National Civil War Memorial Gains Local Support
By Leon Reed · Originally published April 2019 · p. 19
Sculptor Gary Casteel has been advocating development of a National Civil War Memorial for two decades. He feels he may be closer to the project’s go-ahead than ever before. “If you go to the National Mall in Washington, you’ll find monuments to the soldiers who fought in World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, even World War I,” said Casteel. He noted “They’re even developing one for Desert Storm.” “But, “he observed, “there has never been a national memorial to the Civil War,” but he thinks his latest proposal may be on course. The city of Taneytown, Md., about 12 miles south of Gettysburg sits on one of the three main routes used by the Army of the Potomac to get to the battle. Since an October presentation to the Borough Council and a visit by most of the Borough officials to Casteel’s studio on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg, Casteel has gained the support of the mayor and most of the town council. A site on the edge of town has tentatively been selected. “The Memorial is intended to educate the present generation about the war by telling stories about important events and participants,” said Casteel. “It is a Civil War memorial and is only concerned with the events from April 1861 to April 1865.” He believes the memory of the Civil War and the sacrifices of millions are in danger of being lost. “This generation is the last chance to get this monument built.” The memorial will consist of a monumental circle with walls containing scenes of the war and portraits of key individuals who were important during the war. In the center of the circle is a bench with two old soldiers speaking to a child about their experiences. Key events include the firing on Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, and Appomattox. Individuals portrayed include military figures such as Lee, Grant, Stonewall Jackson, and Meade while civilians portrayed include Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, diarist Mary Chesnut, and poet Walt Whitman. Some eyebrows have been raised by the portrayal of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. But Casteel argues that the memorial is depicting individuals who played a leading role and that there is no suggestion that he is being honored. Casteel is one of the most prominent sculptors of Civil War subjects. Among his Civil Warrelated projects are the statue of General Longstreet at Gettysburg National Military Park, two smaller sculptures in Gettysburg; one honors Wesley Culp and his brother, the other honoring Civil War musicians; a statue in Lexington Park, Md., honoring African American soldiers who fought in the war; a Confederate
POW memorial at Point Lookout, Md.; and a monument to soldiers from North Carolina at South Mountain, Md.. He also recently prepared sculptures of a World War I doughboy and Lady Liberty at Carlisle Barracks, Penn., and has undertaken a project to create high quality miniature versions of Civil War monuments at Gettysburg and elsewhere. Leon Reed is a former congressional aide, defense consultant, and U.S. History teacher. He lives in Gettysburg and writes military history books.
