Grand Army Plaza

The gilded bronze equestrian statue that commands the northern half of Grand Army Plaza serves as the site's most striking landmark. It depicts Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, mounted on his horse, Ontario, and guided by an allegorical figure representing Victory. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens spent years perfecting the monument, even traveling between his studios in New Hampshire and France to labor over the intricate details. The figure of Victory was modeled by Hettie Anderson, an African American woman who frequently collaborated with the most prominent artists of the era. Beneath the horse's hooves, you can see a Georgia pine branch, a detail intended to symbolize the South during the Civil War.