Evening star., 1900-01-06
Anniversary Of the Battle Of New
Orleans.
The STATUE In LAFAYETTE SQUARE
Ceremonies Attending Its UnveH-
ing in January, 1853.
ID G n IT ARIES PRES ENI

| statue of Gen. Andrew Jackson. the hero Of
| that battle, was unveiled in I.arayct;,,
| Square. The issue of that battle AT Tho
| close Of the war of 1872 and the subsequcn:
career of Gen. Jackson in command of th.
| southern wing of the army, brought him
| SO prominently before the people that whan
! he resigned his military position he was
! placed in the Senate, and from that cham
| her was elevated to the presidential chair
| Being the idol of the democracy Of he
| nation, the date of his decisive battle was
celebrated as jackson day, and ere the
| close of his life, in 1Si5 it was annually
! observed in many parts of the land, The
| political associations of his party holding
| banquets. In this city the Jackson Dem D
| cratic Association formed in lS29 and
! 1t is now the second oldest democratic or
| Sanization in the country. As senator and
| President Gen. Jackson had spent somc
| years here, and he was frequently brought
| in contact with the Washington public
| especially with the Masonic fraternity.
| When his death took place at his home ia
| Tennessee, in 1915. and hOnors We're being
paid his memory in different sections of T ne
| land by funeral ceremonies and memorial
! meetings, the people of Washington were
| second to none in honoring him.
Monument Proposed.
| Shortly afterward the Jackson Democra tic
Association took action looking to the cree
| ton of a monument to his memory, and
| funds were solicited in different parts of he
Union. This effort resulted i'll raising about
| S15,@g, but, with the monument TO
Washington, Congress made an appropria-
| ton therefor, and the work WAS con-
| menced. Mr. Clark Mills the artist, estap-
| lished his studio and foundry south of the
| treasury building. Having, in South Caro-
Ina, executed a statue of John G. Calhoun,
Mr.. Mills was encouraged to go to Italy.
RPrDml
acquainted with the members Of the COM
| mittee of the Jackson association, ne MADE
a contract with them for the statue as it
| now stands.
There had been hut little Improvement
| made in the square previous to se,ecuug
| the center of 1t the site for the statue,
but all traces Of a graveyard which existed
| prior to the war of 1Nl2 mad been ODlterat-
| ed and there had been some trees planted
and a slight fence incloscd 1t. The only
| walks Were the simple ZgZag footpatAs
through the bushes and grass.
In the summer Of 1852 the site was Sc
lected and appropriations We're made for
roads and walks in the square and for
inclosing the same with a substantial iron
| fence and gates, but 1t was thre.s years
after before seating was provided. y dozen
wooden settecS were placed within the iG
c,oSure.
While the location was being improved
the artist, Mr.. Mills, was engaged in cast
ing the statue, and not few. when they
learned that the horse portion of the work
was to rest on the two hind legs, predicted
| a failure of the plan. Indeed, the general
public could scarcely credit that such u
statue could be made to stand, though
securely riveted to the base, and when it
was announced that the patient artist had
the horse standing on his hind legs with
out the aid of fastennSs there We're but
a few in a thousand who would credit It,
Mr.. Mills had, however, made neat calcu-
lation as to the weight of the metal, and
by casting the hinder part of the horse
ma hnl h,aS lol
in placing the statue safely on the base
where 1t has withstood the storms of nearly
half a century.
Statue Unveiled.
Arrangements We're made for the unveil-
Ing on Jackson day IN 1853. Maj. B. B.
French commissioner of public buildings:
Col. John C. Rives of the Jackson Demo-
| cratic Association, and MIR. John W. Maury,
mayor of Washington, served as the COM
mttee, and Col. George W. Hughes re-
tired army officer, who had served with
distinction In Mexico, was appointed mar
sEal of the procession.
The following We're named as his aids:
w. A. Spencer, Richard Lilly. ". S. Git
tings. P. Barton Key, ]. G. Berret, Perry
E. Brochus Beverly Tucker, r. ]. Semmes
and Clement Hill. The assistant mar
shals were L. S. Norwood. R. T. Spencer.
Royston Belts. w. B. Bowie. jr.. Isaac Den
ison, S. L. Lewis D. Radcliffe, Henry
Magruder. r. c. Marriott, ]. s. SewaM VIM.
Thomas R. T. Merrick, Thos. Riley, T. j.
Gait. C. W. Phillips, E. B. Robinson, ]. r.
Henley. G. P. Kane c. S. Woodbury., Chas
Howard, DR.. Saunders. Robert Ould, E. NJ.
Chaplin, ]. s. Wilson, w. H. Hacker, F. l..
Brcckett. James Owner II. H. Heath. A.
P. Wilbur, James c. Mcclure, T. ]. Nc
kaig. L. Key Howard, Fl. G. Stanton, F.
]. II. Sothoron, Hiram Walbrldge, 7. Grims-
ley, Lewis Carr. Henry Addison, f. B.
buchanan. J. J. Bcrret. E. Robinson, ]. D.
Fairbanks, J. N Minnix. Thos. Thornley,
V. NJ. Burche and E. n. Stratton.
The day proved to be an ideal one for
the occasion, seemingly borrowed from the
preceding Indian summer, clear and bright,
with a temperature which made heavy
clothing oppressive. There was at the time
much sorrow felt for the President-clect
and his family, on account Of railroad
cident few days before in New Hamp-
shire in which his son was killed.
At that season of the year so uncertain
was the weather that little effort was
made for visiting organizations from dis
tance. Nevertheless the display was cred
liable, the crowd a great one for that
period and, in the primitive style in vogue
there were many decorations, the famous
utterance of Gen. Jackson. by the Eternal.
the Union must and shall be preserved"
being conspicuous.
Where the Procession Formed.
The procession formed, as all did in that
of march was by sd street and Peunsyl-
vania avenue TO the square, the military
entering the norsh gate and the civic por-
ton the south.
The marshal, Col. Hughes. and his aids
came first; then the military. as a regi-
ment. the field officers of the District act
ing being Col. VIM. Hickey, Lieut.. Col. ].
H. Reilly, Major Robert Keyworth and
Adjutant J. b. Tate. First in liEa was the
famous battery of flying artillery, COM
manded by Major Ringgold. who was after
ward killed in Mexico; then. in charge of
Major Taylor then the United States Ma
rine Band and company of marines. COM
manded by Lieut.. Henderson: the Wash
ington Light Infantry, Capt. Joseph 3.
Tate; National Grays. Capt Peter +. Ba-
con: Continental Guards, Capt. P. r. Will
son; Walker Sharpshooters, Capt. Brad
ford: German Yeagers. Capt. q. A.
SchwartZman, and Boone Rihemen. Capt.
Bright. Then followed carriages contain
ing senators and Representatives. the
corporate authorities of Washington,
Georgetown and Alexandria, the jackson
Democratic Association, the Georgetown
Democratic Association and other bodies
The President, Mr.. Fillmore, and the men,
bers of his cabinet-Edward Everett Thos