'
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
