The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-16
HISTORY OF THE MONUMENT.
The Movement for Its Erection Be-
gun in 1911.


pomp and pageantry has history almost
as fun of interest and moving accidents"
as that of the hero whose prowess it
commentaries.
On the Fourth Of July, 1911, more than
eighty-five years ago, the Society of the
Cincinnati, which still had among its
members officers who had fought in the
revolution. met in Independence hall and
adopted resolution to erect a monument
to the memory of George Washington
The society had not then acquired its Pc
culiar distinction as an organization of
patriots of opulence and leisure, dedicated
TO the worship of their ancestry. They
were not unlike the legions which have
grown out of the civil war, and Washing
ton was as near to them as Grant is to
the veterans organizations of the present
day. word about ics formation by the
band of warriors who led our hosts to
victory and something of it's history will
be said presently. At this meeting a COM
mittee was appointed, made up of Mai
ID. LenoX, Judge r. Peters, Maj. w. Jack
son, Mr.. Biddle, descendant of Mick
Biddle, the doughty commodore of the rev.
olution, and Horace Binney. They ap-
pealed for funds to the people of Penn
Sylvania, and 5000 came in. From this
S2SO,OO0, although the original purpose was
to raise only $15O0OO
The war of 1872, with it's two years of
excitement and the consequent hard times
caused suspension of the movement. 1t
remained in allegiance for a number of
years. Finally, "a 1882, the one hundredth
anniversary of Washington's birth pro-
duced another revival of patriotic memo
ries, and a committee of citizens started
new fund for the monument. In honor
of this centennial there was a great pro-
cession, and in the division given up to
trades was a car drawn by seven horses
and carrying the corner stone which had
been prepared for the monument. Again
the next year there was a great parade,
and the stone was laid in the center of
Washington square, within sight of the
venerated Independence hall.
Meantime the original fund in the GUS
tody of the Cincinnati had remained I'M
disturbed, and the citizens fund was also
substantially intact. OVertures were re-
peatedly made for a consolidation of the
two funds but the sturdy conservatism
of the Cincinnatians defeated them until
about fifteen years ago, when the matter
was carried to the courts with successful
issue. During the interval of quiescence
both funds had waXed fatter-the citizens
to $4,000 and the Cincinnati 5000 The
union formed treasury which continued
to accumulate up to the grand achieve
ment to-day of the purpose of our fore
fathers
The monument, which is the design of
Prof Rudolph Siemering, a celebrated
sculptor of Berlin, is about 40 feet high.
From an oblong platform, reached on four
sides by Is steps, symbolical of the thir-
teen original states, rises a pedestal
bearing an equestrian statue in bronze of
Gen. Washington. The Father of His
Country is represented in the colonial uni
form of the American army, large mil
itary cloak being thrown around his COM
manding figure. AT the four corners of
the platform are fountains, served by al
legorical figures of American Indians
representing four rivers, the Delaware
Hudson, Potomac and Mississippi. On the
sides each of these fountains are guarded
by typical American animals, eight in
all. At the front and back of the pedestal
are two allegorical groups, the former
representing America seated, holding in
one hand a cOrnucopia; in the other tri-
dent, and having at her feet chains Just
cast off She is in the act or receiving
from her victorious sons the trophies Of
their conquest. Below this group is an
eagle supporting the arms of the United
States
The group in the back represents Amer
lea arousing her sons to a sense of their
slavery. Below are the arms of Pennsyl-
vania. On the sides of the pedestal are
two bas-reliefs, one representing the
mark of the American army, the other a
western-bound emigrant train. On one
side the pedestal bears the inscription:
"Sic Semper Tyrannis," and Per Aspera
ad Astral" on the other: Westward the
Star of Empire Takes its Way" Sur
rounding the upper portion of the pedestal
is the legend: Erected by the State So
ciety of the Cincinnati"
The society of the Cincinnati forms an
interesting historic link connecting our
times with the revolution. Later wars have
produced other societies which are COM
posed of actual participants in the events
which they commemorate; whereas the
Cincinnati, conceived by Washington's fell
lows in the field, now includes only their
descendants. 1t was founded on May 10,
1873, at a meeting of the officers of the
continental army, at the Verplank resi-
dence on the east shore of the Hudson
river, about a mile above Fishkill, ".
Y. Each regiment and staff
corps sent its representative, and Inspect
or General Steuben presided. The consu-
tuition. or. rather institution, as the
phrase still continues recounts the happy
close Of the war for independence after
a bloody conflict of eight years" and then
recltes as the purpose Of the society: ITO
perpetuate, as well the remembrance Of
this vast event as the neutral friendships
which have been formed under the pres
sure Of common danger and I'm many In
stances cemented by the blood OF the par
ties, the officers OF the American army do
hereby In the most solemn manner, asso-
ciate, constitute and combine themselves
into one society OF friends. to endure as
long as they shall endure OF any OF their
eldest male posterity. and IN failure there
Of, the collateral branches who may be
Judged worthy OF becoming its supporters
and members.
1.-THE officers OF the American army,
having generally been taken from the
cities Of America possess high veneration
for the character Of that illustrious Ro-
man, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus. and, be-
ing resolved 20 follow his example by re-
turning TO their citizenshlp,they think they
may with proprlety denomniate them
selves the Society OF the Cincinnati"
The first officers were: Gen Washing
ton. president general; Gen. Gates. Vice
president general; Gen. Knox. secretary
general, Gen. Williams. assistant secre-
tary general, and Cen MacDougal treas
urer general. OF course the names Of
members included many distinguished rev.
oluuornry officers. such az Greene. sulli-
van. Lincoln. Smlllwood steuben. Moul-
trie, Schuyler. Clinton. Wayne Hamilton.
Burr, Morgan and so on.
A.. If. a..