Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-08

| FOley'S Statue OF StoneWau JaChsOh'
General Marcus J. Wright, who Is the
agent of the United States Government
| for the collection Of Confederate archives,
| I'm ransacking the Confederate foreign cor
respondence recently came across copy
| of the prospectus of A. J. Beresford-Hope
and associates in England who raised the
money to pay the sculptor for the statue
Of StonewalI Jackson, now standing In
the Capitol Square here.
1t seems from this paper, which General
Wright has sent the Dispatch, that the
eminent sculptor j. II. Foley, ESD, X.
A.. had "undertaken to execute marble
statue, heroic size. OF the general for
II COO for transmission TO his native
country when the unhappy war shall have
ceased"
In asking for subscriptions Mr.. Hope
and associates said that it was mot at
all intended that they should imply any
opinion as to the merits of the American
struggle, but will be taken solely and
simply as a recognition of the rare per-
sonal merit of General Jackson" or
Jackson the prospectus said that Two
years have been sufficient TO create
fame which has won the kindly respect
of enemies and the admiration of the Old
World, which twenty-four months since
was ignorant OF his existence"
The prospectus of Mr. Hope was for
warded to the Hon. Judah Z. Benjamin,
| Secretary of State Of the Confederate
States, by the Hon. ]. NJ. Mason, who
was the Confederate commissioner in Lon
| don. and who wrote asking for correct
photograph OF General Jackson, exact
measurements of his person. and other
| information which would be useful for the
| guidance of the sculptor. His letter was
| Of date July 2, 1863. and in it he spoke
of the movers in the enterprise as gen
| tlemen in highest political and social
position" at WILL" said he, certainly
| be a graceful and hope, will be II CRATE
| full tribute to the memory OF the Illus
| trious dead, as well as to the country
! that gave him birth. and honored him
| with Its confidence"
Mr.. Foley was regarded by the British
|
| day, and to his hands was committed the
work OF making the statue OF the Prince
| Consort for the Albert Memorial monu-
| ment, IN Hyde Park, London. He also
made the group asia" on that monu-
| ment. Some other sculptor Of nearly
equal celebrity made the group amer
ica", q copy OF which. in plaster, is to be
seen on the Worlds Fair grounds at
| Chicago.
| Why the order for statue OF Jackson
was changed from marble TO bronze we are
not informed; probably at the request OF
either the Confederate or the Virginia
authorities.
| Mr.. Foley made some studies for the
| work before the war ended. but his model
| was not finished until some years after
the annihilation of the Confederacy. Cen
| eral Bradley r. Johnson, then of Rich
mond. now Of Baltimore. while on a visit
| to London was able to give Foley valu-
able information in his work, and there
| was a report current that he stood for
| the model though this was far from
being correct
| The papers sent us by General Wright
also refer, TO the purpose of Mr. Hope
| and his associates to raise $500 to pay
| for a pedestal, but this was finally aban-
doned. They paid for the bronze statue
| It's exact cost we do not know and had
1t shipped here. The State Of Virginia
provided the pedestal. and on october %.
1875, it was unveiled at ceremonies over
which Governor Kemper presided. The
grafton was by DR.. Hoge, and its excel
lence is declared in the general Judgment
that 1t is the greatest of all his pub
| llshed addresses
Apart from the interesting rernlnis-
cences which these long-hidden papers
recall they are valuable in reminding as
OF the treasure we possess In having here
a piece of Foley's work. What Houdon
was to France in his day, Foley has been
to England in this day. AS we were for
tunate TO have had Houdon to make "a
fac simile of Washington's person" in
marble; SO we are fortunate to haze had
Foley to give US heroic figure of Jackson
IN bronze.