A descendant of Lee, who commanded the confederate forces from 1862 until their surrender in 1865, echoed the thoughts of the Jackson family and said he had no problem with their removal.

"Eventually, someone is going to have to make a decision, and if that's the local lawmaker, so be it," said Robert E. Lee V, the great-great grandson of the general.

"But we have to be able to have that conversation without all of the hatred and the violence.

"And if they choose to take those statues down, fine."

Mr Lee, 54, of Washington DC, told CNN: "Maybe it's appropriate to have them in museums or to put them in some sort of historical context in that regard."

Bertram Hayes-Davis, great-great-grandson of the confederate president Jefferson Davis, agreed with Mr Lee, and said that the statues should be moved to a museum if "that's offensive to a large majority of the public."

He said: "In a public place, if it is offensive and people are taking issue with it, let's move it. Let's put it somewhere where historically it fits with the area around it so you can have people come to see it, who want to understand that history and that individual."