John A. Rawlins Memorial

John A. Rawlins Memorial

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The John A. Rawlins Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors one of the most influential yet often overlooked figures of the Civil War era. John Aaron Rawlins (1831–1869) was born in Illinois and trained as a lawyer before the outbreak of war. In 1861 he joined the staff of Ulysses S. Grant, rapidly advancing to become Grant’s chief of staff and most trusted adviser. Rawlins was widely regarded as Grant’s moral compass and organizational backbone, enforcing discipline, urging strategic focus, and helping sustain Grant’s command through the war’s most demanding campaigns. He was promoted to brigadier general and later brevet major general for his service. After the war, Rawlins was appointed Secretary of War in 1869 by President Grant, though he served only five months before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 38.

Efforts to commemorate Rawlins began almost immediately after his death. Congress authorized a memorial in 1871, with funding raised largely through contributions from Civil War veterans and supporters who wished to honor his service and character. The statue was completed and installed without ceremony in 1874, making it among the earliest Civil War monuments erected in the nation’s capital. The bronze statue was sculpted by Joseph A. Bailly and cast from Confederate cannon captured during the war. He stands upright and alert, holding field glasses, conveying readiness, authority, and vigilance.

The memorial’s history is marked by its movement across Washington. Originally installed at Rawlins Square, a reservation east of the White House at 18th and E Streets NW, it was moved to a more prominent location at 10th and D Streets NW after concerns were raised veterans in the Grand Army of the Republic about the condition of Rawlins Park and its surroundings. However, shortly after the move, a newspaper plant was constructed on the new site, and Rawlins was moved to the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th streets. When a public restroom was built on that site, the statue was moved again, this time across the street. A fourth, and so far, final, move was made in 1931, when the statue was once again relocated due to construction of the National Archives building. The statue was returned to its original location in Rawlins Park, and the site was improved with the addition of walkways and a reflecting pool in 1938. In 1961, Wyoming Representative William H. Harrison attempted to relocated the statue to Rawlins, Wyoming, a town named after the general, though the proposal was unsuccessful.