The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-30

The superstructure, which was built up
in an excavation nine feet in depth,
was made of dressed limestone from
this vicinity. The crypts open north
ward and are arranged in two par
allel tiers, lying one above the other,
three each tier. The center crypt
in the lower tier is occupied by the
casket of General Jackson, that imme-
diately above by that of his daughter,
Mrs. Christian.
The pedestal is made Of light gray
granite from the Westham quarries
near Richmond, Va. 1t is neatly
dressed and rises by several blocks
to the statue. From foundation to
capstone it is devoid of artistic orna-
mentation. The north face of the
middle stone bears the word "Stone-
WALL" the opposite face the name
jackson and the dates-1S24-IS6S
of his birth and death.
The bronze statue is of heroic size
and represents the commander in
uniform, standing, with pair of field
glasses in his left hand, which he has
just lowered and his left hand placed
on the top of his sword hilt, his weight
resting on left leg and the sword point.
Thus he stood on the right flank OF
Lees army at fredericksburg and
watched the serried hosts of Franklin
advancing across the plains near Ham
ilton's Crossing, engaging Pelham's
Light Artillery and assaulting his
position. The attitude is easy, the
expression of the face that of a man
in the prime of life, whose soul is
agitated by the strongest emotions.
The statue overlooks the landscape
of hill and dale, which rolls southwark
until it fades away in the blue haze
that wraps the Peaks of Otter and
other spurs of the Blue Ridge range.
The monument is the second memorial
erected in Virginia in honor Of Cen
eral Jackson. Soon after his death
in 1865, an association of English gen.
tlemen subscribed about 1000 guineas
to pay work of art by Great Britian's
best artist-a bronze statue which was
afterward presented to the state of
Virginia and placed in the capitol
square in Richmond. 1t was executed
by Foley and on October 25th, 1876,
was unveiled with proper ceremonies.
THE SCULPTOR.
Edward Virginius Valentine was
born in Richmond November IL, 1898,
and received his early education in the
classical schools of the city. In his
youth he was surrounded by everything
calculated to develop his taste, and
after receiving such instruction in
drawing in his native city as the
schools Of the day afforded in 1859 he
left Virginia for Europe to take an art
course there. In Paris he studied
under Countuer, in Florence with
Bonaniti, and finally went to Berlin,
where, after good deal of persuasion
on his part, he succeeded in entering
the studio of Kiss, who was opposed to
taking pupils. This celebrated artist
not only becrme his master, but his
warm friend, lavishing upon him both
his time and his affection. Valentine
remained in Kiss sstudio for four years,
in the meantime taking a course of
drawing under Holbein, and private
lessons in art history under Professor
Eggers. Upon his return to Virginia
he established a studio in his native
city, and among bis first works were
busts of Beauregard, Stuart, Jackson,
Maury, and other confederate celebri-
ties, and he was finally commissioned
to execute the Lee recumbent figure
which is now in the mausoleum an.
nexed to the chapel of Washington
and Lee University and conceded to
be one of the grandest examples o.
monument sculpture on the continent.
In 1887 he completed his heroic bronze
of Breckenridge for Lexington, KY.
and recently his Wickham, which will
be unveiled in Richmond in the fall
His Jackson was nodded from the
Winchester and the Fredericksburg
portraits and the death mask of "Stone
wall, which is in his possession. While
he had these works in the platform he
also nodded busts Of number of pri
vate individuals. His greatest idea
work is his Apdromache and Astyanax
which is being transferred to marbl.
for exhibition at the Worlds Fair ii
Chicago, and which is the result 0
years Of study.