Gettysburg Sculptures

 

Gettysburg Sculptures

United States

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    • Major General Francis Barlow Bronze Statue
    • Sculptor of the Maj. General Francis C. Barlow Statue, J. Massey Rhind
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Featured Monument:

Major General Francis Barlow Bronze Statue

by sculptor J. Massey Rhind

 

Located on Barlow's (Blocher) Knoll along Howard Avenue.


Click this link to visit the sculptor of the Barlow statue page.

Maj. General Francis Channing Barlow

Sculptor: J. Massey Rhind

Dedicated: June 6, 1922

Statue and Plinth: 18' 6" high

Bronze Foundry: Roman Bronze Works, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Granite Base: John Swenson Granite Company, Concord, N.H.

Total Cost of the monument: $9899.30

The bronze statue depicts General Barlow looking with concern in the direction of where southern troops would have been advancing on his line of battle.

The statue appears to be looking in this general direction. Towards the southwest.

The History of Barlow's 1st Division at Gettysburg is well documented. Barlow would order his 1st Division forward to occupy the area around then Blocher's Knoll. This July 1st afternoon movement is highly debated today.

Francis Barlow's statue is one of the few depicting a Northern General at Gettysburg without facial hair. Barlow was 28 years old at Gettysburg holding the rank of Brigadier General. Colonel Theodore Lyman who served on the staff of Maj. Gen Meade described Barlow "He looked like a highly independent mounted newsboy."

 Barlow holds binoculars in one hand and his officers cap in the other.


Barlow may have looked young to his peers but he was known as an agressive fighter. Barlow chose not wear the standard sword of an officer of his rank. Instead as depicted by the sculptor, he wore a heavy enlisted mans cavelry sabre.  

Although Barlow carried a heavy cavalry sabre the scabbard drag appears to large or out of scale.

Barlow is shown barehanded. Most officer bronze statues at Gettysburg depict the subject wearing gauntlets.

A c1900 view of Barlow's Knoll looking east. The flagpole in the distance marks the approx. location where Lt. Colonel Douglas Fowler, 17th Connecticut Infantry was killed. 

A view of the Barlow statue looking South. In the lower left corner is a yellow circle. This circle is marking the location of a water tower located on East Cemetery Hill. East Cemetery Hill will be the fall back position on the evening of July 1st of many of the 11th Corps troops fighting with Barlow's Division.

Sunset at Barlow's Knoll.

 

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Gettysburg Sculptures

United States