A second time capsule found in the pedestal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, was opened Tuesday.
Historical records suggested the box contained a photo of former President Abraham Lincoln “lying in his coffin,” according to The Associated Press. Experts did not find the picture, but they did find a picture of a person appearing to grieve over Lincoln’s grave.
“It does appear that this is the box we expected.” Conservation experts pulled buttons, coins, documents and other artifacts from a time capsule found in the remnants of a pedestal that once held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. https://t.co/JQnJiGDvTh
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 28, 2021
Workers discovered the first time capsule in the pedestal Dec. 17. Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was not certain at the time that the first time capsule was the one that had been written about in historical documents.
The box discovered Tuesday matched historical accounts of a time capsule from 1887 conservators had been looking for in the pedestal.
The box was found in an alcove within the pedestal in water, according to the AP. (RELATED: Time Capsule Found Underneath Confederate Monument Contains Robert E. Lee Button, Strand Of Hair From His Horse, Experts Believe)
“I think it’s in better shape than we expected,” said Kate Ridgway, the lead conservator for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, reported the AP.
Historians also found books, newspapers, Confederate money, Minié balls, and a Confederate flag in the box, according to the outlet.
Lee’s statue was removed Sept. 6 after a group of residents in Richmond filed a lawsuit.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller for comment.