Existing comment:
The Monument Idea:
The idea for a memorial to soldiers fighting to preserve the Union was first raised in 1862, well before the war itself was resolved. In 1865 Indiana's "War Governor" Oliver P. Morton proposed that the state should act to
"Honor the dead, cherish the living, and preserve in immortal memory the deeds and virtues of all, as an inspiration for countless generations to come."
At that early date, however, most citizens just wanted to put the war behind them. But the idea for a monument did not fade away. In 1875, a small group of veterans in Indianapolis created a "Monument Association" to begin gathering funds and raise popular and legislative support. The GAR (Grand Army of the Republic, an association of Union Civil War veterans) backed the idea in 1882, and five years later Governor Isaac P. Gray signed the monument bill, appropriating $200,000, and appointing a monument commission. |