General John Fulton Reynolds - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.193 W 075° 09.798
18S E 486051 N 4422577
One of two Civil War General/Equestrian Statues located in the North Plaza section of City Hall. This fellow died at the very beginning of the Gettysburg Battle, where another huge equestrian monument may be found.
Waymark Code: WM9R5H
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2010
Views: 9
John Fulton Reynolds (September 20, 1820 – July 1, 1863) was a career United States Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, despite having a relatively limited amount of combat experience in the war, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the very start of the battle.
Pennsylvanian, Major General John Fulton Reynolds was killed in 1863 at Gettysburg by a sharpshooter's bullet. Eighteen years later, on July 1, 1881, the Reynolds Monument Association was formed. Philadelphian, Joseph Temple offered 25,000 dollars to create the monument commemorating the General and Pennsylvania's participation in the Civil War. Former Governor Curtin pledged 5,000 dollars for the pedestal and a cannon. The artist, John Rogers, who was known for his small-scale sculpture, had never attempted a sculpture of this size and had to study up on the anatomy of horses and photographs of Reynolds. His plaster model was broken into thirty pieces for casting. Rogers paid 15,000 dollars for the casting of the piece. It is said to be Philadelphia's first equestrian statue and its first public monument to a Civil War soldier. The dedication took place on Grand Army Day in 1884.
The equestrian sculptor is/was Artist: John H Rogers. The statue is located at the north side of City Hall. Broad and JFK. This is the statue on the left, General George B. McClellan is to the right.
The description comes courtesy of the Smithsonian Inventory catalogue website. Portrait of Major General John Fulton Reynolds astride his horse at the front of the battlefield as he was on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg. His frightened horse is rearing back on its hind legs with its front left hoof raised. Both the General and his horse look off to the proper right. The General's proper right arm is raised and with his index finger he points out into the distance toward the danger in the battlefield. His proper left hand holds firmly onto the reins and both of his feet are in the stirrups. The General is depicted with a beard and moustache and is dressed in his Union Army uniform which consists of a long belted jacket, tall boots, and a small circular cap. A sword rests at his proper left side and a small bag is slung across his body and rests on his proper left hip. This equestrian sculpture sits atop a rectangular base. SOURCE
The statue was made ca. 1883, cast 1883 and dedicated September 18, 1884. The sculpture is made of bronze with a granite base. The sculpture is approximately 10 x 5 x 10 ft. with the base being approximately 10 x 6 x 11 ft. (3 1/2 tons). There are also various inscriptions on the sculpture. (Base, front:) SEPTEMBER 21, 1820/GETTYSBURG (Base, back:) JULY 1, 1863/SEPTEMBER 18, 1884 (Base, left side:) REYNOLDS.