Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-29

- Sr-a-.ssE ed fully 1900 vol
unteers for the war
HE "ooh MON and, having organ
lied them, marched them through the enemy's
country to the seat of war without shedding
drop of blood. At Buena Vista ne won
his most distinguished laurels. Historians
friendly to him claim for him the credit Of
having virtually saved the American army
from being annihilated and OF turning inn
pending disaster into overwhelming victory.
When he returned to the States from the
Mexican war his name was on every body's
tongue He was received in New York with
enthusiasm. His voyage UP the Hudson to
his home in Troy was an ovation ali along.
The national government, the state govern
ment and the city of Troy each presented
him costly sword in recognition of his ser
vices to the country. From 1S4S to the be-
ginningof the civil war he was department
commander, part of the time on the Pacific
coast, but chiefly in the east with headquar-
tiers in the city of Troy. When the civil
war began he was ono of the very few then
military commanders TO whom the govern
ment turned for assistance, but, as in the
case of Gen. Scott, he was too advanced in
years to carry safely the great burden which
that struggle laid upon men in responsible
positions.
He was, however, placed in command at
Fortress Monroe in August, 1861. From that
time till July Is, 1868, he held number of
important posts of command but on the last
named date he was relieved altogether. Two
weeks later be was placed on the retired list,
his long, active and successful military life
thus coming to an end. Having seen the
mi bea vrofc wifi
tagging interest the healing of the nation
when he was mustered out of LIES contest on
Nov. 10, 1869
His monument in the Troy cemetery was
erected out 81 fund left by MS Will for that
purpose in the following language: 81 author
iZe and direct my executors to pay to my
wife such sum of money as she shall desire
up to $4,000 for the purpose of erecting a
monument for her and me-" Mrs Wool did
not expend The oney. She died in 1878, and
six years afterward her executor IL dertook
the work.
The sign Of the present stately obelisk
was adopted after it had been submitted to
William Cullen Bryant, who said of it: II
approve of the suggestion of an obelisk for
the monument of Gen Wool and Mrs Wool.
A statue might be improper when consid-
er that it would be erected in compliance
with the generals will, nobody erects
statues to his own memory" The inscrip-
tons, which were written and arranged by
Mr. Bryant, on the die as follows. On
the west face:
John Ellis WOOL born Feb 90 1884 Died Nov
TO- 1869
Sarah Nouton, his wife, born July 4, 1877.
Died May :, 1873.
On the east face one reads:
This stone is erected to Maj Gen. John Ellis
Wool, the gallant soldier, the able commander
and the patriotic citizen, distinguished in many
battles; and to Sarah Moulton, MS excellent and
worthy consort.
On the north face is the record Of Gen.
Wools battles
Queenstown. Oct. Is 1912
Plattsburg, Feb. II, 1914
BueDa Vista, Feb % p 1874
Norfolk, May TO- 1852
The monumental structure consists of three
base pieces, the die, nodded neck piece and
the shaft, the whole erected ON . rock foun-
dation. The first base is l. 4 feet square by
feet thick. The other two are proportion
ately smaller. The die on which the inscrip-
tons are is feet high and feet square at
the bottom, tapering to feet inches at the
top of it. The neck molding has Egyptian
carving. Above this the monolith rises to a
height of GO feet. 1t is 5 feet inches square
at the base and feet square at the top ter
minating in pyramidal point 81 feet high.
Tue entire height of the monument is 155s
feet. The only monumental structure in
this country that can be compared with the
Wool monument is the Egyptian obelisk in
Central park New York. The monohth of
the Cleopatra needle is only a foot and half
taller than the Wool monolith, while the
total height of the Central park obeisk is
only five feet more than this one in the Troy
cemetery.
The Wool monument is of Fox Island Me-,
granite, smoothly hammered, but nowhere
polished. Four gigantic blocks were quar-
ried before perfect one was obtained
" hen shaped and dressed it was transported
TO Troy, a distance Of 400 miles. by the sea
coast and the Hudson river. From the river
al Troy it was hauled by steam power, cap
stan and rollers 20 the cemetery up a steep
grade TO q total elevation of fully SO feet
above the river. The quarrying, dressing.
and setting up of this stone
second in size in this country only TO the
Egyptian obelisk, was more formidable
work than Lieut.. Commander Gorringe per
formed il transferring and transplanting the
I-SN pll1u SlOES- IESSeslStTS 10 dllO lINlu
Saratoga BY the Hudson river railroad may
see the tail gray shaft on Gen Wool's grave
rising above the tops of the trees that fringe
the cemetery heights.
In thu public cemetery Of Albany, y. Y,
four or five miles from the graves of Gen
Thomas and Gen. Wool, there are two Ison-
uments 20 the memory Of distinguished COM
manders in the American army of the Revo-
luton. one st the grave of Gen. Peter Ganse-
WORT, the other tribute 10 Gen. Philip
Schuyler. One is modest, old fashioned
marble pile on which the elements have 6e-
posted the CRIME OF years, the other stately
Roman column of dark Quincy granite.
Peter Gansevoort, a native Of Albany. was
% years old when, in lbs, he entered the
army as a major and ioinei the Ill fated
in mis- expedition against Can
ada. His most distinguished service, and
that which places him among the bright starr
in cur Revolutionary frmauleat, was per
formss. at Fort Stanwix. where now stands