The Washington times., 1903-04-05
Hancock,

Of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire
Avenues, was the second equestrian
statue erected in this city. It was or
dered BY Congress in 1888 and was cast
cut Of guns donated by that body.
Clark Mills was the sculptor for This
statue. and in general outline It is not
unlike the Jackson statue General
Washington is dressed in Colonial uni
form and is represented as witnessing
the battle at Princeton. His horse Is
shrinking before the shot. but the gen
eral Is Enmoved by the danger. The to
tai cost Of this statue was $4,000. This
group was unveiled February %, 1860.
with imposing ceremonies. in which
many civic and military organiza lions
were represented. The Rev. Or. Nadai
Of the Foundry Church, offered PRAYER.
and Thomas 5. Bocock. then a member
Of Congress from Virginia. was the ora
tor Of the day. The statue was formally
dedicated by President Buchanan
The sculptor intended that this aonu-
ment should be much more pretentious.
He planned to have General Washing
tons figure mounted on a pedestal thirty
feet high and divided into three sec
tions. or elevations, representing three
great epochs in our history On the
first plane were to be figures represent
ing America inhabited by the Indians
The second was TO bear figures showing
the dawn OF civilization. and the third
section was to tell the story of the
Revolutionary period. Life-sized eques-
tTian groups were also to stand a each
corner OF the pedestal. Congress failed.
however, to appropriate sufficient money
to carry out these ideas. and General
Washington's figure was placed on
plain pedestal
First Washington Statue Plans.
The first movement to erect an eques-
trian statue to General Washington
was iuaugurated in the Continental
Congress August II, 1873, when 'on
motion OF Mr. Lee. seconded by Mr..
Bland, It was resolved that an eques-
trian statue of Washington be erected
at the place where the residence of
Congress shall be established" Another
resolution provided that the statue was
to be Of bronze, and General Washing
ton was to be in Roman dress. His
head was TO be encircled by q laurel
wreath. and he was to hold a truncheon
in his right hand. The figure was to
be on q pedestal on which were TO be
bas-reIief reproductions OF the evacua-
ton OF Boston, the capture of the
He55ians al Trenton. the battle Of
Princeton. the action at Monmouth. and
the surrender of Yorktown. This scheme
came to naught.
IN 1899 the two houses Of Congress
passed resolution providing that
marble monument to General Washing
ton be erected in this city. and that
his family be asked to allow his re
mains to be buried beneath the statue
IN 1850 q resolution was introduced in
the House providing for the carrying
out Of the elaborate plan set forth in
1888, and that the statue should be in
the center OF an area in front of the
Capitol a plan was also set forth at
this time to erect an elaborate marble
mausoleum Mrs Washington 5 con
sent was secured for the removal Of
her husbands remains. but these plans
all miscarried. ead there was no monu-
ment in Washington to the ilustrious
dead until the completion Of the Mills
statue in Washington Circle.
The Scott Monument.
Gen Winfield SCOTS statue in Scott
circle. ar the intersection of Mas
sachusctts and Rhode Island Avenues.
was ordered by Congress in 1867 and was
erected seven years later. H. X Brown
was the sculptor of this statue. 1t was
east from cannon that were trophies Of
he Mexican war donated by the Gov
erImeHt The cost OF the bronze figure
was $50 ,00o- II represents General Scott
en- charger az rest. The
height OF The bronze figure is 10 feet and
the total height Of the figure and pc
Jestal IL % feet. The pedestal consists