The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-07-05
NATIC0NNAz: ~
M CAPITAL
SLHTUES
SpkC1IZL O122koR22Nlk7NlZ

Washington is famous the world
over for the number of its statues,
but few visitors pause to consider to
what an extent the military statues
predominant. There are, of course.
several statues to statesmen and jur-
lists, notably those Commemorative Of
John Marshall. Daniel webster and
Benjamin Franklin; but for the most
part these picturesque testimonials
bear tribute to the nations warriors
The figures of Washington and
Greene, the foremost leaders Of the
Revolution, have been reproduced A
statue of Jackson marks his achieve
ments in the second war with Great
Britain. Gen. SCOTS statue is a re-
minder of his service in the Mexican
war; whereas, several of the great
commanders of the Civil war have
had their fame perpetuated by this
means, and still others will be SINH
larly honored within the next few
years.
Much of the impressiveness of the
statues in Washington is doubtless
due to the fact that so many of them
are equestrian. It is customary in all
countries to portray as men on
horseback" only the so-caIled royal
personages or men who were actual
commanders of troops or enjoyed the
title of commander. The first eoues-
trian statue ever erected in the west.
ern hemisphere was the one of George
III. of England, which. during the
war for independence, was melted
and cast into bullets by patriotic
daughters of Miss Columbia. The
| oldest equestrian monument now
standing in the new world is a colos-
sal statue OF Charles ". of Spain, in
the City of Mexico. The initial stat
ne in the United States is the re-
nowned one of Gen. Andrew Jackson
in Lafayette square, at Washington,
directly opposite the White House.
The monument, showing the hero
of New Orleans mounted on a spirit
ed steed, rearing in precarious atti-
tude, has been from time immemorial
pictured in school readers and geog-
raphies, and its appearance is prob
ably more familiar to the great ma
jority of Uncle Sans citizens than
any other statue in the world. This
statue, like all the military memorials
at the capital, is of bronze, and was
cast from cannon which Jackson cap
tured from the British in the war of
1912.
The second equestrian statue erect
ed in Washington. that of Gen. Geo
Washington, like the Jackson memo
rial, was cast from old cannon. Gen.
Washington, dressed in colonial uni
form, is represented as witnessing the
battle of Princeton. His horse is
shrinking before the shot, but the
general is unmoved by the danger
Following the erection of the memo
rial to the nations liberator came the
placing of a commission for a statue
of Gen. Winfield Scott. This monu-
ment was ordered in 1867, and was
| erected seven years later. The ma
terial was derived from cannon cap
tured during the Mexican war. Gen.
Scott is represented as mounted on a
charger at rest. He is depicted as
lieutenant general, and not as he ap-
peared at the time of his victories in
the Mexican war.
The equestrian statue of Gen. Ma
thaniel Greene, the Revolutionary he
70, was erected by congress in 1877.
The hero of the mastery campaign
against the British in the south is
represented in Continental uniform,
seated upon charger and pointing
with his right hand as though direct
ing a military movement. The statue
is 131s feet in height.
The first of the equestrian memori-
ais to civil war heroes erected at the