Gettysburg Daily

Howard Statue on East Cemetery Hill



The equestrian statue of United States Major-General Oliver Otis Howard on East Cemetery Hill. Howard was one of only three men, the others being George Gordon Meade and Joseph Hooker, who were voted the thanks of Congress for their role in the Gettysburg Campaign. This view was taken from the northwest facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.

It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon with the temperature almost 70 degrees when the Star and Banner visited East Cemetery Hill. Today’s subject was the equestrian statue of United States Major-General Oliver Otis Howard. His statue is located here because of his efforts to rally Union troops on this high ground during the afternoon of July 1, 1863. In 1917, the State of Maine authorized legislation to erect statues at Gettysburg to General Howard and Joshua Chamberlain. The Howard statue wasn’t constructed until 1932, and of course the Chamberlain statue at Gettysburg never became a reality.



The guns and monument to Wiedrich’s Battery I, First New York Artillery are in the foreground. This view was taken from the northwest facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.



One of the distinctive aspects of the monument is the way that the horse is positioned. The hoofs are firmly planted to indicate that the Army of the Potomac will not retreat any more on the first day, and will make a stand here. View from the west looking east at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.



General Howard was a native of Maine. He was born on November 8, 1830, and died on October 26, 1909. Although his overall eastern theater service has not been well respected, he performed well in the western theater in 1864. After the war, he was a commissioner for the Freedman’s Bureau, and was instrumental in founding Howard University. View is from the southwest facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.



The sculptor of the monument was Robert Aitken (1878-1949). The sculpture is bronze, and the statue is 22 feet, seven inches in height. This view was taken from the north facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.



The headquarters monument to General Howard is in the foreground. This view was taken from the southwest facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.