U L Y S S E S   S .   G R A N T   M E M O R I A L

Washington, D.C.

Four reclined lions surround the equestrian centerpiece, together affording Grant the service of unwavering protection, rebuffing any and all forces that could adversely affect the General's charge.

At the base of the centerpiece pedestal you'll find two panels, both depict The Infantry Group. These panels are the only part of the Memorial not created by the primary artist, Henry Merwin Shrady. Shrady died in 1922, these panels were erected in 1924.

The marble near the bronze statues is quite colorful. I think the oxidation of the bronze has resulted in some kind of chemical spillover and the effect has turned the marble both green and dark gray. The pictures here exaggerate the coloration just a tad.

Rushing headlong into battle, six horses and six men compose The Cavalry Group. In preparation for creating this masterpiece, artist Shrady spent a number of days at West Point studying staged cavalry charges, fervently sketching what he saw in the hopes to capture, both on paper and in bronze, the battle charge reenactment. I think Shrady did well in this endeavor. The statue of the lead horse was modelled nine times before Shrady was completely satisfied. Apparently it is on this horse that you can find his fingerprints.

As close as I can get without climbing on the Memorial, I attempt to capture the fine detail of the sculpture. The men are not only riding their horses, two are carrying swords, one is holding a flag, and another is sounding a bugle.