Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-11-03
THE YORKTOWN MONUMENT
IN Commemoration Of the Surrender
of CornwaIIiS,

IN Commemorative Of the Surrender
of CornwaIIis,
The commission of artists, as provid.
cd by the act Of June 2, 1880, were ap-
pointed by the secretary Of war, In let
tiers dated July %, 1880, and consisted
OF r. III. Hunt, of New York; ]. O. A.
Ward, Of New York; and Henry Van
Brunt, of Boston. The commission.
In submitting the design and modal.
which has been accepted BY the secre
tary OF war and the commission of
congress, and which will be the form
OF the column to be erected at York
town, remark:
From the point of view Of senti-
ment, this monument is intended 10
convey, In architectural language. the
idea, set forth in the dedicatoTy inscrip-
ton, that, by the victory at Yorktown,
the independence of tho United States
OF America was achieved, or brought
to final accomplishment.
The four sides Of the base contain.
hrst An inscription defeating the
monument As a memorial Of the victo
~; second, an inscription presenting
succinct narrative Of the siege, pro
pared In accordance with the original
archives in the department Of state;
third, the treaty Of alliance with the
king OF France; and, fourth, the treaty
or peace with the king of England.
In the pediments over these four sides
respectively are presented, carved in
relief, hrst, emblems Of nationality;
second, emblems Of war; third, en-
blems Of the alliance; and fourth, en-.
blems Of peace.
"The base Is thus devoted to the his
torical statement; 1t explains the sub
sequent incidents Of the monumental
composition, which are intended solely
to appeal to the imagination. The i'm.
mediate result Of the historical events.
written upon the base, was the happy
establishment of a national union Of
thirteen, youthful, free, and indepen.
dent states. To celebrate this joyful
union the sculptor has represented up
on the circular podium, which arises
from the base. a solid dance of thirteen
typical female figures, hand-in-hand,
encircling the drum, which bears upon
a belt beneath their feet the words,
One country, one constitution, one des-
tiny 1t is a symbol of the birth of
freedom.
"The column which springs from
this podium may be accepted % the
symbol Of the greatness and prosperity
Of the nation after century Of various
experience, when thirty-eight free and
independent states are shining together
in mighty constellation. It Is the tri
umphant sign of the fulHllment Of the
promise-an expression Of the strength
and beauty Of the union; but the pow
erful nation does not forget the TO
mote beginning of its prosperity, and,
in the midst of its shining stars, bears
aloft the shield of Yorktown covering
the branch Of peace.
AS the existence of the nation is Q
proof Of the possibility of a govern
ment of the people, by the people, for
the people, the column, thus adorned,
eliminates with liberty herself, star
crowned, and welcoming the people Of
all nations to share equally with rs the
fruits of our peace and prosperity"
Yhe principal dimensions of the mon
ument, taken from the drawing and
model in possession of Col. w. p. Craig
bill, engineer corps, United States
Army, who, by direction of the secre-
sary Of war, will supervise its construc-
ton, divided for the purpose of plain
understanding by the reader into: /,
the base; 2, the podium, or drum sup
porting the three dancing figures; 8,
the shaft, or upright column, 4, the
capital, resting directly or the final
course Of the column; 5, the pedestal,
which supports the figures surmount.
ing the monument; and 6, the figure,
are in height as follows
Bsse. Is feet inches
Podium, IL feet inches.
shan, IS ret inch.
Capital, feet inches
Pedestal, feet inches.
Figure. II feet inches.
Making the total height from the bot
tom Of the base, resting on the sur
face Of the ground, to the top Of the
figure, IS feet six inches. The bottom
OF the base covers a surface area of
945.56 feet. The area for inscriptions
on each side of the base is Is, $50 square
inches. The greatest diameter Of the
p0dium is feet three inches. The
height Of the thirteen figures surround
ing the podium is 8 feet; the diameter
of the shaft at the bottom, 5 feet 5
inches, and at the top feet.
The inscriptions on the base of the