Gettysburg Monuments Equestrian Explanation?

[Bud1863]

I just started re-reading James McPherson's "Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg" and was reminded of his quote in the introduction:

"There are seven equestrian statues at Gettysburg, all of infantry commanders (including the army commanders Lee and Mead); the most prominent union cavalry commander [John Buford] is memorialized in bronze on foot. Go figure."

Has anyone heard of a plausible explanation for this artistic reversal? Please share!

(Library of Congress)

 

[Cavalier]

@Bud1863 I am no authority on this but I would assume that that was because he was only a Division commander as opposed to the statues of officers that are depicted mounted, who are all corps or Army commanders.

John

 

[Kurtlg]

I don't think there is any reason other than it was the sculptor's choice. The sculptor was James Kelly who interviewed many Civil War generals after the war so he could learn as much as possible about his subjects. These interviews were published in 2005 under the title "Generals in Bronze ." It is a very interesting book that I recommend . You will learn about some interesting incidents and the personalities of the generals . Some of them come across as arrogant ( Hancock) or self serving , Pleasanton for example .Of course you can't rely on the stories all being accurate . Kelly was a stickler for details and I think his Buford statue is extremely well done. Besides it's one of the first things I see when I visit Gettysburg

 

[Kurtlg]

I don't know who commissioned the statue but they may have requested a standing statue . Perhaps an equestrian statue was not within the budget .

 

[EHParks]

I don't know who commissioned the statue but they may have requested a standing statue . Perhaps an equestrian statue was not within the budget .

Horse is extra.

 

[Scott1967]

Horse is extra.

Exactly.

 

[Library Lady]

Even though Buford led a cavalry division, they were fighting dismounted when his boys started Gettysburg. Keith Rocco's painting of Marcellus Jones taking that first shot doesn't have him on a horse, either, even though he was a member of the 8th Illinois cavalry. Well, it's just a thought.

 

[Bud1863]

@Bud1863 I am no authority on this but I would assume that that was because he was only a Division commander as opposed to the statues of officers that are depicted mounted, who are all corps or Army commanders.

John

Thanks Cavalier! That's one of the best explanation I've heard.

 

[Bud1863]

I don't think there is any reason other than it was the sculptor's choice. The sculptor was James Kelly who interviewed many Civil War generals after the war so he could learn as much as possible about his subjects. These interviews were published in 2005 under the title "Generals in Bronze ." It is a very interesting book that I recommend . You will learn about some interesting incidents and the personalities of the generals . Some of them come across as arrogant ( Hancock) or self serving , Pleasanton for example .Of course you can't rely on the stories all being accurate . Kelly was a stickler for details and I think his Buford statue is extremely well done. Besides it's one of the first things I see when I visit Gettysburg

Thanks for the great reference recommendation, Kurtlg! Going to get a copy for my reference library and am sure it will add a new perspective to my next visit to the battlefield!

 

[Cavalier]

@Bud1863 Kinda odd that Sykes, Pleasenton, and Sickles never got mounted statues. Just a thought.

John

 

[Bud1863]

Even though Buford led a cavalry division, they were fighting dismounted when his boys started Gettysburg. Keith Rocco's painting of Marcellus Jones taking that first shot doesn't have him on a horse, either, even though he was a member of the 8th Illinois cavalry. Well, it's just a thought.

That is very true @Library Lady…great observation! There were so many "role reversals" during this battle. The most-often repeated one being that "the South came to Gettysburg from the north, and the Northern troops came from the South!"

IMHO, Buford and the cavalry under his command never received the recognition they deserved for their service at Gettysburg. And unfortunately, he didn't live long enough after the battle for many retrospective accolades. Could that be a contributing factor to his modest monument on the battlefield?

 

[121st PA Vols]

@Bud1863 Kinda odd that Sykes, Pleasenton, and Sickles never got mounted statues. Just a thought.

John

Absolutely Cavalier. Often wondered why Sykes isn't right up there on LRT or some point along Wheatfield Road observing Plum Run Valley/Wheatfield area. Pleasanton? And Sickles could have built his own statue all the money he swindled over the years.

 

[Kurtlg]

@Bud1863 Kinda odd that Sykes, Pleasenton, and Sickles never got mounted statues. Just a thought.

John

Pleasanton was an incompetent self promoter and Sickles was a liar , self promoter and a thief. Sickles stole the funds collected to commission a bust of him at Gettysburg .

 

[Library Lady]

This webpage may give an indication of why Buford has a standing statue surrounded by cannons.

Monument to General John Buford at Gettysburg

Monument to Union Brigadier General John Buford at Gettysburg, with photos, text from the monument, background history and map location.

gettysburg.stonesentinels.com

 

[Library Lady]

@Bud1863 Kinda odd that Sykes, Pleasenton, and Sickles never got mounted statues. Just a thought.

John

The Sickles monument is not only lacking a horse, it is also lacking Sickles. There are so many snarky comments I could make about that, but I see that some of you have beaten me to it. Do carry on!

Monument to General Daniel Sickles at Gettysburg

Monument to Union Major General Daniel Sickles at Gettysburg, with photos, text from the monument and map location

gettysburg.stonesentinels.com

 

[Kurtlg]

That is very true @Library Lady…great observation! There were so many "role reversals" during this battle. The most-often repeated one being that "the South came to Gettysburg from the north, and the Northern troops came from the South!"

IMHO, Buford and the cavalry under his command never received the recognition they deserved for their service at Gettysburg. And unfortunately, he didn't live long enough after the battle for many retrospective accolades. Could that be a contributing factor to his modest monument on the battlefield?

As Library Lady suggested Sickles was a scoundrel. Unfortunately after his wounding he stayed in DC for recovery. He had Lincoln's ear and claimed that Meade had wanted to retreat from Gettysburg but Sickles had saved the day. Sickles was a friend of Hooker and Butterfield and did not like Meade. There is another book I'd recommend called Sickles at Gettysburg by Hessler. A warning to you . You may find yourself on many tangents studying the Civil War and before you know it you may wind up with hundreds of books like many here on the forum. They become expensive and take up a lot of room but they can bring you lots of satisfaction

 

[Cavalier]

I don't think there are many out there that have less respect for Dan Sickles as a general than I do, and I realize that Pleasenton isn't exactly the Army of the Potomac's version of LaSalle, but Sykes I don't see those kinds of issues with myself, although maybe there some I'm not aware of.

About Buford, I would imagine there may have been other division commanders at Gettysburg who felt they contributed as much as he did to the eventual Union victory there. To single out one division commander would seem somewhat of an overkill to me, but that's just an opinion. The only statue of Pleasanton that I am aware of is in the large Pennsylvania monument that has several statues of Pennsylvania generals, all dismounted if I remember correctly and, mediocre as he seems to have been in many ways, he was the Cavalry Corp commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Just opinions of course.

John