Soldiers and Sailors Monument, (sculpture).

Search ALL sculptures and paintings

Soldiers and Sailors Monument, (sculpture).

Monumental Bronze Company, founder.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument, (sculpture).

America, (sculpture).

Liberty, (sculpture).

Dedicated July 4, 1888.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: zinc; Base: zinc, granite.

Liberty: approx. 9 ft. x 3 1/2 ft. x 4 ft.; Soldier: approx. 6 1/2 ft. x 22 in. x 25 in.; Sailor: approx. 7 ft. x 26 in. x 18 in.; Base: approx. 18 ft. x 13 ft. 2 in. x 13 ft. 2 in.

Monumental Bronze Company (On front of base:) IN HONOR OF THE MEN/OF/PORTSMOUTH/WHO GAVE/THEIR SERVICES ON THE SEA/IN THE WAR WHICH/PRESERVED THE UNION/OF THE STATES THIS/MONUMENT IS ERECTED/BY GRATEFUL CITIZENS./1888 (Surrounding city seal relief:) CITY OF PORTSMOUTH/INCORPORATED 1849 (On front of base near bottom:) GETTYSBURG (On back of base:) WILLIAMSBURG/FAIR OAKS/SAVAGE STATION/WHITE OAK SWAMP/MALVERN HILL/CHANTILLY/SOUTH MOUNTAIN/CHANCELLORSVILLE/WILDERNESS/COLD HARBOR/PETERSBURG/RICHMOND/MONITOR & MERRIMACK/NEW ORLEANS/MOBILE BAY/MORRIS ISLAND/FORT DARLING/PORT HUDSON/RED RIVER/FORT DONELSON/PEACH TREE CREEK/SHERMANS MARCH/TO THE SEA/ANTIETAM (On proper right side:) FREDERICKSBURG (On proper left side:) KEARSARGE unsigned Founder's mark appears.

Full-length zinc female figure representing Liberty or America surmounts the monument. The figure wears classical robes which drape from her proper right shoulder. In her proper left hand she holds a sword; the point of the sword rests at her feet. Her proper right arm is outstretched. A shield rests against her proper left side. She stands on an octagonal pedestal atop a square base. On either side of the bottom the pedestal, standing on buttresses, are full-length zinc figures of a soldier and a sailor. They stand with their backs to the pedestal.

The soldier wears a uniform with coat, cape and hat. On his belt are a pouch and a bayonet. He holds a rifle with both hands, the butt of the rifle rests on the ground in front of him. The cape of his coat is thrown over his proper right shoulder. Immediately behind the soldier is a relief depiction of a Parrot gun, a cannon, seen in side view.

The sailor wears a naval uniform complete with blouse and cap. His proper right hand rests on the top of an anchor on the ground beside him. His proper left hand is placed on his waist. He has a long moustache. Immediately behind the sailor is a relief depicting the sinking of the Alabama by the Kearsarge. The three-masted steamer Kearsarge is seen in full view. The boat's guns are firing and only the prow of the second ship is visible.

On the panel to the proper left of the sailor is a relief portrait bust of New Hampshire governor Ichabod Goodwin. He is dressed in 19th century costume including jacket and bow tie. Other relief images on the pedestal include the G.A.R. badge, a stack of muskets and a capstan. The sculpture and monument are zinc. The octagonal pedestal ends in a tall square two-stepped granite base. On the front face of the top step is a relief of the city seal. On the back face of the top step is a relief of the national coat of arms. Above each, sitting on a small sill, is a stack of cannonballs.

History -- United States -- Civil War

Figure female -- Full length

Figure male -- Full length

Allegory -- Place -- America

Allegory -- Civic -- Liberty

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Occupation -- Military -- Sailor

Dress -- Uniform -- Military Uniform

Portrait male -- Goodwin, Ichabod -- Bust

Occupation -- Political -- Governor

Object -- Weapon -- Cannon

Architecture -- Boat -- Kearsarge

Architecture -- Boat -- Detail

Outdoor Sculpture -- New Hampshire -- Portsmouth

Administered by City of Portsmouth, Department of Public Works, 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801

Located Goodwin Park, Between State Street & Islington Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The figure of "Liberty" was donated by Portsmouth Mayor Marcellus Eldredge, who promised the donation if the Storer Post No. 1 of the G.A.R. would raise $2000 for the monument (they raised $5,000). The land on which the monument is sited donated to the city by Eldredge and his family. The sculpture was originally placed on top of a tall shaft, but by 1955 the shaft had deteriorated and had to be removed.

IAS files contain copy of related article from Portsmouth Herald, Nov. 9, 1979, pg. 1-3 and additional citations for other related articles. IAS files contain excerpt from David Ruell's unpublished manuscript "The Public Sculpture of New Hampshire", Concord: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1980, pg. 14-16. IAS files contain copy of excerpts from Ray Brighton's "Rambles About Portsmouth", Portsmouth: Portsmouth Marine Society, 1993?, pg. 32-38; and from his "They Came to Fish", Randall/Winebaum Publications, 1979, pg. 184.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, New Hampshire survey, 1993.

SOS Conservation Treatment Award, 2000.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

Powered by SirsiDynix

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact

SIRIS - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System