The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-06
THE PENNSYLVANIA HEROES.
Hancock and Meade HOnOred by Their
Own Commonwealth.
ON THE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG
Formal Dedication of the Equestrian Stat
ues Erected at the Expense of the State
in Memory of Two Of Her Distin-
guished Military Commanders.

trian statues Of Generals George G. Meade
and Winfield s. Hancock, erected by the
state of Pennsylvania in honor to the
memory of those gallant warriors, were
unveiled on the historic battlefield of Get
tysburg yesterday Thunders of artillery
and bursts of martial music filled the
warm summer air, and hundreds of bat
tie Scared veterans doffed their caps as
the flags fell from the monuments of their |
former leaders, Over 5000 persons stood |
uncovered under the perfect June skies |
and saw the impressive ceremonies.
The Meade statute was unveiled at 10;30 |
o'clock in the morning George Gordon |
Meade, the boy grandson of the dead hero |
pulled the cord which released the dra.
peries, and as they fell from the beautiful |
monument Battery G, of the Third United !
States artillery, fired the major generals !
salute.
General P. ]. s. Goblin was master of
ceremonies, which were begun with a
prayer by the Rev. Dr. Spencer, chaplain
of Meade Post, of Philadelphia. The otli-
GERS of the post then performed the act OF
dedication, and the unveiling followed.
The members of the post then decorated
the statute with laurel wreathes, and Gen
raj Goblin formally transferred the me-
lllpllul w NlbNtIllDI IldSbllESs IL NpiiAE
so he spoke of the campaign of 1868 as the
darkest hour of the nation, and referred
to the change of commanders on the eve
of battle, concluding with a fitting eulogy
of General Meade.
Governor Hastings responded at length,
paying brilliant tribute to the dead hero,
and concluding as follows
"Other nations said of us that America
must tho Nyav pf all t,nr,i1 blips. III ponl1
not Withstand the great conflict But when
the dreadful storm, which had been gath
ering for decades and raging for three
years, had burst in all its relentless fury
amidst these hills and valleys when charge
and counter charge had ended; when the
cannon no longer gave forth defiant thun-
ders; when death had claimed her own
and the high carnival of hate and passion
was exhausted, and the smoke of musket
and battery was lifted from the scene,
here, on this very spot, upon his horse sat
the victorious commander, the chieftain OF
the conquerors, the proud Pennsylvan-
ian, George Gordon Meade.
Gas the chief executive, for the time he
ing, of the commonwealth wherein his
most heroic services were rendered for
the people Of the present generation, for
the memory of his comrades who sleep in
yonder cemetery for the widows and
orphans whose dear ones rest beneath the
shadows of this statue, in behalf of the
brave men of sister states who rushed to
PENNSYLVANIA rescue in the hour of her
peril, and for the generations yet to come
in this keystone of the nations arch, nc
cept this precious trophy. l notifyyou that
no vandal hands shall mar its noble pro-
portions, and l promise you that the
patriotism, loyalty and pride of our people
our Pennsylvania freemen-will preserve
it in honor to the latest generation"
Then General Goblin introduced the ora
tor of the occasion, General ID. McM.
Gregg, who commanded the Second cavalry
division in the battle of Gettysburg.
General Gregg said that the hero whose
memory was thus honored was a citizen
of Pennsylvania, although born in Cadiz,
Spain, while his father was minister there
in 1885. He spoke of Meade's military ed
ucation and training; his services in the
Mexican war, and his skillful work as
chief of the Typographical engineering
corps, in all of which Offices he held the
respect and esteem of officers and men.
General Miles commander-in-chief of
the United States army, was introduced
He expressed his thanks, and then told Of
Meades wonderful skill in handling his
army He referred to the enthusiasm
! which existed in the Confederate army on
| the eve of the battle and of Lees move
ment Of 10000 cavalry to attack the rear
| of the Union forces believing that the
/ Confederate general meant TO make this
another Auste"litz.
Brigadier General John II. Brooke. u.
| s. A., who commands the department Of
the Platte, was the next speaker. He was
| followed by H. X. Rush Brown, sculptor
/ of the monument
The Hancock statute was unveiled at
| clock in the afternoon, with much the
/ same ceremonies
| General Goblin also presided here, and
prayer was offered by Rev. DR. Mcknight,
president of Pennsylvania College. Miss
/ Eleanor Nicholson, daughter of Colonel
| Nicholson, unveiled the statute, General
/ Goblin made the formal transfer of the
monument TO the governor, who, in a
| brief speech, accepted il for the state.
General Henry H. Bingham, congress
/ man from Philadelphia, who was ON Cen
eral Hancock's staff at Gettysburg, was
/ the orator.
| General Bingham was followed by F.
! Edwin Elwell, the sculptor Of the monu
ment, who spoke briefly on American art
! claiming supremacy for the American dis
| play at the World fair
Hundreds Of Grand Army men who at
tended the annual encampment at Cham
bersburg stopped here on their way home
and participated in the ceremonies.
The Hancock statue is 10 feet high
resting on pedestal of blocks of granite
| the whole II feet long, 10 feet wide and /;
feet high. The horse and rider face to tn,
! southwest, General Hancock rs if directing
! the movement of troops ON that line.
The statue TO General Meade stands OF
an elevation west of his headquarters anC
quite near the bloody angle Its pedes
tai is composed of three massive granite
blocks weighing twenty, twenty-eght anC
thirty-hye tons respectively. 1t is almos
10 feet long, feet wide and 10 feet high
Both statues are of the best quality o
bronze, of heroic size, and are about ~
feet from the ground at the highest point
! They cost over 100000.