Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23

of August. 1856, contains the following
record, which is INTERESTING in this con-
nection:
of Mr.. Lee, Mr.. Pet [it a9a Mr.. Caring
ton II
to the memory of Nathaniel Greene, ESQ.,.
at the seat of the federal government, with
the following inscription: Sacred to the
memory of Nathaniel Greene. esq, a ma
died on the 10th of June, 17se. late major
general In the serviceo of the United States.
and commander of their army In the south
ern department.
The United States in Congress assem-
bled. in honor of his patriotism, va&or and
ability, have erected this monument
Resolved, That the board of treasury
take order for the due execution OF the
foregoing resolution.
The appropriation thus made was never
applied to the purpose intended, and, as
has been shown. 1t remained for later
Congress to Appropriately honor the revolu-
tioEary hero, and more than century after
IT'S adoption by the Continental Congress
General John M. Wilson. then commits
sioner of public buildings and grounds.
caused the eloquent inscription origlnahy
pedestal of the present statue. 1t may be
mentioned here that another still more GU
riouS circumstance connected with the
subject Of this monument lies In the fact
death had long been matters OF doubt, ana
that until Monday of last week (March 4,
1901. the place Of his sepulture was not
positively known.
The statue Of General Mcpherson, which
stands in the square in this city bearing his
NAME was appropriately inaugurated on
the 18th of October, 1876. It was erected
tribute to the heroism and memory OF
that gallant soldier. by the Army Of the
Tennessee, which he commanded at the
time of his lamented death, which occurred
during the siege Of Atlanta. The prelim-
mary steps to this end were taken at the
first meeting of the society Of that army
held in the city of Louisville in 1865. The
original purpose was to erect the monu-
ment in Clyde, Ohio, where General Nc
Pherson was born, and where also his re-
mains were inferred; but wiser counsels
ultimately prevailed, and 1t was subSe-
quently and very properly decided that the
national capital would be the only appro-
pirate place for tt. The commission for
this work first given to Mr.. T. D.
JONES' a sculptor of some note in Cincin-
natl; but, owing to his inability to carry
out the contract, It was subsequently given
to Mr.. Louis T. RebiSso. an artist less well
known, Of the same city, who completed 1t
in about three years stime-the. work OF
casting the group in bronze being done by
Messrs. Robert Wood & Co. of Philadel-
phia. The cost of the statue proper, $685.
500, was wholly borne by the Society of the
Army of the Tennessee. but for the granite
pedestal appropriation of 5000 was
made by Congress. The ceremonies attend
ing the unwilling were attended by the
President and members of his cabinet dis
tinguished army and navy officers, num-
Der of military and patriotic civic organiza-
lions, many gentlemen prominent in pubic
and private life together with large con-
course of citizens. The audience was called
to order by General Sherman. and prayer
was offered by Rev.. Mr. McCarty, a re-
tired army chaplain. After a short address
by General Hickenlooper, the statue was
formally unveiled, and the exercises closed
with an Grafton by General John A. Logan,
at that time member of the United States
Senate from the state of Illinois. Music for
the occasion was furnished by the Marine
Band.
~
Doubtless the most elaborate and impos-
ing ceremonies that ever marked an occa-
sion of the kind in Washington or perhaps
anywhere in this country. were those at
tending the Inauguration of the statue Of
Major General George H. Thomas, at the
intersection Of Massachusetts and Vermont
avenues and 18th and M streets, which took
place on the 10th Of November, 1879. Many
OF the principal buildings. as well as some
of the busy thoroughfares IF the city, were
handsomely decorated in honor of the &C.
casion, and the immense thfongs of people
In the streets included not only citizens of
Washington, but large numbers of visitors
from distant and widely separated sections
of the country. The procession was two
hours In passing given point, and the
brilliant military display embraced a group
OF such celebrities as are rarely brought
together. including General Sherman, then
commanding the armies Of the United
States, and his staff; Major General Ham
cock and staff Major General Schofield and
staff, and Brigader Generals Crook and
Augur and their respective staffs .ne
navy was adequately represented by sail
ors and marines, and the army by artillery.
cavalry and infantry regiments In addt-
ton to these there were military organiza-
lions present from Annapolis. Alexandria.
Catonsville, Norfolk and Richmond. Music
for the occasion was furnished not alone
by the marine and military bands Of WASH
ington and the neighborhood, but by others
scarcely less popular or less famous from
West Point, Fortress Monroe, Columbus.
Ohio; Davis Island, N. Y, and Frederick
Md, and the effects of the soul-stirrine
contributions Of these were supplemented
anu heightened by the rendering of appro-
pirate nymns and odes by choir of more
than fifty well-selected and admirably quail
lhed male voices. Nor should mention be
patriotic organizations present which nv
their participation in the events Of the day.
ADDED not only materially to the volume Of
the marching throng, but greatly also to
the interest and fmpressiveness of the occa
sion. ~
The immediate inaugural exercises, which
were int,erspersed at suitable intervals with
appropriate music, were formally opened
with prayer, offered by the Rev. DR.. pay
ton. himself musket-bearer during the
civil war. but at that time pastor Of the
New YORK Avenue Presbyterian Church. in
this city. The act of unwilling the group
was ntly performed by the sculptor, Mr.. j.
Q. A Ward of New York This was followed
by lengthy and eloquent Grafton, del1y-
ered by the Hon. Stanley Matthews, at that
time member of the United States Senate.
representing the state of Ohio, and at the
close OF ms remarks the statue was formal
~ accepted for and in behalf of the people
OF the United States by President Hayes.
Ihose VINO are as familiar with this
group as the present audience must be,
need scarcely be told that it Is at once a
pleasing and excellent work OF art, per-
maps the best and most spirited of its class
IN washington. and as a whole probably
not surpassed by any in the country. The
artists idea was to represent his subject
as having suddenly checked the movement
OF his horse on the summit Of a slight ac-
ciivity. for the purpose Of making an obser-
vation or overlooking field Of action: and
Ia sd NJ,