This Civil War monument in Thomaston, Connecticut, is a standard sight in New England towns. Civil War monuments are the first in the US to celebrate the ordinary soldier. Read more about them here.
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60 Comments
A very strong statue.
ReplyDeleteAnd a most deserved homage.
You did well in posting such beautiful photo.
Very nice shot.
ReplyDeleteNice picture Sandy.. I will follow the link over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Skywatch
Tom :O)
Marvellous photograph, at the prospect and a lot of shades that make the statue magnificent!
ReplyDeleteI'm so enjoying photos like this with a great statue against a beautiful sky. Have a wonderful weekend, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo, excellent the angle.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend:)
Nice showing for sky watch.
ReplyDeletecome and see mine:)
How cool. I love how blue the sky is. He almost looks real, doesn't he? Thanks for all the nice comments you leave me, Sandy. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYour use of angle and light really flatters that statue. It is even more impressive with that clear blue sky.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a nice shot and perspective set against that blue sky.
ReplyDeleteSandy,
ReplyDeleteIt's a Civil War memorial but do you know when it was erected? I'm just wondering when ordinary soldiers were really recognized as being important, just after the war or a while after. And who recognized them?
Not trying to make a point here. I'm simply curious. ;-)
Beautiful pic, and nice historical reminder.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Beautiful blue sky and wonderful statue.
ReplyDeleteGreat Photo!!
ReplyDeletewell done
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Sandy, I dunno whose this guy but I'm sure he did good stuffs during his breathing years. The sky behind him is pretty clear and the kind of weather I'm wishing for in Singapore currently :P
ReplyDeleteglorious blue and i love the clean stone of the statue
ReplyDeleteJust following upon Your EG Tour Guide's question. I have linked the Connecticut Historical Society's site within the post, but here's the short form of the scoop.
ReplyDeleteThe Thomaston memorial memorial went up in 1902.
War memorials did not proliferate after the War of the Revolution, the War of 1812, or the Mexican-American War, but they did so after the Civil War. What had changed? According to one observer, the idea of honoring soldiers who died in action in a particular war or engagement was relatively new, a Prussian invention, dating from 1793. 1 By the end of the Civil War, conditions favorable to pursuit of the idea of war memorials came together. The Civil War had taken an emotional and family toll unprecedented in American history, making it understandable for society to seek an activity that would be compensating, at least to a degree. The talent, technology, and prosperity required for a large building program were all available. Perhaps the convergence of considerations such as these prompted communities to consider what could be done locally in recognition of the wartime experience.
A community's desire for a war memorial, when reduced to paper, usually expressed words of honor and respect for those who served, and especially for those who died. The resolution adopted by a Portland town meeting on September 9, 1871, eloquently articulated the purpose of the Town of Portland and of Connecticut people generally:
Whereas, in the late war of the rebellion a large number of the inhabitants of the Town of Portland patriotically sacrificed their lives to the restoration of peace and harmony of our distracted land, and whereas we are reaping and our children after us will reap the inestimable benefits of the terrible sacrifice of blood that they have made for us and the land at large, and whereas some token of our appreciation of the magnitude of the sacrifice made by them for us and those to come after us, and some memorial that shall outlive and outlast the changes of time and seasons [is] eminently due from us to their sacrificed lives, therefore.... 2
The resolution handled several important points in a manner that was standard in connection with most Connecticut Civil War memorials:
1. There was repeated reference to the men who participated and the sacrifice they made; the intent was to memorialize them. The purpose of the monument was to honor the soldiers; hence, the commonly used name of Soldiers' Monument.
2. The conflict was referred to as the War of the Rebellion, and it was fought to save the Union, although the term Union was not used in the resolution. Nor was the term Civil War used.
3. Patriotism as a virtuous and most highly commendable purpose in life was extolled to the maximum degree. By inference, the deaths were justified and the next generation should be prepared to die if an equivalent great cause materialized.
4. The lasting value of the sacrifice was emphasized, asserting that benefits would flow to future generations. Those who died gave their lives for the benefit of posterity.
5. Accordingly, the memorial should not be transitory but permanent, to coexist over time with the benefits assured by the heroes' sacrifice. 6. No mention was made of the man and the event that in 20th-century judgment were of utmost importance, Abraham Lincoln and emancipation.
Nice photo.. This is a great statue. I just finished a unit of the Civil War with my students. Such an amazing time period in our country's history. Thanks for sharing your photo.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy,
ReplyDeleteI love the starkness of the statue against that bright blue sky. I wish the sky was always that blue.
Love the perspective on this and wow, the bright blue sky!!
ReplyDeleteThe Rocky Mountain Retreat
Wonderful, I love the contrast. Have a great week, Sandy!
ReplyDeleteLovely angle on that shot, Sandy. And that's a great point about hunouring the ``ordinary'' soldier.
ReplyDeleteThe statue is beautiful.Looks like he is reaching the sky
ReplyDeleteHello Sandy!
ReplyDeleteA very strong man!!!
Have a nice weekend!
Luiz
great contrast! happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteWell placed statue, and there are more than enough statues of generals and the ones who stated the wars.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy. Just dropping by.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, if I need some inspiration, I go here.
Thanks for sharing your faith through writing.
Take care.
Very profound structure.
ReplyDeletegood shot.
ReplyDeleteOrdinary hero isn't the least interesting.
ReplyDeleteWell framed. A great statue against the clear blue sky. Beautiful! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteAlexander
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Wonderful picture,
ReplyDeletevery impressing statue...
A Very crisp shot! Lovely and Well Done!
ReplyDeleteA big and strong man...and nice sky watch!!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day.
Great shot!
ReplyDeleteFabulous
ReplyDeleteWonderful...
ReplyDeleteSandy, I really like the way you chose to frame Mr Anon!
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War was such a key part of American history, and some of the battles so huge, that there are scores of monuments in places like Antietam and Gettysburg. While there are statues to the generals and cannon in the ground where officers died or were wounded, there are many monuments, North and South, commemorating entire regiments and state contingents.
ReplyDeleteWhat's so special about this monument, and others like it, is that it's the ordinary soldiers, the ordinary heros, who win revolutions and who win wars.
You should remember that deslilas...an extraordinary hero might win a battle, but that one person alone does not win the war.
Thanks for sharing Sandy.
Hey Sandy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blue sky and I like the history of the monument,so thanks for showing this wonderfull sky and for your visit at my blog,
Have great SKYWATCH Friday and weekend with greetings JoAnn
A nice statue and a beautiful blue sky!
ReplyDeleteI like that, Sandy! A monument to the ordinary soldier! Great! And that sky - robin's egg blue, only deeper. Happpy Skywatch Friday!
ReplyDeleteVery impressive statue! Nice photo!
ReplyDeleteSandy, I love your perspectives, you have me rethinking how I photograph. And everybody said "Amen". No more cut off heads?
ReplyDeleteI did a post on Randy Pausch a few weeks ago. I have the link and the video of the entire 76 minute Original Lecture, if you'd care to watch it, when you have 76 minutes and perhaps a nice pot of tea.
Brilliant blue sky. MB
ReplyDeleteGreat idea and perspective, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteI love this pictures of statues and clear blue sky. Nice shot!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful against the blue!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the sky they looked upon looked the same as the sky we can see in the background of your great shot.
ReplyDeleteLove the composition of your photo!
ReplyDeleteI thought I loved baby blue skies the best until I saw your sky in this photo. Now it's a toss up! Beautiful shot too!
ReplyDeleteNice picture!!!
ReplyDeletedifferent.
JU gioli
Nice picture to show ous the sky, and I have really learnd something from you tooday.
ReplyDeleteNice weekend wishes to you, comes here from Norway.
Sandy - great photo now I have looked at it properly! I do like the grey against the blue sky and the angle. I also appreciate the history behind it you gave in your comments. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot, Sandy.
ReplyDelete(I´m not a memeber of Skywatch friday, but I couldn´t resist to comment...)
Happy weekend!
Fantastic composition! This is very dramatic the way you composed it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blue sky, and a great soldier.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend.
How blue can a sky be? This is amazing. When I was litte I always wanted God to help me color. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here.