Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Rochester, New York)

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
	43°09′12″N 77°36′19″W / 43.15346°N 77.60529°W
Location	Rochester, New York
Designer	Leonard Wells Volk
Dedicated date	May 30, 1892

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a monument in Washington Square Park in Rochester, New York. Designed by Leonard Wells Volk,^[1] it was erected in 1892.^[2] At the top of the 42-foot monument stands a bronze figure of Abraham Lincoln astride a granite shaft.^[3]^[4] Four bronze figures symbolize the infantry, cavalry, marines, and artillery.^[4] The panels of the monument depict key moments of the American Civil War: the land battles at Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, and Appomattox, and the naval battle between the USS Monitor and CSA Virginia.^[3] The total cost of the monument was $26,000.^[4]

Dedication

The statue was dedicated on May 30, 1892, accompanied by a parade of 10,000 people, including war veterans and schoolboys.^[3]^[4] Speeches were delivered by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, New York Governor Roswell P. Flower, and reformer Frederick Douglass.^[3]^[4] Also present at the ceremony were state Senator Cornelius R. Parsons, Rochester Mayor Richard J. Curran, and the president of the University of Rochester.^[3]^[4]

Harrison's dedication speech emphasized unity and reconciliation, referencing the North and South's "mutual respect" and "common country."^[5] Harrison praised "Southern hearts" for their renewed "love of the old flag."^[5] The president's 1,023-word address failed to mention slavery or abolition.^[5]