginia. Freedom from a tyrannical government. Freedom for you and me. He wasn’t fighting for slavery. That was the last thing on his mind. He was fighting for his family, his brothers in arms; for Virginia.”
Follow Andrew on Twitter @whiteaf5.
