Removal 2020 In June, the City of Wilmington removed the statue, but not its pedestal, to "protect the public safety and to preserve important historical artifacts." Later, the pedestal was covered with a black shroud, obscuring its inscriptions. In September, Wilmington's mayor said that the threat to public safety that conditioned the memorial's dismantling continued. A majority of the Wilmington City Council told a journalist that the disposition of the city's Confederate monuments was not a high priority. 2021 The city attorney had been assigned to research ownership and other issues. During that process, Cape Fear 3, United Daughters of the Confederacy approached the city and asserted a claim on the statue. The claim was based on the facts that, at the time, the UDC chapter had commissioned the statue and had sought city permission to erect it on public property using private funds. The city attorney concurred. In a July 5 letter to the city, Cape Fear 3 requested that the city hold the monument in storage until Cape Fear 3 had made arrangements to take possession. With the statue already in storage, the city agreed to move the pedestal into storage as well. In August, the City Council approved the agreement. In a statement, the government said the effects of the vote were to permanently remove the monument from public land and avoid litigation. Gallery References 1911 sculptures Monuments and memorials in the United States removed during the George Floyd protests Bronze sculptures in North Carolina Buildings and structures in Wilmington, North Carolina Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in North Carolina Outdoor sculptures in North Carolina Sculptures of men in North Carolina Statues in North Carolina United Daughters of the Confederacy monuments and memorials in North Carolina Removed Confederate States of America monuments and memorials Vandalized works of art in North Carolina Statues removed in 2020