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THE MEMORY AND MEMORIALIZATION OF JAMES BIRDSEYE MCPHERSON by ERIC A. DUDLEY B.A., California State University, Sacramento, 2009 M.A., Kansas State University, 2012 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2016 Abstract General James Birdseye McPherson, the highest ranking Union officer killed during the Civil War, slowly over time became a largely forgotten figure in the collective memory of most Americans. A brief examination of the general's personal life and military career reveals that his life's narrative presented a captivating story, one which successfully captured the attention of his contemporaries. In the fifty years following his death, several groups of interested individuals sought to honor the general's memory through the construction of memorials. This dissertation approaches the history of McPherson through a memory study focusing particularly on the general's memorialization and the four main locations where the general had monuments built in his honor. In Washington, D.C., Clyde, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia, and McPherson, Kansas, the attempts to preserve McPherson's memory both succeeded in certain ways but also fell short of accomplishing their primary goal. In the process of memorialization the general was both remembered and forgotten. The funding, unveiling, and preserving of the various monuments illuminates the politics of commemoration as well as the motives behind those seeking to honor McPherson. With the passing of time, McPherson's memory slowly began to evolve in each location and generally changed to reflect the times and circumstances of the citizens. In each case, the McPherson memorials signified something different to the community, including a permanent reflection of local identity, a symbol of sectional reconciliation, or a means of promoting civic pride and local boosterism. Ultimately, although the memorialization of McPherson served as the best attempt to honor the generals' memory, the narrow scope and reach of memorials could not successfully preserve McPherson's memory beyond a very limited range and within small communities of interested parties. THE MEMORY AND MEMORIALIZATION OF JAMES BIRDSEYE MCPHERSON by ERIC A. DUDLEY B.A., California State University, Sacramento, 2009 M.A., Kansas State University, 2012 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2016 Approved by: Major Professor Charles W. Sanders, Jr. Copyright ERIC DUDLEY 2016 Abstract General James Birdseye McPherson, the highest ranking Union officer killed during the Civil War, slowly over time became a largely forgotten figure in the collective memory of most Americans. A brief examination of the general's personal life and military career reveals that his life's narrative presented a captivating story, one which successfully captured the attention of his contemporaries. In the fifty years following his death, several groups of interested individuals sought to honor the general's memory through the construction of memorials. This dissertation approaches the history of McPherson through a memory study focusing particularly on the general's memorialization and the four main locations where the general had monuments built in his honor. In Washington, D.C., Clyde, Ohio, Atlanta, Georgia, and McPherson, Kansas, the attempts to preserve McPherson's memory both succeeded in certain ways but also fell short of accomplishing their primary goal. In the process of memorialization the general was both remembered and forgotten. The funding, unveiling, and preserving of the various monuments illuminates the politics of commemoration as well as the motives behind those seeking to honor McPherson. With the passing of time, McPherson's memory slowly began to evolve in each location and generally changed to reflect the times and circumstances of the citizens. In each case, the McPherson memorials signified something different to the community, including a permanent reflection of local identity, a symbol of sectional reconciliation, or a means of promoting civic pride and local boosterism. Ultimately, although the memorialization of McPherson served as the best attempt to honor the generals' memory, the narrow scope and reach of memorials could not successfully preserve McPherson's memory beyond a very limited range and within small communities of interested parties. Table of Contents List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... ix Dedication ................................................................................................................................. xi Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... xii Introduction ................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 - The Life and Death of James B. McPherson ............................................................ 18 Early Years: Clyde, Ohio, West Point, and First Assignments ............................................... 18 McPherson and the Civil War ................................................................................................ 31 Initial Reaction to McPherson's Death ................................................................................... 71 Chapter 2 - Erecting a Monument .............................................................................................. 79 Society of the Army of the Tennessee Leads the Way ........................................................... 82 Sudden Change of Location .................................................................................................. 99 The Unveiling ..................................................................................................................... 105 McPherson's Lasting Memory in Washington D.C. ............................................................. 120 Chapter 3 - The Hometown of General James Birdseye McPherson ........................................ 129 Aftermath of McPherson's Death ......................................................................................... 129 Clyde Gets Its Monument .................................................................................................... 137 The Unveiling Ceremony .................................................................................................... 146 McPherson's Memory in Clyde Through the Years .............................................................. 162 Chapter 4 - McPherson's Memory in Atlanta, Georgia ............................................................. 184 Erection of a Monument ...................................................................................................... 185 McPherson as a Symbol of Reconciliation ........................................................................... 190 Urbanization Overtakes the Memorial ................................................................................. 200 Lasting Memory of McPherson in Atlanta ........................................................................... 211 Fort McPherson and Local Animosity.............................................................................. 214 Recent Examples of Atlantans' Attempt to Preserve McPherson's Memory ...................... 218 Chapter 5 - McPherson, Kansas: A Unique Case Study ........................................................... 229 The Town of McPherson, Kansas and the Building of a Monument ..................................... 232 Advertisement and the Unveiling Ceremony ....................................................................... 241 vi Evolution of McPherson's Memory in Kansas Through the Years ....................................... 249 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 257 Other McPherson Memorialization and Acts of Remembrance ............................................ 257 Remembering and Forgetting .............................................................................................. 261 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 273 vii List of Figures Figure 1: McPherson Equestrian Statue, Washington, D.C. (Photograph by the author, 2014) . 121 Figure 2: McPherson Monument, Clyde, Ohio (Photograph by the author, 2013) .................... 178 Figure 3: Close-up of McPherson Monument, Clyde, Ohio (Photograph by the author, 2013) . 182 Figure 4: Current Image of the McPherson Monument, at the Intersection of McPherson Avenue and Monument Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia (Photograph by the author, 2015) .................... 220 Figure 5: Different Angle of McPherson Memorial, Atlanta Georgia. Note the Inscription of "McPherson" on Granite Base, Previously Defaced by Vandals, and Restored by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee (Photograph by the author, 2015) .....................................
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