May 31, 2020
Please note below an important message from our Division Commander:

Fellow Compatriots,

As many of you have already heard The United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Memorial Hall national headquarters building has been vandalized in the second round of senseless rioting!

Following is a letter from the UDC President-General:
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Subject: A very sad day in the history of the UDC

Ladies,

This is a very sad day in the history of the UDC. Saturday night about midnight, in the dark of night as cowards usually travel, there was a riot in Richmond. These people with a directed agenda hit various Confederate monuments down Monument Avenue spraying graffiti and attempting to bring them down. Then they turned on us.

Our building was covered with graffiti, windows were broken all across the front, in the dining room, in the pantry and across the very back.

The breaking point was when the curtains hanging out of the Goodlett Library window were set on fire and our building blazed. Thanks to the quick actions of staff the majority of our building was saved.

When the riots started, the staff were at home, and, with the problems in Richmond, they decided to monitor, from home, the security cameras surrounding the building. When they saw people (about 150-250 people) approaching our building they called the police and then me. As they watched the mob of protesters, they sent pictures to me. When they saw smoke and then flames coming from the building, they called the fire department. The police came with lights flashing and sirens on and the rioters left running. The fire department was close behind. Had it not been for our staff members’ dedication, monitoring our building (on their time off) all night and calling the authorities, we might have lost everything.

Staff Members went to the building to assess the damage during the night. They had to wait for the fire department to allow them to enter the building. It appears the fire was contained in the Goodlett Library, but smoke and soot have covered every inch of the building, and there is water damage to parts of the building. One staff member tells me all of the books in the Goodlett Library have some sort of damage, but it could be days before a complete assessment may be made. They think the shelves storing the Division History books, and whatever else was in that area, are a total loss.

I last talked to staff members about 3:30 AM CDT, and the fire department had people there putting boards on our windows to secure the building. I have discussed with the staff the need for security around the building 24/7 for maybe a month. They will contact appropriate security services tomorrow. We will also be talking to our insurance company and seeking safe storage for some of our items until all can be safely brought back into the building. We will need professional cleaners to bring the other areas back to a usable status. All carpets may have to be replaced. Cleanup is going to take a long time.

The building inspector told the staff that it would be wise not to go back into the building until at least Tuesday. This will allow the smoke and gases from the fire to clear the building. Please give the people in the Business Office some time to get their lives back together, and then we can return to business as usual.
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Returning to the SCV Virginia Division Commander:

There is a video of the event that was on twitter and a member sent a copy of it to me and Mary (UDC President-General) who forwarded it to the police. We were told that, if they can find the man filming the event and shouting direction to the crowd, he can be charged with hate crimes, arson and inciting a riot to list a few items.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was not touched, but the Virginia Historical Society had damage as well.

Prayers for UDC, prayers for their Business Office and the staff, and prayers for these misguided, uneducated, simple minded people who follow these hate filled groups like the pied piper. May they see the light and ask to be forgiven for their hateful actions.

There were monuments on Monument Avenue attacked as well, JEB Stuart and President Davis.

Starting tonight, there is to be a curfew in Richmond for what good that will do if no one is held accountable as in the two previous riots that have already occurred! I cannot believe not the first arrest has been made in connection with these cowardly riotous activities the past two nights. These incidents have absolutely nothing to do with the Minnesota travesty and should be dealt with as hate crimes in Richmond!

I have received numerous calls about posting armed guards at the UDC Building. The Virginia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans does not condone the use of deadly force and we are not in the armed guard business! We must maintain the high ground. If any of you feel the need to go to the UDC building or any statue as armed guards go as a private citizen and not as a SCV Member or SCV Virginia Division Camp, you also need to check with the property/building owner prior.

There were numerous other violations across the state as well

The Virginia Division SCV will keep you informed of future developments on this and all matters concerning our SCV Heritage/History.

Please pray for Virginia during these difficult times.

Johnny Neville-Commander
Virginia Division
Sons of Confederate Veterans