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32°04′25″N 81°05′38″W / 32.07355°N 81.09397°W | |
Location | Madison Square, Savannah, Georgia, United States |
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Designer | Alexander Doyle |
Material |
Bronze Granite (pedestal) |
Height | 15.5 feet (4.7 m) |
Dedicated date | February 2, 1888 |
Dedicated to | William Jasper |
The William Jasper Monument is a monument honoring William Jasper in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located in Madison Square, the monument was designed by Alexander Doyle and dedicated in 1888.
William Jasper was a sergeant in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Sullivan's Island in 1776, he earned fame by climbing a parapet under enemy fire to reattach his company's flag after the flagpole was destroyed. For his action, he was commended by John Rutledge, the then- President of South Carolina. [1] He was later killed in action during the siege of Savannah on October 9, 1779. [1] [2]
On February 2, 1888, a monument honoring Jasper was dedicated in Madison Square in Savannah, Georgia. [3] [4] The monument, located near the De Soto Hotel in Savannah, was designed by Alexander Doyle and depicts Jasper during the siege of Savannah. [2] Several prominent Savannah citizens, including Ireland native William Kehoe, [5] had been members of the association responsible for the monument's creation. [2] The mayor and aldermen were present at the monument's dedication, where then- Georgia Governor John Brown Gordon gave a speech. [3] [6] Then- President of the United States Grover Cleveland and First Lady of the United States Frances Cleveland were guests of honor, [3] with the President stopping on his way to Jacksonville, Florida and honoring the occasion with a drive through the city. [2]
In 1957, a Georgia historical marker was erected near the monument. [7]
The bronze statue of Jasper, topping a granite pedestal, shows him in a heroic pose, holding the Moultrie Flag above his head in his left hand and a sword in his right. [2] [3] Near his feet is his bullet-ridden hat. Three bas-reliefs on the base of the monument depict scenes from Jasper's life. The height of the monument is 15.5 feet (4.7 m). [7] An inscription on the front base of the monument reads: [2] [3]
To the memory of Sergeant William Jasper, who, though mortally wounded, rescued the colors of his regiment, in the assault on the British lines about the city, October 9, 1779. A century has not dimmed the glory of the Irish-American soldier whose last tribute to civil liberty was his life. 1779–1879. Erected by the Jasper Monument Association.