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Capitol Ohio - Lincoln-Vicksburg Monument (Art Walk Series)
 
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The Lincoln-Vicksburg Monument was unveiled in 1871 by Thomas Dow Jones. A clay bust of Lincoln was originally created in 1861, when Lincoln would pose for Jones one hour a day. After Lincoln's assassination, Jones was commissioned to sculpt a marble memorial honoring Civil War soldiers and America's 16th president. Using the clay bust as a reference, Jones spent six years working on the Lincoln-Vicksburg Monument. The bust was carved by Jones on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. Jones stayed in the Relic Room on the third floor of the Statehouse while working on this piece. The monument was originally installed in the Statehouse Rotunda in January 1871.

The end result was a large sculpture estimated to weigh 9,900 pounds. Lincoln's bust rests at the top, while an interpretation of Confederate officers surrendering to Union soldiers at Vicksburg, MS is in the middle. Beneath the soldiers lies a quote from Lincoln's second inaugural address which says, "Care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphans."
September 3, 2010