Veterans of 1898-1902 Spanish-American War Memorial

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Augusta’s Spanish-American War Memorial was installed May 3, 1942 by the Department of Georgia National Auxiliary United Spanish War Veterans. Georgia mustered three infantry regiments and two light artillery batteries for the Spanish-American War, although only the Third George saw overseas duty in 1899. The state also hosted more than 25 training camps, including one in Augusta. Augusta’s most notable soldier in the war was General Joseph Wheeler, who commanded troops in Cuba.

Images

Spanish-American War Monument

Veterans of 1898-1902 Spanish American War Memorial.

Memorial Plaque

"Soldiers of Company L, 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry preparing to be mustered out at Augusta, Ga." (Georgia Guard Archives.)

"Staff of the 1st US Volunteer Regiment, the "Rough Riders" in Tampa – Lt. Col. Roosevelt is on the right, Leonard Wood is next to him and bearded former Civil War Confederate general Joseph Wheeler is standing in front. Taylor MacDonald is on the far left and Major Alexander Oswald Brodie is next to him."

Footwear, Military uniform, Military person, Plant

Allen George Newman's version of "The Hiker." This is the image represented on the Augusta plaque.

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson's version of "The Hiker."

An example of the identical plaques--this one stands in Michigan City, Indiana (dedicated 1936)

Another example of the identical plaques, this one in Long Beach, CA (dedicated 1955)

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The bronze plaque shows a Spanish-American War soldier over an image of the USS Maine. The explosion of the Maine began the Spanish-American War in 1898. The representation of the soldier is known as “The Hiker.” “Hiker” was a term used to describe soldiers of the conflict, similar to how “doughboy” was used in WWI. The representation of the soldier outside of full uniform with the gun held in an informal position represented the soldier adapting to the terrain and demands of combat. There were two main sculptural representations of “The Hiker” that were widely used in Spanish-American War Monuments, by sculptors Allen George Newman and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. The image on the Augusta monument is a representation of Newman’s “The Hiker.”

The same imagery was widely repeated in Spanish-American War monuments around the nation. Almost identical plaques to the one in Augusta are featured in at least sixteen other monuments. Each feature the same relief of the soldier and USS Maine, as well as the quote from President McKinley. The identifying information at the bottom is different for each and some feature additional text. In addition, the full statue forms of both Newman and Kitson’s “The Hiker” were replicated widely: at least 20 statues of Newman’s version and more than 50 for Kitson’s.

Sources

"Monuments and Memorials." Augusta, GA. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.augustaga.gov/2150/Monuments-and-Memorials.

"Veterans of 1898-1902 Spanish American War Memorial." The American Legion. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.legion.org/memorials/239173/veterans-1898-1902-spanish-american-war-memorial.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"The Veterans of 1898-1902" The Historical Marker Database. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=10187.

"Monuments and Memorials." Augusta, GA. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.augustaga.gov/2150/Monuments-and-Memorials. "Veterans of 1898-1902 Spanish American War Memorial." The American Legion. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.legion.org/memorials/239173/veterans-1898-1902-spanish-american-war-memorial.

"The Georgia Volunteers in the Spanish American War." History of the Georgia National Guard. April 25, 2018. Accessed April 12, 2021. http://www.georgiaguardhistory.com/2018/04/the-georgia-volunteers-in-spanish_25.html.

"Joseph Wheeler." Wikipedia. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wheeler.

"The Hiker (Newman)." Wikipedia. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hiker_(Newman).

"The Hiker (Kitson)." Wikipedia. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hiker_(Kitson).

"Michigan City Spanish War Veterans Memorial." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=75721.

"Long Beach Spanish-American War Memorial Plaque." The National War Memorial Registry. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.memorialdayfoundation.org/war-memorial-registry/california/long-beach-spanish-american-war-memorial-plaque.html.