The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-14
WAR MEMORIALS.
THE ANTIETAM STATUE.

MENT.
The Hartford Courant. of the 2nd inst,
contains the following account of the i'm
mense military statue to be erected on the
battle ground at Antietam, Maryland: Yes
terday party of gentlemen and ladies ac.
cepted the invitation OF Mr.. James G.. Bat
terson to visit the ouaries at Westerly, r. l.,
TO see the colossal Antietam statue which
is now ready for transportation to the An
tietam battle ground. We recently gave an
account of the ceremonies at the unwilling
of the statue, after it came from the sculp-
tors hands and was erected upon the ouarrv
grounds. The colossal statue, as our read
ers know, is intended for the soldiers mon
ument on the battle ground at Antietam
where 1t is to stand in the midst of the he
roes who fell and are buried there 1t will
be transported to its place and dedicated
some time next fall with appropriate cere-
monies and an GRAFTON by Gen. J. r. Haw-
ley, who was selected for that purpose by
the monument committee at meeting last
week. The great masses of granite COM
posing the pedestal will be transferred 70
Stonington on platform cars, and be thence
shipped TO Alexandria by steamboat; at Al
exandria they will be carried by canal boat
to Sharpsburg. and thence rolled the re-
naming mile and a half to the battlefield
The transportation of these heavy weights
is not matter of great difficulty with our
modern machinery, but the moving of the
statue Will require care. The statue itself
weighs something over thirty tons. The Pc
destal, which is in twenty-five blocks,
weighs 1917 tons. The figure is 21% feet
high. including the plinth. Perhaps a bet
ter IDEA of the colossal image may be OBJ
tanned by saying that. the gun held by the
soldier is eighteen feet long, and that his
CHI - Cot IN
statue is in two pieces, the junction
being at the belt, and the joint will be so
perfect with the fitting of the belt that the
point of contact will not be seen. The piece
of granite from which the upper part of the
figure was cut weighed about thirty tons
when it was lifted from the quarry, and the
piece from which the lower part was CHS
eled
WEIGHED SEVENTY TONS.
Besides the figure the base supports, in the
same piece, the stump of tree, which
serves as slight support and balance for
this gigantic mass. The pedestal is twenty
five feet high, and as the statue is made 10
be looked at from that elevation, it cannot
properly be judged until it is in place. 1t
will tower about fifty feet above the ground;
and that it will be one of the most COM
handing monuments in the world we have
reason TO believe, and time will have little
effect upon the enduring granite. The fig
ure is, we believe, the largest in stone this
side of Egypt, and its execution in so hard
material as granite was considered daring
attempt in art. If the verdict of the artistic
word is favorable, the result will be great
triumph for American genius and enter
prise. The figure might have been made a
moDolitb; chat is, a stone of the required
size for it might have been taken from the
quarry, and it's cutting in one piece would
have been easier in many respects;
but the handling and transportation
the cost much beyond the sum to
which the committee were limited. The de-
sign for the whole monument was made by
Mr.. James G.. PATTERSON: it was his first
sketch that was accepted by the committee.
in competition with other artists. The
statue is the work Of Mr.. Charles Conrad,
a German by birth, but an American by ed
ucation and residence, and an artist who has
been for long time employed in Mr.. Batter
sons establishment, and has shown his talent
and skill in many works of art. The clay
model for the statue was about One-fOurth
the size of the image. In looking at the fin
ished work we must not forget the mechan-
ical skill and the patience of the sculptor
who have slowly hewn il from
the enormous blocks of rough granite. The
leading sculptor who worked out the figure,
enlarging it from the smaller model, was
Mr.. James M. Pollett. The idea of the fig
ure is the United States soldier as sentinel.
He stands at rest with his musket, the cart
ridge box and bayonet depending from his
side. He is clad in the regulation overcoat
with cape, and wears the cap of the soldier.
The attitude is perfect repose, but the watch
full eye and the intelligent face express
VIGILANCE AND MANLY COURAGE.
The face is smooth shaven except the NOUS
tache, and is that of a resolute man. The
drapery hangs in massive and graceful folds,
the material lending itself admirably to
good effect of light and shade. The posture
Is easy and the figure is full of strength and
dignity. We were prepared to see a statue
from its very size and the sta
bility of its substance. But we were not
to see such grace and dignity OF re-
pose as it has, nor face so fine, noble and
expressive. AS we have said it cannot fairly
be judged until it is seen upon the high ped
esIal upon which it is designed to be looked
at But we believe it will satisfy the require
ments of monumental art. Upon one of the
dies of the pedestal is being cut trophy OF
arms. Upon another will be the legend
mot for themselves, but for their country"
The name and date of the battle will
also appear, and perhaps upon another
side larger dedicatory Inscription No one
colossus from the quarry can have any idea
of the labor and anxiety attending it, nor
Of the excitement and satisfaction that at
tended the erection of it to its present posi-
ton. Every stone which enters into the
of the monument was selected
with the utmost care. that no flaw or i'm
perfection should exist in it. One of the
first stones, weighing over 20 tons, was re-
iected after considerable work had been
done On it On account of slight blemish.
To the artists and workmen. to Mr.. Batter
son and to Mr.. McNary of the committee,
great praise Is due for the successful ac-
of what must be called a diff
ficult, a gigantic undertaking. The total
cost of the monument to the states inter
terested is $4,000; we should say that it
must cost the contractor fully that.
THEPLACE FOR THE STATUE.
The public are in the main familiar with
The history of the "Antietam National Gem
stery." The battle itself Connecticut, and