A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was dismantled in Virginia’s capital on Wednesday, ending months of legal wrangling. The 21-foot statue of Lee atop a horse had sat on a 40-foot pedestal at the intersection of Monument Avenue and North Allen Avenue in Richmond since May 29, 1890. Its unveiling drew a crowd estimated at as many as 150,000. French sculptor Marius Jean Antonin Mercié crafted the piece with the intention of memorializing Lee’s military accomplishments, 25 years after the Union beat the Confederate army. But the statue drew increasing opposition in recent years, and opponents succeeded last year in convincing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to order its removal. Legal challenges delayed the move, but it finally went through on Wednesday morning. Workers removed the statue with a crane, slicing it into pieces because it was too large to transport as a …