Major General George Henry Thomas, Bronze equestrian monument in Thomas Circle, United States
The bronze equestrian sculpture depicts General Thomas mounted on a horse with reins in hand, gazing across a battlefield from atop a granite pedestal. The work occupies the center of Thomas Circle at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Vermont Avenue, 14th Street, and M Street.
The Society of the Army of the Cumberland commissioned this memorial in 1874, using bronze sourced from captured Confederate cannons. Its dedication in 1879 honored an important Union military leader whose strategic decisions shaped the course of the war.
The monument stands among other Civil War memorials in Washington that commemorate the roles of important military leaders. Today it serves as a central gathering point where people reflect on the country's past.
The monument sits at a busy intersection, making it easy to reach but potentially loud and crowded. Visitors should arrive early in the day to view the sculpture and its details more comfortably.
Sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward captured anatomical details such as dilated nostrils and tensed muscles of the horse with exceptional care. This attention to the animal's realism makes the work stand out for its lifelike quality uncommon in monuments of its era.
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