Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

“I have never advocated war except as a means of peace.”  - Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was an American Civil War general and the 18th president of the United States.  He is immortalized in America’s largest equestrian statue at the base of the West Front of the Capitol Building.

The Grant Memorial was part of the McMillan Commission’s 1901 redesign plan for Washington, DC.  Its location – directly opposite from the Lincoln – was chosen so that the general who fought for the Union could forever sit facing the president who saved the Union. The statue, which consists of the central figure of Grant on horseback with two separate sculptures flanking him to each side, was commissioned in 1902.  It was sculpted by Henry Merwin Shrady and designed by William Pearce Casey. Grant sits on his favorite horse, Cincinnati.  To his left is a sculpture of Union artillery soldiers and to his right are the Union cavalry soldiers.  The memorial was dedicated on April 27, 1922, Grant’s 100th birthday.

At the time, it was the most expensive federally funded art project in US history, costing a total of $250,000. The sculpture is noted for Grant’s calm demeanor amidst the extremely emotional and graphic battle scenes.

Learn more about the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on Wikipedia.

 

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