Description:

EARLY DESCRIPTION OF THE CAPITOL DOME'S STATUE OF FREEDOM BY A UNION SOLDIER
A rare description of the Statue of Freedom nearly two years before it was installed upon the Capitol Dome. In this letter, a soldier gives a vivid and surprisingly accurate description of the monument that was begun in Rome in 1857 and finished at Clark Mills bronze foundry in 1863 by slave laborer Philip Reid. The soldier's letter, 12pp. 8vo., written by a certain "Charley" of the 2nd New Hampshire Vols., Camp Union, 1st Brigade, Hooker's Div., Bladensburg, Oct. 19, 1861, reads in part: "…we went out wood chopping clearing up a place for a battery. After we had cleared up the place we thought we would go down to the Mr. Miles [Clark Mills] bronze statuary works to see the Godess of Liberty which is to go on top of the dome of the Capitol at Washington. It is a very fine piece of work. It is 20 ft high and is the representation of a woman holding the olive branch in one hand and a drawn sword in the other hand and leaning on the shield of the Union, 13 stars around her head and the eagle perched on the top of her head. As we were leaving the grounds we saw a elk and we thought we would have some fun with him. One of the boys, Friend Mix went up to him and put his hands on him when he reared up on his hind legs and struck him with his fore feet two or three times…we should have run faster than we did at Bulls Run…Bulls run is getting to be an old story. We have had an addition to our brigade so we have 5 Reg in our brigade…the Mass. 1st , the Mass. 11th, Penna 26, 2nd N.H., 1st Mich. So you see we have some Reg from different states. The army is a fine way to get acquainted with the men of the different states. There are men from most of the free states…it is just 6 months today since I enlisted…I am a soldier in the Army of the United States liable to go into battle at any time and be shot for my country. If I fall in battle I shall fall in a good cause fighting for my country and the right. May the day come when the stars and stripes shall wave from the Atlantic to the Pacific…that slavery will be done away with…we have some good officers and some poor ones…we had a review by Gen. McClellan the other day. Our Brig. Gen. Hooker has been promoted to major general and Col. Cowden [Col. Robert Cowdin 1st Mass. Vols.] has been appointed to the command of the brigade. Has the 5th Reg. left New Hampshire yet…how many Reg…have [been] raised in New Hampshire..."

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May 24, 2016 10:30 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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