The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-08
COMMISSION ADDS
T0WARM0NUMENT
Group Representing Branches OF
Service on Gettysburg
Statue.

Additional details of the design for
the monument to the Virginia soldiers
who fell at Gettysburg were consider
ed and adopted yesterday by the Get
tysburg Monument Commission. which
met in the offices of Governor Mann.
The Governor. Colonel Thomas Smith,
Of Warrenton: Major j. w. Edmond
son, OF Halifax, and Captain S. =.
Read, OF Mecklenburg, were present
Senator Danief>being the only absen-
tee.
A general plan was adopted several
months since, comprising a shaft
forty-two feet high from the ground
to the top OF General Lees hat, the
PEDESTAL being surrounded by an
equestrian statue of Lee, on Traveller.
At tho base will now be placed a
group. semi-circular in form. repre-
sentins the three branches OF the army
service.
The front or principal inscription is
to read: Virginia to her soldiers at
Gettysburg. They fought for the faith
of their fathers" on the sides will
be the roster Of the commands which
participated in the battle.
The Sicvcrs Plnn.
'iO i<SS oiotuG Is 10 We loOI tCCu lSCN
high from Travellers feet to the crown
of the hat. The figures at the base
vary from six feet to seven feet four
inches In height Sculptor F. William
sicvers. of New York. was present
and explained his plastic sketch to the
commission after this wise:
That every requisite needful in
perfecuns this group may be consd-
cred before attempting anything final,
] hereby offer the following explana-
ton of the work in its present form:
The conception in toto is purely
idealistic, though possible in reality,
and all the features and details of the
different characters shall be carried
motif is the spirit of war-and 1t is
sought to commemorate herein the pa
triottc valor and the services to the
State of the common people
The idea OF portraying some
marked incident OF the battle was
abandoned for fear of offense to the
nonparticipants who also served in the
Gettysburg campaign. I give the fol-
| lowing significance to the various
characters:
THE standard-bearer-the tail figure
to the left with arm in sling--further
unable to manage the ensign, has i'm
Pi"'i'Sp ~ III Liz Oh d QlSInan.
tied cannon and with drawn revolver
advances to the front.
The infantryman, biting tine cart
ridgc--to the left of the standard bear
or--has come forward to take charge
of the flag, and is r1omentari1y repre-
sented as taking pot shots at the en-
cmy
THE bareheaded fgure-an artil-
leryman-undaunted by the wrecking
OF his cannon. does not lag behind, and
Is depicted as firing on rapidly ap-
preaching cavalryman.
Question of Side Arms.
II have the information that the
enlisted men of the Virginia artillery
at Gettysburg carried no side arms.
Some argue they did In either case
this figure is admissible. In the event
they did not, we can agree upon the
possibility of his having picked up the
pistol from the battlefield.
The cavalryman. mounted on an
| anxious steed, Is not shown in actual
combat, but alert and ready to ad-
vance. This is done In consideration
OF the fact that the cavalry was less
active at Gettysburg than were the
Infantry and artillery, and by this
means 1t is sought to counterbalance
the apparent undue. though unavoida-
Bile conspicuousncss caused by the
| presence OF the horse
1.-THE two advancing infantrymen to
the right of the cavalry,nan need no
explanation.
The husler to the extreme right, ar
artilleryman. is calling the rally.
II have been Informed that bug
Ter in the artillery wore the costume
| OF a gun sergeant and was mounted
Tho costume of this figure will be
changed accordingly, but artistic IL
cense as we'll as a possible probabil.
! ity permit him to be afoot.
II am also informed that the en-
| listed men of the Virginia cavalry at
| Gettysburg wore caps The photo
| graph shows a SLOUGH hat. This. as
we'll as other errors in the equipment,
have been corrected in the model"