The equestrian monument to Gen. James Longstreet on the Gettysburg battlefield is not where or what was originally planned.
On July 2, 1941, Helen Longstreet, widow of Gen. James Longstreet of Gettysburg fame, is shown here breaking ground for an equestrian monument in honor of her husband. The site, where the current Soldier and Sailors of the Confederacy Memorial now stands, marked the end of Longstreet’s battle lines on July 2, 1863. The ceremony was to launch the monument’s fundraising campaign, which ended almost as soon as it began by World War II. In spite of Helen’s efforts to revive interest after the war, the monument was never funded nor built. Among the project’s celebrity supporters pictured were actress Mary Pickford and Confederate veteran Julius F. Howell. Park Superintendent Dr. Walter Coleman appears on the left.
Did you know?
The clay model of the original monument, created by sculptor Paul Manship, is on display at Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.
