National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-11-20

down to the saddle.cloth, arc his army SLOUGH
hat aud gloves. His doublc-breasted military
froclS coat Is uttoned to the chin aud fts easily
giving picturesque and wdll-managed folds.
The skirts fall over his right leg aud arc blown
back on TO his loft thigh. His plain riding
boots rest in open stirrups and his sword hangs
on his left side. There Is no 1ummory, no
needless trapping. The General is free in his
saddle and IN trim for active work. Ono reiu,
bride, bit, surcinglc, breast and bolly-bands
Mcclellan saddle and cloth are the horses
cararison. There are no holsters, housings,
saddls.bags or blanket. This extreme sim.
plicity has its use, for IL concentrates the at
teutiOn on the rider and horse The lines from
the junction Of the life.like head of the horse,
with eyes wide open and swelling nostrlls,
with the neck down TO the foru hoOf., are
grandly graceful the side 60 sido swaying
motion in unison of the hind quarters of the
animal aud the body Of its rider, caused by
the ascent, is admirably caught at tho moment
OF pause, aud is especially well carried out IN
the anatomy of the latter's back'seen through
his coat. The face OF General Thomas is ex-
pressive, and the head throughout well mod
sled. The intent express on, rs he looks, with
firmly compressed jaw,away, is we'll rendered.
The figure Of tho horse Is admirably given II
is especially good anatomically and has noticea-
bly, careful vening.
The whole work is about fifteen feet in height
from the ground on which the animal stands
to the top of his riders head, nearly on n
level with which his own rises. Tho figures
are about twice life-size. The color of the
bronze Is clear, light brown, almost the
natural color of the alloy. 1t Is to stand on
pedestal of granite IN horizontal section, OF
clliptical shape, about sixteen feet in height
on which there will be decorations aud tablets,
also of bronze
THE PEDESTAL.
An appropriation of $4,000 was made by
Congress on July 81 1876, for the pedestal, and
tho Secretary of War; the chairman of the
Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds
of tho Senate and the chairman of the Com.
mittco on Public Buildings and Grounds of the
House were appointed a committee 10 desig-
| nato tho place where the pedestal should DO
erected. This committee selected the circle at
tho intersection of Fourteenth and NJ streets
| as tho spot.
In tho spring of 1877 a number of designs
for the pedestal upon call of the officer Of
! Public Buildings aud Grounds, welo furnished
by architects of this city. These designs were
submitted to tho inspection of the executive
Committee OF the Society of the Army of the
| Cumberland and other members of that body,
and that of j. l.. Smithmcycr Go. was Sc
| lCcted by those gentlemen rs the design to be
| erected.
| The construction of the design was put into
| the hands of Colonel II. L. Casey, Corps of En-.
| giueeis, and officer in charge of the public
buildings and grounds. A contract after due
advertisement was made July 30, 1877, with
| NJ. X. Chase, of Blue Hill Me-, to furnish the
cut granite for tho pedestal, from his quarries
ut that place, for the sum of 81 800 his being
the lowest bid. The preparation OF tho foun-
datiou for the pedestal which necessitated the
turning around the circle of tho largo Four
teeuth-street sewer was completed in the fall
of 1877, and the pedestal was erected upon the
! foundation in the spring of 1873
On tho 9th of May, 1873, contracts were on
tered into with Wilhelm & Newman, of Phia-
delphia, to furnish and erect upon the pedestal
| four bronze candelabra for tho sum OF si,6iO,
which were completed in July, 1873. On the
| 18th of June, 1873, contract was made with
| Bureau Bros. & Heaton, of Philadelphia, to
furnish the cartouches which adorn the sides
of the monument for the sum of $500. This
work was completed in November, 1873, and
the pedestal was finished in accordance with
| the design OF tho architect.
| By tho act of March 3, 1877, the uncxpendcd
balance of the sum appropriated for the pur-
pose in the act of July 81, 1876. was rcappro-
priatcd and rendered available, and by the net
of June 20, 1873 tho upexpended balance of
the appropriation made July 81, 1873, was re-
| appropriated aud made available to finish tho
pedestal and statue.
| Under these several acts tho original appro.
priation has been expended as follows: For
the construction of the pedestal, IN accordance
with the design OF J. l.. Smithmeyer & Co.,
| $22 9l2.1S paid to ]. Q. A. Ward, ON account
of the statue. 81 ,SSl.62; turned in to tho Treas
ury, $2O62O total, $4,000