The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16
THE MONUMENT.
An Equestrian Statue of Washington
The Society Of Cincinnati.

An Equestrian Statue of Washington
The Society of Cincinnati.
The monument, which is the design OF
Prof. Rudolph Siemering, a celebrated
sculptor of Berlin, is about forty feet hlgh.
From an oblong platform, reached on tour
sides by thirteen steps, symbollcal OF the
thirteen original States, rises a pedestal
bearing an equestrian statue in bronze or
| General Washington. The Father OF HIS
| Country is represented in the colonial uni
| form of the American army, a large mill
tary cloak being thrown around his COM
handing figure. At the four corners OF the
platform are fountains, served by allegor1-
cal figures of American Indians, represent
ing four rivers, the Delaware, Hudson, Po-
tornac and Mississippi. On the sides each
, of these fountains is guarded by typical
American animals, eight In all. AT the
front and back of the pedestal are two al
legorical groupS, the former representing
America seated, holding in one hand a
cornucopia, in the other a trident and hav-
ing at her feet chains just cast or. She is
in the act of 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 America
arousing her sons to a sense OF their
vania. On the sides of the pedestal are
| two bas-reliefs, one representing the march
of the American army, the other a western
bound emigrant train. On one side the
PEDESTAL bears the inscriptions: Sic Semper
Tyrannis'' and Per Aspera ad Astra;" on
| The other, westward the Star of Empire
Takes it's Way Surrounding the upper
portion of the pedestal is the legend,
Erected by the State Society of the Gin
The Society of the Cincinnati forms an
interesting historical link connecting our
times with the revolution, Later wars
have produced other societies which are
composed of actual participants in the
events which they commemorate. whereas
the Cincinnati, conceived by Washington's
fellows in the field, now includes only their
descendants. 1t was founded on May Is,
1888, at a meeting of the officers of the
Continental army, at the Verplanck resi-
dence, on the east shore of the Hudson
river, about a mile above FiShkill, N. Y.
Each regiment and staff corps sent its rep
resentative. and Inspector General Steuben
presided. The constitution, or, rather, in
stitution. as the phrase still continues, re-
counts the happy close of the war for in
dependence latter a bloody conflict of eight
years. and then reciteS as the purpose of
the society: To perpetuate, as well the re-
membrance of this vast event as the mu-
tual friendships which have been formed
under the pressure of common danger and
in many instances cemented by the blood of
the parties, the officers of the American
army do hereby, in the most solemn man
ner, associate, constitute and combine
themselves into one society of friends, to
endure as long as they shall endure or any
of their eldest male pCsterity, and in fail
ure thereof, tie collateral branche who
may be judged worthy Of becoming its sup
porterS and members The officers of the
American army, having generally been
taken from the citizens of America. possess
high veneration for the character of that
illustrious Roman, Lucius Quintius Cincin-
natus, and, being resolved to follow his ex-
ample by returning to their citizenship,
they think they may with propriety de
nominate themselves the Society of the
Cincinnati
The first officers were General Washing
ton, president general; General Gates, vice
president general; General Knox, secretary
general; General Williams. assistant secre-
tary general, and General MacDougaL.
treasurer general. OF course, the names of
members included many distinguished revo-
lutionary officers, such as Greene, Sullivan.
Lincoln, SmaIlwood, Steuben, Moultrie.
chuyler Clinton, Wayne, Hamilton, Burr,
Morgan and so on.