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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1901)
' Conservative. THE FLOYD MONUMENT. The state of Iowa now has a. historical object of the greatest interest in the shaft erected to the memory of Sergeant Charles Floyd , of the Lewis and Olark expedition ; and THE CONSERVATIVE , to see how such tilings were managed by our neighbors across the river , was rep resented at the dedication of it ; for Ne braska also contains within her limits several places of permanent historical import , which may well some day be deemed worthy of commemoration in like manner. This new monument consists of an obelisk of stone something over 100 feet in height , which stands on a prominent hill three or four miles below Sioux City , on the river front. As the hill is also 125 fee above the river , the shaft is rendered extremely conspicuous. The inhabitants of Sioux City and their visitors celebrated the completion of this object , which was turned over to its custodians on Memorial day , May 80th , in good earnest ; they came out in great numbers , and filled to overflowing a train of a dozen cars , which was placed at their disposal for the occasion , and which trundled them down to the location of the monument at 10 o'clock on the morning of that day. There was also a goodly throng already on the grounds , having proceeded thither afoot and in carriages , so that the summit of the hill was well crowded. It is rather a roomy hill , with a plateau at the top , which is to be worked up into a park. At , its foot runs the line of the North western railway , and beyond that lies the river. There is as impressive a view , probably , as any spot on the Missouri river affords. It is always a suggestive stream ; you look down the endless path of its waters , and you hear the lapping of the blue waves of the gulf as it min gles with them ; you look up , and see the torrents of its thousand sources pouring down the chasms of the snowy mountains. Here other matters are brought to mind besides. To the north , beyond the city , is the gap where enters the Big Sioux river , coming down from the ancient and sacred Pipestone quarry ; across the river in Nebraska there still remain two or three thousand Indians , Omolios and Winnebagoes , but not much like their fathers , who once ranged these hills. After receiving the Big Sioux , the river swings away to the west , into the land of the Dakotas ; as for as the eye can follow it around the great bend , appears the infinite chain of the river bluffs , reaching off now into the wilderness , headed definitely at last for the Rocky mountains. This appears like the limit of civilization j we are at the end of the thickly-settled stretch of the river that begins at Kansas City , and which seems marked for one of the great centers of human development ; above us lies the unending waste of the primitive continent. As it marks a geographical boundary , so this monument also stands upon the border between two periods of history ; it represents the incoming of the Ameri can people into the western territory. Its projectors dream of of-a companion shaft , to be placed upon the hill , not many miles below on the Nebraska side , where old Blackbird was buried a few years before Floyd was laid hero ; which should typify the passing away of the old order of things , the end of savage occupancy , the abandonment of half a continent by the native race. It is a striking idea , worthy of a thought ful and not altogether material people. Such ideas take possession of men's minds , and are not easily dislodged. If it had not been for an idea , this shaft would never have been erected on this hill : for it is not a monument to Ser geant Floyd , though it will probably al ways be known by his name. He was merely a plain American boy and a good soldier ; he originated nothing ; there is nothing in his achievements to render him worthy of such a commemoration as this , distinguishing his grave so far beyond not only those of his captains , but that of the statesman who sent them forth. It is on idea , pure and simple , that is marked here. This monument is to call the attention of fu ture ages to an epoch which should as sume increased importance in the eyes of each succeeding generation the taking possession by the English-speak ing race of the country west of the Mississippi river. It serves to mark the place where the first soldier of the United States , who gave up his life in that vast territory , died and was buried , but its aim goes far beyond that. It bears two bronze tablets , one on the east face , the other on the west. One reads as follows : -"FLOYD. This shaft marks the burial place of Sergeant Charles Floyd , a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He died in his country's service , and was buried near this spot August 20 , 1804. Graves of such men are pilgrim shrines , shrines tone no class or creed confined. Erected A. D. , 1900 , by the Floyd Memorial Asso ciation , aided by the United States and the state of Iowa. " The other tells the larger story. "In commemoration of the Louisiana Purch ase , made during the administration of Thomas Jefferson , third president of the United Sta'tes , April HO , 1808 ; of its suc cessful exploration by the heroic mem bers of the Lewis and Clark expedition , of the valor of the American soldier , and of the enterprise , courage and forti tude of the American Pioneer to whom these great states west of the Mississippi river owe their secure foundation. " The crowd gathers compactly about the prohibitory iron railing which the wise builders have placed about the shaft , to protect it from those sincere admirers who always like to carry a piece home with them ; the. . band plays , a photographer , perched on high , im plores the women to take down their umbrellas , old settlers are invited to come to the front and sit in chairs ; and presently somebody prays a little , and Colonel Chittenden , of the corps of en gineers , formally presents the finished structure , of which he has been archi tect and supervising engineer , to the so- cieiy that has planned and executed the work. This society is represented by a beautiful old man , who sits in a black cape surveying the scene and receiving congratulations on every hand , and rises to thank Colonel Ohittendeu and accept the monument. This is John H. " ( I Charles , president of the Floyd Memo rial Association , who lias borne Sergeant Floyd in mind for near half a century. It is said that he has been doubtful whether he would live to see this day ; he is the first person of the assemblage ; sometimes ho smiles to himself , some times he weeps softly , and one envies him his emotion. Other speeches are made , some audi ble and some not ; the crowd has abund ant time to study the shaft above them , which is all some of them con see. It is a cloudless day , and that gigantic needle glows brilliantly against the blue sky. It is beautifully proportioned , be ing modeled after the most famous monuments of antiquity by its designer ; one traveled speaker , in fact , states that it reminds him forcibly of the larger of the two obelisks at ancient Thebes , which has stood for 8500 years. It im presses one strongly , to think that a builder can lay hold of such a stretch of future time as that. This , of course , is not a monolith like the Egyptian menu ments. It is made of a light yellow sandstone from Minnesota ; the upper courses are somewhat stained with a temporary efflorescence , caused by a carefully-considered change in the ce ment after a winter had intervened in the work. When the speakers are ' through , the crowd cheers , the baud plays , the company of state troops fires three volleys for the soldier under the stone , and the exercises are over. The story of the grave is this. Two years after his comrades buried him on the top of the bluff , "with , the honors due to a brave soldier , " they returned , not one of them missing through death , and halted to visit his grave. They found that it had been opened , and filled it up again. There followed fifty years in which [ this hill-top in the remote wilderness was visited now and then by careful travelers , who have left con flicting records , as noted in recent num bers of THE CONSERVATIVE , as to the form of the memorial that marked the grave , whether it was a post or a cross ; aud then came the permanent settle ment. The newcomers were acquainted with the story of the grave , and kept an eye upon it , otherwise there would have been nothing to raise the monument of
