Virginia Removes Statue of Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, Confederate Surgeon Behind Geneva Convention Accord

Virginia authorities removed three statues from the state capitol grounds on Friday, including one honoring Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, a Confederate surgeon whose medical innovations contributed to the development of the Geneva Convention. The removals occurred in Richmond as state officials continue efforts to address monuments connected to the Confederacy and Civil War era.

McGuire served as a surgeon throughout nearly the entire Civil War, credited with saving numerous lives during his military service. Among the notable figures he treated was General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, who died under his care. A Jackson statue was also taken down during the same removal operation.

In May 1862, following the First Battle of Winchester, McGuire convinced a reluctant Jackson to release six captured Union Army doctors, establishing what became known as the Winchester Accord. The agreement, negotiated with Northern forces, designated medical personnel as non-combatants entitled to protection and release during wartime.

The Winchester Accord principles were subsequently adopted by the Geneva Convention, establishing protections for medical personnel that remain in effect internationally today. McGuire himself was released by Union forces under the accord in 1864 and witnessed the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.

Democratic state Senator Mike Jones cited historical racial segregation as justification for the removals, referencing imagery from his mother’s scrapbook. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation announced the three statues will be relocated to battlefield sites rather than destroyed.