Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-03
Descendant Of Ward
To u J Statue
This Afternoon
Heroic Figure Recalls
Revolutionary Service
Of First Commander
By FLORENCE s. BERGMAN.

Honor long due Gen. ARENAS
Ward, first commander Of the
American forces in the War Of In
dependence, will be paid in q sub
stantial installment this afternoon
when his statue is unveiled In Ward
Circle on Massachusetts, avenue NV.
The heroic bronze figure of the
Revolutionary ofdcer, 10 feet high,
standing on a pedestal Of Connecti-
cut granite the same height, and
Of q reddish tone, is the work of
Leonard Crunelle, Chicago sculptor.
It is strong and .dignifled presenta-
ton Of character and q splendid
addition to Washington's bronze
military forces. The Continental
Army uniform, with its long cape
falling in voluminous folds nearly
to the ankles OF the figure, lends
itself more sympathetically to the
sculpture medium than do the
frock coats and trousers of later
statesmen. There is an admirable
feeling Of bulk and simplicity of
silhouette due to this flowing cloak
line. Incidentally, 1t was nodded
from Gen. Wards original cloak
now preserved in the Ward home
stead In Shrewsbury.
The Ward statue appears to be
as faithful likeness as possible,
under the circumstances. The sculp.
tor used as his model for the face
the life-portrait of Gen. Ward
painted by Charles Wilson Peale, in
the collection Of Independence Hall,
Philadelphia. Copies of this por-
trait ct was the custom of 18th
century painters to make any num-
Der Of copies from their own works.
are owned by Artemas Ward. New
York City, and Mrs. Royal D. Mead,
Washington, both direct descendants
Of Gen. Ward.
Arguments Revolutionary Recognition.
Another felicitous aspect of the
Ward statue is that it augments the
city's recognition Of the Revolution
ary War. Some years ago, an OBJ
servant visitor to Washington, MOTTO
ing the vast number Of mid-nine-
tenth century heroes in bronze, in
contrast to the Insignificant forces
Of the Revolution, pointed out that
q foreign visitor unacquainted with
our history would assume from this
evidence that the War Of the Revo-
luton was a mere skirmish COM
pared to the Civil War.
The Ward memorial Is a gift to
Washington from Harvard Univer-
sity, In compliance with the terms
Of the will Of the late Artemas
Ward of New York, a great grand
son OF Maj. Gen. ARENAS Ward.
Harvard was made residuary legatee
under this will, establishing the
Gen. Artemas Ward Memorial Fund
to commemorate Gen. Ward, who
was a graduate of Harvard Univer-
sity Q748). Income from this fund
Is applied, among other things, Ito
establish his reputation, too long
neglected, as a devoted and faithful
friend of his country; to maintain
permanently his old homestead at
Shrewsbury, Mass, as a public
patriotic museum" and for such
other purposes as Harvard deems
proper and useful.
In 1928 the president and fellows
Of Harvard College appropriated
from the income of the Ward fund
the sum Of $4,000 for the erection
Of a statue of Gen. Ward in Wash
ington, as a gift to the people Of
the United States. The project was
approved by the Seventeen Congress
the same year. The design was
opened to competition, which was
won by the model of Mr.. Crunelle,
who was accordingly commissioned
to execute the memorial. The final
design and site were approved by the
National Commission Of Fine Arts
In 1882.
Mr.. Crunelle, the sculptor, was
born in Lens, Pas-de-C Calais, France,
IN 1872, but he has long resided In
the United States. He studied at
the Art Institute Of Chicago, and
under dorado Taft. He has been
the recipient Of q number of prize
awards for his sculpture. His statue
OF Gov. Richard Oglesby is located
IN Lincoln Park, Chicago. The same
city's Negro World War Memorial
and a memorial in Clinton, Iowa,
are also his work. Two Lincoln fig
ures and one of Gov. John M. Pal
mer, by MIR. Crunelle, are in the Lin
coin Tomb at Springfield, Ill. He
has also designed and executed fig
ures Of Lincoln for Freeport and
Dixon, ILL.,, the last mentioned hay
ing Lincoln as captain III the Black
Hawk War.
Descendant to Unveil Statue.
Mrs. Lewis w. Feick, who will unveil
the statue this afternoon, is a great
Observation-Disclosures of Gen,
Ward, in a direct line of daughters.
She is a former Washingtonian; her
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Royal D.
Mead, continue to reside here. An
other interesting feature of the un-
yelling will be the participation of
Charles Warren, who was to make
the grafton; he is nneal descend
ant Of James Warren, president of
the Provincial Congress of Massa-
chusetts at the time WASHINGTON
went there to take over the COM
mand of the Continental Army from
Gen. Ward. For reasons which in
tensive research has failed to reveal,
James Warren heartily disliked Gen,
Ward and made references to him
in various letters which Bancroft.
the historian, interpreted to Wards
discredit. Yet James Warren paid
Gen. Ward a back.handed trih,,ta
when in connection with discussions
Of the characterization of Massa-
chusetts forces, Of which Ward had
MINT euluEnV