The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-15
MR.. ROOSEVELT WILL SPEAK
PRESIDENT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE
HERO OF MANY BATTLES.
Representatives of the Great Army
Societies to Participate-Descrip
ton of the statue.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Oct. H.-When the
equestrian statue OF Gen William Tecum-
sch Sherman is unveiled tomorrow Wash
ington will witness one of the most impos-
ing ceremonies of the kind ever held in the
United States. Around the monument
erected TO the memory of the man who
marched to the sea and who won imperisha-
bic military glory many battlefields, will
be gathered the great societies of the Union
army, and the armies of Grant Sherman
and Sheridan will again march in the
national capital as they did on the occasion
of the grand review in 1863 President
Roosevelt will attend the unwilling cere-
monies, and he will be accompanied by
members of his Cabinet and prominent Of
ficers of the army and navy.
The Sherman statue is erected directly
south of the treasury building and breaks
upon the view of the passing throng along
historic Pennsylvania avenue. 1t is near
this spot from which Sherman witnessed
the marching of his veteran legions at the
conclusion of the civil war, when the victor
ious armies were assembled in the capital
which they fought to perpetuate.
Pomp and ceremony will mark the I'M
yelling. Prior to it there will be a grand
military parade of all the regular forces in
this vicinity, supplemented by the regiments
of the District of Columbia National Guard.
President Roosevelt will deliver an address.
General Grenville Nj. Dodge will preside,
and also speak for the army of the Ohio.
Col. David NJ. Henderson, ex-speaker of the
House of Representatives., will be the orator
of the day. Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor will
sneak Cumberland.
and Gen. Daniel +. Sickes for the Army
of the Potomac. The statue will be un-
yelled by Master T. Sheman Thorndike. the
nine-year-old grandson of General Sherman.
The Marine Band will be in attendance and
leading clergymen Will participate in the
exercises.
While the national capital is adorned with
many equestrian monuments TO wartime
heroes, dating from the revolution, the
statue of Sherman is the first of the three
great chieftains of the Union army to stand
forth from any reservation in this city.
Washington. Greene, Scott, Jackson, Han
cock Thomas and Mcpherson have been
perpetuated in enduring bronze. Grant,
Sherman and Sheridan have thus far re-
manned unhonored in that manner, but the
monument to Sherman is on a scale of mag
niflcence probably never before seen in an
equestrian statue in this country, and plans
are already executed for an appropriate
statue of Grant.
THE STATUE.
The Sherman statue, including horse and
rider, is of heroic size and was fashioned
by the sculptor, Mr.. Carl Rohl-Smth, who
had nearly completed his labors when he
died in 1900, and the details of whose plans
have been carried out since then by his
wife. The poise is superb. With head
barred, campaign hat in hand, and face
slightly turned to the west, impassive of
countenance, IL recalls the Sherman who,
years before, on a battle charger. first ap-
peared TO the multitudes in Washington
after his long campaigns.
The horse is noble specimen, warlike in
it's lines and bearings. The statue faces to
the north, and with its pedestal of granite
is fifty-two feet in height The sculpture
consists of the colossal equestrian, which
was completed after Mr.. Rohl-Smith's
death, by Lauritz Jensen, of Copenhagen
who also put the final touches on the four
bas-reliefs, depicting scenes in Sherman's
life and made the badge of the army of the
Tennessee, two groups known as War"
and Peace" four soldiers at each corner
of the granite base and some distance from
the pedestal, and four medallions of Sher-
mans corps commanders. The four double
medallions were made by Mrs. Kitson, of
Boston. One of the four soldiers was not
completed at the time of Rohl-Smith's
death, and that part of the sculpture was
done by Sigvald Asbjornsen, of Chicago
Stephen sindng E started the groups War"
promised TO bring them over and COM
plete them in the United States But when
they should have been shipped, he was
taken Ill, and he sent Carl j. Bonnesen in
his place. After having completed the
group War" Bonnesen returned to Den
mark and Sigvald Asbjornsen completed
the last group, Peace"
The inscriptions on the lofty granite
pedestal are on the south front civilian
Tecumseh Sherman. 1S2O-1S91," and lower
down the wars in which he served are re-
1912: war in Mexico. 1s47-ls4S; occupation of
California; civil war; 1S6l-1S65.'' On the
north front are the following extracts from
the dates of the same: Alexandria, La.
January, 1865. On no earthly account will
| do any act or think any thought hostile
to or in dsrespect of the old government
of the United States" and Washington,
Jan. IS, 1865. Wars legitimate object is
more perfect peace"
The equestrian portion of the monument
is seventeen feet from the hoofs of the
horse to the crown of the generals head
The allegorical group of war shows the
haggard figure of woman standing upon
the dead body of ragged and tattered SOL
der. About her arm and body are num-
Der of stout bands. which formerly bound
her, and which she has burst asunder,
showing the power of war to burst all ties
| and relationships that bind men and powers
together. Perched upon the form of the
down-trodden soldier are two vultures.
| about TO begin their CHASTITY work upon the
| mans flesh. AT the woman's feet lie a
bursted cannon and shattered gun worn
| out by the fearful grinding of ceaseless
| war.
PEACE"
Its companion, Peace" is as reflective
OF harmony and plenty as the other is OF
| bloodshed and devastation. 1t represents
| the figure of a tall and graceful woman
standing erect with smile Of contentment
and peace on her face. About her feet are
gathered a group of children. rejoicing in
| the abolition of and the restoration
| of peace to the land.
Beneath these groups and on the four
| sides of the rectangular granite pedestal
are placed large bronze tablets with figures
| in relief, typical scenes of Sherman's cam
paign. The most impressive of these repre-
| sents the general standing by his camp
| fire in the forest at midnight. Another OF
| the scenes portrays the storming OF Mis-
| sionary Ridge. The four soldier figures are
| typical OF infantry and cavalry that served
| with Sherman in the West and South. On
| the granite platform which rises the pedes-
| tai written in beautiful mosaic, are the
| names of thirty-fve battles in which Sher-
man participated.
The cost of the statue will approximate
| 100000. The work has been Constructed
| under difficulties. Rohl-Smith, the scuIp-
| tor, as stated above, died before ii was
completed. He was embarrassed at differ
| ent stages In the work by sculptors whom
he defeated I'm the competition. His widou