Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-17
WERE ALL REJECTED
Designs for Mcclellan Statue
Unsatisfactory.
COMMISSIONS MEET
REPORT OF THE ADVISORY COM
MITTEE CONSIDERED.
Sheridan Statue Will Be Placed in
Sheridan Circle-Botanica1 Gardens
Favored for Grant Memorial.
COMMISSIONS MEET

The statutory commissions charged with
the arrangements for the erection Of statues
or memorials to General Grant, General
Sheridan and General Mcclellan in this city
met at the War Department today and
were occupied several hours in their delib-
erations.
The most important action taken was the
rejection of all the models submitted in
competition for the Mcclellan statue and
the selection of Sheridan circle, at the tar
section of Massachusetts, avenue and I'D
street as the site of the Sheridan statue.
The Mcclellan Statue.
The Mcclellan statue commission was the
first to meet It is composed of Secretary
Root, Senator Wetmore and General Rug
giles. U. S. A., retired, the latter represent
ing the Society of the Army of the Poto-
mac.
Congress made provision for the McClel-
Ian statue in an act approved March 3.
1901. In accordance with invitations issued
by the statue commission the leading
sculptors of the United States submitted
models and designs for the statue on the
1st day Of May, 1902. At that time the
statue commission acting on the advice of
an advisory committee of artists, consist
ing or Messrs. A. st. Gaudens, c. F. Nc
Kim and d. G. French, requested four of
the competing sculptors each to execute
another model of larger dimensions, in
order to enable the commission to make the
nnal selection between the designs submit
ted by those gentlemen, which were consid-
cred the most meritorious These enlarged
models were submitted on the 1st of Feb
ruary last. and have been in the Corcoran
gallery or Art ever since. The four sue
cessful competitors were Messrs Austin
Hays. Charles II. Niehaus Waldo Story
and Attilio Piccirilli.
Several weeks age the advisory commit
mi f6n ar,la n IL
and presented their reports, individually in
writing to Mr.. NJ. o. Chance private sec
retary to the Secretary Of War, who is
secretary of the statue commission The
advisory committee was not satisfied with
any of the models submitted as meeting tie
requirements of the subject, particularly in
matter of individuality and symbolism.
All Designs Rejected.
After thorough consideration of the re-
port Of the advisory committee the statue
commission unanimously. adopted a resolu-
ton reciting THAT, inasmuch as 1t appears
by the final letter of advice from the ad-
visory committee, consisting of Messrs
Saint Gaudens, French and McKim, that
no model submitted upon the competition
Is satisfactory, the commission exercises
the right reserved in the program of COM
petition and rejects all the designs and
models submitted"
The statue commission also decided to
entFuSt the WOrR OF designing a suitable
memorial of General Mcclellan to some
American artist, not yet selected who has
not been Identified in any way with the
recent competition either as a competitor
or as member of the advisory committee
The Sheridan Statue
A meeting of the Sheridan statue COM
mittee commission was then held, the
participants being Secretary Root, Senator
Wetmore and General Corbin, the latter
representing the Society of the Army OF
the Cumberland. AS already stated this
commission selected Sheridan circle as the
site Of the proposed statue. 1t was an
nounced that Mr.. j. Q. A. Ward, sculptor,
who has the contract for the Sheridan
statue, expects to complete the statue and
have it ready for erection early next spring
Secretary Root and Senator Wetmore
then took up for consideration the unfin
ished business connected with the erection
of the Grant memorial designed by Mr..
Shrady of New York, but were unable to
take final action because of the absence
OF the third member of the commission,
General Dodge of Ohio. representing the
Society of the Army of the Potomac. 1t is
understood, however, that Secretary Root
and Senator Wetmore favor the Botanical
Gardens rs the site of the Grant memorial
in preference to the ellipse south of the
White House.
The fact that the Sheridan statue is to
be placed In Sheridan Circle makes it al
most assured that the Mcclellan statue
will be placed on the reservation south of
the State Department.