The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-02
GEN. cUSTER'S MONUMENT.
Unveiiing the Statue at West Point
August gotham Impos-
ing Event.
WEST POINT, Aug. Both, 1879.

Custer, and the work which to-day has
been dedicated, is fit memorial of his
deeds and achievements-a commission
entrusted to Mr.. Macdonald by a
number of distinguished citizens FORM
ing committee appointed by the New
York Herald, among which are Thur
low Weed, Gen, Hancock, Gen. Scho-
field, A. S. Sullivan and Thomas Le-
| Clear, the eminent painter. The prin-
cipal part of the funds were raised by
the New York Herald; Clara Morris,
Judge Hilton, Lawrence Barrett, John
I. Raymond, Louisa Kellogg and the
Vokes family being among the princi-
pal subscribers, they having subscribed
more than one-half of the whole
amount raised by the Herald, balance
by the Custer monument association Of
Munroe, Michigan, Gen. Sheridan,
president; J. NJ. Bulkley, secretary.
The monument was erected at
West Point, place singularly appro-
pirate, and one which, if the general
could have been consulted, he would
have chosen above all others.
The figure which the sculptor has
made is a statuesque portrait of the
original in his last and fatal fight. 1t
is eight feet in height, and dressed in a
colonel's uniform. The pedestal is to
be of granite and will be nine feet high,
which will make the whole structure
about eighteen feet from the ground to
the top of the head. On the four sides
of the die of the pedestal are three me-
dallions and tablet, all of bronze The
front medallion represents Gen. Custer
on horseback, in the characteristic cos
tune in which he delighted to appear
while on warlike expedition. The
other two medallions on the right and
left sides give buffalo heads, with In
dian weapons and implements.
In his conception and treatment of
this subject, Macdonald has made a
bold innovation in the art as practiced
to-day. He has revived the ruling
force of the Greek ideal, creating soul
in the clay, and typified the man in
supreme moment of action-just as he
supposed Custer made his desperate
and final struggle for life, ere being
beaten down in hand-to- hand fight,
in the awful tragedy at Little Big
Horn.
1t is indeed supreme climax, in
which the ruling forces of the daring
soldiers nature are vividly expressed in
every lineament, and the heroic soul
stands revealed. A gaze upon this no.
BILE art work is sufficient to impress
the truth of the situation upon you, for
every line and muscle speaks most elo-
quently in action that requires no
words to express its granduer. The
likeness is positive, the expression
faithful and inspired, the positive natu-
raj and dramatic, every contour aiding
the central idea. AS a whole it must
rank as MacDonald's s chef d'euue, for it
is grand conception, bold in its mas
siveness and originality, in which the
skeleton Of law is concealed by the free
movement of life; it is a work that does
credit to the progressive spirit of Amer
lean art.
The ceremonies took place at 3
O'Clock p. M, after the following
order:
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
l. Musi,,
By the Military Band.
2 Address.
Hon. A. S. Sullivan. Presentati on
of the statue to the United States
Military academy on behalf of the
committee of the Custer Monument
Association.
3. dwelling the statue by the
sculptor.
4. Music,
Custer's charging, tune, "Garry Owen" :"
5. Address and acceptance of the
statue,
Maj. Gen. j. NJ. Schofield, Superintend-
ent of the Military Academy.
6. Music.
Z. Grafton,
Gen. N. p. Banks.
s. Music.
9. Clusters Last Charge.
Recitation by the tragedian, ,Jno.
Mccullough.
10. Song. Hail and Farewell to
Custer.''
Written for the occasion by Henry
Monford, esq.
II Benediction,
By the chaplain, Rev. John Forsyth,
u. D.
Clusters Last Charge.
Dead Is IL possible? He the bold rider,
Custer our hero. the first in the fight,
Charming the bullets of yore to fly wider,
Shorning our battle kings ringlets of light?
Dead! ourlyoung chieftan and dead all for
saken.
No one to tell us the way of his fall?
Slain in the desert and never to waken,
Never, not even to victory's call?
Comrades, he's gone, but ye need not be griev-
ing,
No, may our death be like his when we die !
No regrets wasted on words am leaving,
Falling with brave men, his face to the sky,
Deaths but a Journey the greatest must take
1t,
Fame is eternal, and better than all;
Gold though the bowl be, tits fate that must
break,
Glory can hallow the fragments that fall.
Proud for his fame that last day that he met
them,
All the night long he had been on their
track.
Securing The traps and those who had set
them,
Wild for a charge that should nee'r give
back.