Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-08
A HERO IN BRONZE.
The Grant Monument I'm
yelled at Chicago.
A Magnificent Memorial to the
Great General.
The Stately Structure Triumph of
the SculptOr's Art.
countless Thousands Present at the
Unveiling-The Grafton Delivered
by Judge Grssham-An I'M
posing Pageant.
Associated Press Dispatches.


honor the memory of the nations great
soldier. A giant hero in the sky-that
was what, suddenly outlined against
the heavens through the smoke and roar
of artillery, the huge bronze statne OF
General Grant looked to the tens of
thousands on the shore and ships that
had braved apparently threatening |
weather. The glorious sun shone just
in the nick of time, and made perfect
the apotheosis that before was as COM
plete and gigantic as human hands could
do
Under a leaden sky, from which
the rain had been falling at inter
walls during the day, with sharp
winds blowing across the lake and city,
in the presence of a great throng who
braved the elements, amid booming can
non from the government vessels off
shore, amid the screaming of whistles
from the shipping, and the resounding
strains of the Star Spangled Banner,
played by many bands, with regimental,
federal and state troops at present arms,
while Grand Army veterans and civic
societies were clustered about, the he
roic bronze statue of the late General
Ulysses S. Grant, upon a magnificent
granite pedestal spanning the roadway
at the top of the hill looking towards the
lake, was unveiled. To the multitude
present the great, silent figure, firm in
the saddle, looking across the broad ex-
panse of the wave, seemed as if again in
life, and, needless of the excited throng
about him, scanning the horizon for
enemies of the land which in Gods
providence he had been called to ma
jestically defend.
The enormous crowd gathered there
formed an extraordinary figure, includ-
ing not only high civil and military dig
nitaries of the nation, state and city,
but those gathered from far and near
who were the closest to thesdead general
personally-the wife who stood by him,
and the veterans of his original regi-
ment, the famous old Twenty-frst Illi-
nois infantry, with the identical colors
unfurled at his first headquarters tent.
The orator of the day was worthy of
the occasion, distinguished like his sub
ject, in camp and counsel, the stalwart
soldier and jurist, General Walter Q.
Gresham, judge Of the United States
court of appeals.
A hush fell upon the thousands as Gre
sham, facing the lake, stepped forward
to the edge of the platform at the base
of the monument. On either side in
tiers on the green slopes, behind the
speaker, the distinguished guests were
given places-among them Mrs. General
Grant, her white hair showing beneath
her widows bonnet. Massed in front
were nearly 10000 uniformed men
infantry, cavalry and artillery, both reg
ular and state militia, grizzled veterans
of the Grand Army of the Republic,
bright plumed Knights of Pythias, and
many other similar semi-military and
civic organizations back of them
the general public, and beyond an
imposing flotilla of vessels, profusely
decked with bunting, the steamers
Michigan, johnson and Fessenden, lake
steamers, tugs, yachts, city fire boats,
and miscellaneous lake craft.
Leading up to this superb column was
the formation on the lake front, three
miles distant, of a great land parade,
and its march to the statue under COM
mand of Major-General Nelson A. Miles,
u. S. A. The procession was headed by
platoon of police, followed in order by
United States regulars from Fort Sheri-
dan, infantry, cavalry and artillery
Illinois national guards, infantry and
cavalry; Grand Army veterans, includ-
ing the Societies of the Armies of the
Tennessee, the Cumberland and the Po-
tomac; distinguished guests in carriages,
including Secretary Noble, Senator ohm
Sherman, Governor Buckley, of Con-
necticut; Governor Fifer, of Illinois, and
Mrs. General John A. Logan. Next
came Grand Army posts of the north
west, forming an entire division; then
Sons of Veterans and the Society of ex-
Confederates, closing with civic socie-
ties.
At the monument, Bishop John P.
Newman offered prayer, then ColonelE.
S. Taylor presented the monument, on
behalf of the monument association, to
the commissioners of Lincoln park.
The unwilling followed, and General
Gresham then delivered his address.
The sculptor of the statue is Lewis
Rebisso, of Cincinnati. 1t is of bronze,
eighteen feet high, and represents
General Grant seated on horseback,
both man and animal in a position of
rest. The general grasps field glass in
his right hand, with the glass resting
upon his thigh, as after taking a careful
survey OF the field, suggesting as a
whole, concentration of mind, conf
dence and self reliance.
In letter regretting his inability to
be present, President Harrison paid
this tribute to General Grant: ''He
was tower OF strength and confidence
in the crisis of our civil war. He
redeemed the failures OF other
men, revived the courage of the
faint and disheartened, gave his
confidence to matchless army, and
received in return its mistaken faith.
Revealing to his soldiers their invinci-
BILE power, he more than any other
leader of the war realized that when our
army paused to recruit and reorganize,
an opportunity was given to the enemy
to do the same. If his battalions were
shattered and weary, he did not forget
that the enemy's were in as bad or a
worse plight, and he followed and struck
again."
A heavy sea, caused by last nights
storm, prevented sailing vessels to a
large extent from participating in the
naval display.
Only Stealing a Ride.