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Oliver P. Morton Monument

Introduction

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This monument behind the Indiana Secretary of State building recognizes Indiana's Civil War Governor, Oliver P. Morton. A statue is accompanied by plaques providing details about Morton's life and a description of his constant support for Union troops and the Union war effort. The statue of Morton is flanked by freestanding statues of Civil War soldiers from Indiana. Friezes also depict Morton's strong relationship with Civil War soldiers. Morton's monument is accompanied by a historical marker noting that the spot is also where Morton established a state arsenal to supply Indiana's soldiers with ammunition during the war.

Images

This picture is attributed to WSaves PublicArt at Wikimedia Commons, licensed as follows: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

This picture is attributed to WSaves PublicArt at Wikimedia Commons, licensed as follows: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Backstory and Context

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Oliver P. Morton was born on August 4th, 1823, and spent his youth in Wayne County, Indiana. After law school, Morton abandoned the Democratic Party to help found the state-level Republican Party. Morton was the party's first nominee for the post of Indiana's governor in 1856. Elected lieutenant governor in 1860, Morton reached the governorship in 1861 after Republican Henry Lane resigned to take up a seat in the United States Senate.

When the secession crisis arrived, Morton took a hard line toward the Confederacy, arguing against compromise. He quickly offered Indiana's troops to support the federal government and diligently labored to continue providing soldiers for the Union throughout the US Civil War. Morton worked hard for the betterment of the soldiers, establishing a state arsenal to supply Indiana's units with ammunition, while selling additional production to the federal government.

Democratic opposition in the state legislature after 1862 forced Morton to run the state and its war effort without regular appropriations, but he persevered. The governor made political capital out of the threat from the idea of secret societies engaged in treason against the Union, and took harsh measures against the press and citizens who did not support the war. He went on to win a second term as governor in his own right during 1864, then won a US Senate seat in 1867. His importance to Indiana's Republican Party and Civil War effort, especially his reputation as the soldier's friend, earned him a statue in 1877, the year of his death. Austrian immigrant sculptor Rudolf Schwarz completed the statue.

Sources

Home Page, Ben Harrison Camp No. 356, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. February 20th 2020. Accessed September 18th 2020. http://benharrisoncamp.org/indiana-civil-war-monuments-markers-and-sites-inventory/.

The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994.

Rose, Ernestine Bradford Rose. The Circle: The Center of Indianapolis. Indianapolis: Crippin Printing Corporation, 1971.

Grieff, Glory-June. Remembrance, Faith, and Fancy: Outdoor Public Sculpture in Indiana. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press, 2005.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons

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