Evening star., 1931-05-18
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


country" the president and fellows of
Harvard Collegs are to erect a statue OF
the Revolutionary War hero in the new
circle just authorized at Massachusetts
and Nebraska avenues, out of a $4,000
600 fund established by a great grand
son of the same name.
The co-ordinating committee repre-
senting the Federal Government and
the District, which has had the site
for this memorial under consideration,
decided last week that it should be ap-
! proximately 140 feet in diameter, eX-
! tending to $50 feet at the building line
This is considered of sufficient size to
accommodate the proposed memorial,
which has been approved by The Fine
Arts Commission.
First Army Commander.
The president and fellows Of Har-
ward, in their plans to carry out the
wish of Gen. Wards great grandson.
deemed 1t appropriate that the statue
should be erected in the National Cap
ital by reason of the fact that Gen.
Ward was the first to command the
Revolutionary Army. Later he was sec
ond in command to George Washington
and also served faithfully in the Con-
tinental Congress and two Of our earliest
Federal Congresses. Similar memorials
have already been erected in Cam
bridge and in Shrewsbury, Mass, where
the general lived and died.
| Three years ago Representative Rob
ert Luce of Massachusetts,, chairman of
the House Library Committee, made a
| favorable report to Congress on this
matter, streSsing the fact Gen. Ward
was the first commander-in-chief of or
| ganizsd resistance by the Colonies at
| the beginning Of the War of Independ-
ence.
Removed by Governor.
As colonel of Massachusetts, militia,
Ward had won promotion in the Ticon-
| deroga campaign against the French in
1853. He was removed by Gov. Ber-
| nard in 1865 because his course as a
member Of the General Court had led
| the Governor to think him too danger
| Gus man to hold such command.
Eight years later when the break with
England was approaching, the officers
Of the regiment threw up their COM
missions and organized independently
with Ward as colonel. Thus when the
Provincial Congress chose three general
officers TO command the militia in the
event of its being called out by the
Committee OF safey, Ward was named
second OF them, and as the man at the
head OF the list never acted Ward led
the army that gathered on the outbreak
| CT hostilities
He was Ill in bed when the express
rider galloped through Shrewsbury, in
the central part of the State, with the
news OF Lexington and Concord But
the next morning at daybreak he
mounted his horse and set out for Cam
bridge, where he at once took COM
mand, thenceforward conducting the
siege of Boston until the arrival of
Washington, fortnight or so after the
| Battle of Bunker Hill
Elected Major General.
The Continental Congress had chosen
Washington for the supreme command.
BY the testimony Of John Adams, 1t is
known that Ward was the choice of
the greatest number" but his title to
| f1rst place was sacrificed by the New
England statesmen to meet the over
whelming necessity of uniting the COL
! onies. Ward was elected to second
place, that Of first major general. AS
such he was put in charge of the right
wing of the besieging forces, with head
quarters IN Roxbury. There he directed
the fortifying Of Dorchester Heights,
| which led to the evacuation of Boston
by the British and the transfer of the
! seat OF war to. the middle colonies.
Soon after Gen. Wards health failed
so that he sought to resign, but at the
request Of Washington and Congress
he continued in command of the East
ern Department until year later, when
1t became practicable to relieve him.
Upheld Rights Of CoIonists.
In spite Of recurrent i'll health. Ward
had served his people in many civil
capacities over span of years. Before
the Revolution, as one of the leading
fgures in the colony, he braved the
wrath OF the British governor by up
holding the rights of the colonists His
stand with Samuel Adams not only cost
him his military commission, but also
led to his rejection twice by Gov. Ber-
nard when he was elected to the coun-
Gil. Upon third election he was ac-
ceptsd by Gov Hutchinson.
he was member Of both the First
and Second Provincial Congresses, and
aIter he had been major general was
sent TO the Continental Congress. where
Ior time he was member of the
Continental board OF war. While major
general he again was q member Of
the council, and after he had left the
military service was, for a time, its
president This meant he was chief
executive, for in that period there was
no governor Returning to Massachu-
SeCCS, ne resumed a place in the gen.
eraI court, being once its speaker.
Wins Hearing From Mob.
Particularly noteworthy was his un-
nlnchlng course as chief Justice of the
Court Of Common Pleas in Worcester
county in 1786, at the time of Shay's
Rebellion. Determined to open the
court IN spite Of the great throng of