Monument to the 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Antietam

I found this fantastic silouette image awhile ago but can't find the image that references the photographer anymore when I search the internet.  If this is your photo, please contact me so that I can provide proper reference.  I am also using this image on my "launch page" URL of www.100thpenn.com/100TH_PVI_MAIN.htm

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The following is a transcription of the 1904 dedication of the 100th PVI monument at Antietam from a 1904/1905 Newspaper article that was attached in Col. Norman J. Maxwell's Scrapbook.  The article is transcribed for the 100th Penn. Website by Tami McConahy

Monument erected on the Antietam battlefield to the memory of the men, living and dead, of the One Hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, who participated in the battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862.

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Dedicated September 17th, 1904.

At the thirty-seventh annual meeting of the Society of the Roundheads held in Carnegie September 19th, 1902, a motion was offered and passed appointing the following persons a committee to confer with similar committees from other Pennsylvania regiments interested in the erection of monuments on the Antietam battlefield, viz.: John W. Morrison, Wm. H. Underwood, J. L. McFeeters, N. J. Maxwell, and J. C. Stevenson. It was understood that this committee had power to act for the regiment in securing appropriations and if successful select design and make contract for erection of monument at a point on the battlefield where or near where the regiment was engaged.

At the thirty-eighth annual reunion, held at Wampum August 19, 1903, the members of said committee, with the exception of Mr. Morrison, met and organized by the election of J. W. Morrison as president and J. C. Stevenson as secretary.

On the 19th of September following a majority of this committee visited the battlefield and selected a point on Branch avenue near the junction of the road from Burnside bridge to Sharpsburg, and nearby the outskirts of the village.

After examining a large number of designs shown by a number of competitors a design presented by J. H. Walling, of New York City, was chosen. The state committee having as a matter of economy awarded all of the thirteen monuments to the Van Amringe Granite Company, of Boston, a new design to be selected.

The monument was erected and on the 17th day of September in the presence of ten members of the regiment, it was dedicated, Comrade Wm. H. Underwood, of Company A, making the address.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT

The bronze statue 7 feet 4 inches tall, including its bronze plinth, represents in an exceedingly faithful manner the youthful American Volunteer of ‘61 - ‘65. He is represented at a moment when as an outpost or sentinel he hears in close proximity to his beat the approach of possibly an enemy, he halts and challenges the newcomer, and as may be seen, is in a position to place his gun to his shoulder and fire if his challenge is not heeded. The clear-cut, manly features are strikingly interesting and characteristic of the young men who gave their lives and services to their country. The accouterments, uniform and every detail of the figure is faithfully portrayed.

The old soldier will readily recognize in the tucking in of the trouser legs into the stockings the methods employed by the rough and ready volunteer of ‘61. Bare headed he faces his foe, all unmindful of having displaced his soldier’s cap, which lies at his feet, he stands there ready for business, and for faithful and accurate portrayal of the volunteer of ‘61 - ‘65, this statue has taken its place among the foremost works of bronze statuary in the United States.

The contractors, the Van Amringe Granite Company of Boston, Mass., were fortunate in securing as their artist for this work Mr. W. C. Noble, perhaps one of the most famous standing statue sculptors of this country, and his work in this particular has been in his happiest vein.

The pedestal upon which this bronze statue rests is also one of the most interesting on the battlefield. Its proportions and its outlines and details are particularly appropriate for the statue itself, and taken as a whole, a more happy combination of statue and pedestal would be hard to find. The granite pedestal is composed of five blocks of Barre, Vermont granite, all surfaces being finely hammered. The lower base is 7 foot square, finely hammered, and 1 foot high, and has on the front face the word “Roundheads” in half rounded raised letters.

A third base, or plinth, is 4 foot square and 1 foot 10 inches high, having on its front face a beautifully carved Ninth Corps Badge in granite, cut in bold relief.

The die stone, or tablet stone, is 3 foot square, and 4 foot 4 inches high, and bears upon its face a bronze tablet having in raised bronze letters the name of the regiment and its assignments of brigade, division and corps, its casualties and other data, together with a list of the battles participated in by this regiment during its services in the Civil War.

Above the die stone is a beautifully carved overhanging cap-stone, 3 foot 5 inches square, 1 foot 6 inches high, on the top of which rests the bronze statue spoken of before.

The total height of this granite pedestal is 10 feet and including the height of the bronze statue of 7 foot 4 inches makes a total height of 17 foot 4 inches over all.

The monument as a whole has attracted universal attention from all who visit the field, and from many art critics who have examined scores of regimental memorials in the five National Military Parks. It is said to be perhaps the most appropriate and interesting regimental memorial on any battlefield.

Excerpt from:  Civil War Re-Enactors: A measure of devotion

By Richard Robbins

PITTSBURG TRIBUNE-REVIEW

August 3, 1997

Antietam monument to 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry - nicknamed the `Roundheads' and largely recruited from Lawrence County.

Awesome Photo of 45th PVI and 100th PVI Monuments at Antietam from 2003 by professional photographer Will Burnham

http://www.burnham-down-the-house.net/Photographs/CivilWar/pages/1s.htm

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Even more photos of the Roundhead Monument and Antietam from the website author's May 2001 visit to the Battlefield Park:

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