The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-24
FIGURES TELL A
STORY OF HEROES
oND. vA-specia1-I

r / c II NJ Q N ID, VA-Specia1.-
The large group of seven soldiers
and mounted cavalrymen, part of the
seUlptural Decoration for the Virginia
State memorial at Gettysburg, which
Mr.. Sievers has just completed, ar
rests the attention and admiration of
all who have had occasion to view it.
One does not have to be told of it's
originality; it bespeaks itself. The
magnitude of the undertaking, the de-
tail Of conception, the skill displayed
IL execution, simply hold one in be-
wtiderment.
length, four feet eight inches in
breadth and fifteen feet in height All
the figures are over life size, and other
details are in proportion.
This group is to be placed in front
OF the die of the pedestal and will
rest on single granite block. weigh
ing over twenty tons. On this huge
rock. just beneath the group, is seen
this simple, but appealing inscription:
Virginia to her Sons at Gettysburg"
Mr.. Sievers has the contract for
building the entire monument. The
pedestal, which has just been com
pleted, won the unanimous approval
Of the National Park Commission and
the Virginia State committee.
The work will be on exhibition for
rhe rest of the week at the Forest
<1tnl studio. Then the plaster mould
ing viii be begun.
The plaster model will be sent to the
Tiffany stll1io. New York, where the
work Of casting into bronze will inn
mediately begin.
- representative of Tiffany's was at
Mr.. SieVers' studio TO-DAY.
The sculptor has engaged the same
firm, 10 cast the equestrian statue Of
General Lee in bronze This work is
not yet finished, but is roughly built
Up full size.
The small finished study of Lee
on Traveller" also attracts ones at
tWfon. and has won the hearty ap-
rroVat of the committee.
AIr Sievers had the following to say
concexning the work:
believe the motif is entirely orig
loal--the one point 1 have borne IN
mind has been to depart from the ster-
eoDFed old method of placing SOL
uiefs Ia stiff ana motionless military
! poses on meaningless little pedestaIs
a<ound the main body of the monu-
ment.
i have endeayored TO make one
harmonious whole Of the entire work
and the group viii look better as a
component part of the monument
than II does here in my studio.
II IS purely ideal. I mean that it
Is merely conception and not in
stended'to portray any particular event
The intent is only to commemorate
the rank ana file of the three branches
OF military service.
have sought to make something
realistic and possible, and to give to
posterlty the actual manner in which
oar soldiers fought at close quarters.
You will notice that have de-
picted different characters Of Vafious
ages--thopgh none too old. An OBJ
server can easily pick out the hard
Nsted mechanic. or our provincial
cousin, as Well as the aristocrat
(thopgh in tatters), or the gilded
youth. All are on an equal footing,
and with shoulder to shoulder the
spirit Of war and patriotism is exhib-
tied ey each and all, singly and col
lectiEcly.
Some may wonder why have not
portrayed more mere boys as many
are wont to call the Confederate SOL
oaer The group and General Lee. be
4 understood, represent the Army of
Northern Virginia which was at the
time Of Gettysburg certainly a ma
tured entity and the sculptor is to
sym bolize such. To have all the SOL
diers striplings would cause a sugges-
lion Of feebieness. If all were bows
they might display the possibility of
further development. And, of course
1tfWculdn't do to suggest that"