General George B. McClellan Equestrian Statue - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.196 W 075° 09.817
18S E 486024 N 4422583
General George B. McClellan is an equestrian bronze sculpture, by Henry Jackson Ellicott and is located on the Philadelphia City Hall North plaza. It was dedicated in October 1894, and relocated in 1936.
Waymark Code: WMDPV3
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 02/11/2012
Views: 7
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly (November 1861 to March 1862) as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. However, although McClellan was meticulous in his planning and preparations, these attributes may have hampered his ability to challenge aggressive opponents in a fast-moving battlefield environment. He chronically overestimated the strength of enemy units and was reluctant to apply principles of mass, frequently leaving large portions of his army unengaged at decisive points. Source: Wikipedia
The equestrian sculptor is Henry Jackson Ellicott (1848-1901). The statue is located at John F Kennedy Blvd at N Broad St Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in front of City Hall. There are two equestrian/Civil War statues located here. This is the one on the right. The statue was cast in 1891, dedicated in Oct. of 1894 and relocated in 1936 in front of City Hall.
The sculpture is Sculpture made of bronze and the base is made of Quincy gray granite with bronze decorations. Its dimensions are approximately 14 ft. 6 in. x 5 ft. x 15 ft. and the base is approximately 10 ft. x 7 ft. 9 in. x 13 ft. 9 in. There are various inscription on multiple sides. The inscriptions read H. J. Ellicott, S C / Ames Mfg. Co., Chicopee / Henry Bonnard Bronze Co. of NY 1891 (Base, front:) Gen. Geo. B. McClellan signed Founder's mark appears. The sculpture was commissioned by the Grand Army of the Republic and was given to the City of Philadelphia. The equestrian sculpture was cast by the Ames Manufacturing Company and the bronze decorations on the base were cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company.
From the Smithsonian webpage: Figure of General McClellan seated on his horse holding the reins with his proper left hand. His proper right arm is bent at the elbow and his right hand rests on his right leg. McClellan is dressed in his military uniform and looks off into the distance to his proper left. The horse is alert as it reaches the top of a slight incline, its tail caught by the wind. The sculpture rests on a rectangular base adorned with bronze oak-leaf garlands and wreaths at each end. In the middle of each wreath is a small castle. SOURCE