Battle Monument at Trophy Point
The inscription is
simple: “In memory of the Officers and Men of the Regular Army of the United
States who fell in battle during the War of the Rebellion this monument is
erected by their surviving comrades.”
It is built of granite with a
monolithic shaft 46 feet tall and five feet six inches in diameter, designed by
Stanford White, surmounted by a statue of Fame sculpted by Frederick MacMonnies,
and the concept was initiated at West Point. It was felt that the sacrifices of
the Regular Army officers, non-commissioned officers and men had received scant
notice because the press of the time generally favored publicizing the
accomplishments of local volunteer units. A monument to the regulars was sorely
needed. COL (then LT) Hasbrouck [Class of May 1861], after dinner at the
Officers Mess one night in September 1863, reportedly suggested the idea of
including the names of all officers and men of the Regular Army killed in action
or died of wounds. That idea (sound familiar?) seemed to galvanize the concept.
Meetings were held and an association formed for the purpose. By 9 October 1863,
it was resolved that the Superintendent be president of the association and that
the standard of subscription vary from $27 for a major general to $7 for a
lieutenant (approximately six percent of one month’s pay). Later, $1 was set as
the standard for enlisted men. Of the original subscribers to the monument, it
must be noted that the single largest donation ($100) was made by a private
citizen, C. B. Barclay, and that the largest total donation ($130.25) came from
112 soldiers in the 12th Infantry Regiment, followed closely by $113 from 80
soldiers in the Cavalry detachment at West Point.
By 19 April 1864 it
was determined that the site should be dedicated on 15 June 1864, and MG George
B. McClellan was invited to deliver the inaugural address. He said, “We have
assembled today to consecrate a cenotaph which shall remind our children’s
children, in the distant future, of their fathers’ struggles in the days of the
great rebellion.” He then praised the deeds of the many volunteers but noted
that the states would raise monuments to their dead. “But we of the regular army
have no States to look to for the honors due our dead. We belong to the whole
country, and can neither expect nor desire the general government to make a
perhaps invidious distinction in our favor.”
Unfortunately, little was
done for a number of years, although by 29 October 1889 the funds raised were
invested in bonds worth about $63,000. COL Wilson, the Superintendent, suggested
that the funds be used to enlarge the Old Cadet Chapel or to build a Memorial
Hall. Then, in a letter dated 21 February 1890, the Adjutant General authorized
the erection of the monument. On 8 March 1890, famed sculptor Augustus St.
Gaudens reportedly confirmed that, due to nature of the site, the large number
of names to be commemorated, and the limited funds available, the monument
should be primarily architectural in nature. It also was determined that the
competition would be limited to four qualified firms. The firm of McKim, Mead
& White won on the basis of their dignified, graceful design well suited to
the site on Trophy Point. The other entries where more substantial, tending to
resemble the present Brandenburg Gate. Ironically, the eventual site of the
monument actually is adjacent to the one dedicated by MG McClellan. Also, the
original figure of Fame was not acceptable and had to be changed; this was done
at no additional cost.
The quarry that supplied the granite shaft was
located at Stony Creek, CT, and was known for producing large stones. The
working of the shaft provided no problems except those related to its immense
size. The block was revolved in an elaborate truss system about six and a third
revolutions a minute while grinding with chilled shot (38 hours) and emery (56
hours) and during final glossing (8 hours) for each portion. The shaft was then
boxed in 14-inch-square timbers and elaborately trussed, shored and
cross-timbered for shipment on a special flat car used for hauling locomotive
bodies. The only problem was overheating of the journals of the axles, and it
was solved by keeping the speed of the train well below ten miles per hour. It
took 13 days, with actual running time of 38 hours, to cover the 191 miles from
the quarry to the switch at West Point, including a trip across the Hudson by
boat at Newburg. Then temporary track was laid to Trophy Point. The shaft was
raised by means of a wooden hinge, a stage, and a sand jack, because a 103-foot
breast derrick constructed earlier had been destroyed in a gale.
After
additional delays and modifications, dedication ceremonies were set for 31 May
1897, almost 33 years after the concept was first adopted. The President of the
United States was invited (but he delegated the duty to his Secretary of War),
LTG (Retired) John M. Schofield presented the monument to the government, and
the Honorable David J. Brewer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, delivered
the main oration. A special grandstand accommodating over a thousand spectators,
resplendent in red and white striped canopies and adorned with numerous flags,
was erected for the event. In proudly noting that the names of all ranks
appeared on the monument, the Secretary of War said, “for the true soldier and
officer never forgets what he owes to the men he commands.” There are 188
officer names and 2,042 enlisted names commemorated (yes, several generations of
plebes memorized an erroneous number).
In the end, Battle Monument cost
about $46,000 for stonework, $3,500 for the figure of Fame, another $7,000 for
other bronze work, and $3,000 in architect fees. Other expenses, including the
competition, dedication, and various publications brought the total to
$66,820.87. All information herein courtesy of: “History of The Battle Monument
at West Point: Together with a list of the names of those inscribed upon and
commemorated by it and of the original subscribers thereto,” by Charles W.
Larned [Class of 1870], Secretary of the Building Committee, published at West
Point, NY, 1898.
c/o J. Phoenix, Esquire