8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 ,illustration 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 ,some ,recollections of the ,artist and the ,painting by ,henry ,kelsey ,devereux ,illustration ,cleveland ,privately ,printed for the ,author #aibf ,copyright #aibf1 by ,henry ,k4 ,devereux ,to my father1 ,,john ,,henry ,,devereux ,i would dedicate this little volume--a man whose loving-kindness so true2 whose godliness1 faith1 and devotion--strengthened by firmness always fair--has ever been an inspiration ,contents ,,preface #ae ,,archibald ,m4 ,,willard1 ,a ,,brief ,,sketch #ba ,,the ,,fifer--,,hugh ,,mosher #ci ,,the ,,drummer ,,boy--,,henry ,,kelsey ,,devereux #dg ,,an ,,early ,,account ,,by ,j4 ,f4 ,,ryder #fa ,,the ,,preliminary ,,sketches ,,and ,,replicas #ga ,illustrations ,,the ,,spirit ,,of '#gf ,frontispiece ,reproduced from the original painting now hanging in the ,town ,hall at ,marblehead1 ,massachusetts4 ,this reproduction is accurate as to details1 and reproduces the original colors as closely as possible4 ,some years ago1 on account of the demand for reproductions of this painting and the danger of damage to the valuable original1 by a vote of the town of ,marblehead1 action was taken that no further reproductions from the original should be permitted2 hence1 many of the reproductions now available are not reproductions of the original painting but of one or other of the later replicas4 ,these replicas differ in many respects from the original1 both as to details and coloring4 ,,archibald ,m4 ,,willard #bc 8,,yankee ,,doodle0 #bi ,willard's original conception for the humorous painting submitted to ,j4 ,f4 ,ryder1 as reproduced by ,willard in #ahih and presented to ,the ,reverend ,william ,e4 ,barton1 in whose possession it still remains4 ,,hugh ,,mosher #da ,,henry ,,kelsey ,,devereux #di ,,the ,,reverend ,,samuel ,,willard #fc ,,the ,,final ,,preliminary ,,crayon ,,study ,,sketch #gc ,showing one of the stages in the final evolution of the finished painting4 ,believed to be the only study sketch now in existence4 ,presented by ,willard to ,doctor ,barton and still in his possession4 ,preface ,nearly fifty years have passed since ,archibald ,m4 ,willard painted 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,mr4 ,willard has passed1 and so have all who were intimately connected with its creation1 except myself4 ,probably no painting1 the creation of an ,american artist1 has received such wide and continuous interest and attention as this patriotic painting4 ,many times during the last quarter of a century1 ,i have been urged to record my recollections of ,willard and my association with this historical painting4 ,many times ,i have been asked for information which did not come under my personal observation4 ,as the years pass1 this demand for information has become more insistent and more urgent4 ,this little volume has been prepared partly to meet this demand1 but more especially to accede to the oft-repeated requests of my family and friends4 ,these requests for information have not always been confined to my own experiences4 ,therefore1 the more fully to meet the wishes of my family and friends1 to my own personal recollections ,i have added a brief sketch of the artist1 of ,hugh ,mosher the fifer1 and ,mr4 ,ryder's own account of the conception and purpose of the artist1 written many years ago and now difficult to find4 ,i have also added a few words regarding the extant original sketches and the ,replica of #aiab4 ,h4 ,k4 ,d4 ,january #aibf ,archibald ,m4 ,willard a brief sketch ,illustration3 ,,archibald ,m4 ,,willard at the age of forty1 when he painted the 8,spirit of '#gf0 ,a brief sketch of ,archibald ,m4 ,willard and the ,spirit of '#gf 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 is the best known painting produced by an ,american1 and at the same time one of the most inspiring works of art ever issued in ,america4 ,it may not conform to any orthodox school of painting or possess the fine points of technique that some critics demand1 but as an inspiration of patriotism1 ,i doubt if any painting has had as wide and continuous influence as 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,it has been reproduced in one form and another millions of times1 by almost every available process--chromo-lithography1 steel-engraving1 half-tone1 and the various color processes4 ,it is perhaps available in more homes than any other ,american painting1 either framed or in magazines1 printed books1 school histories1 calendars1 posters1 etc4 ,many a patriotic parade has included the famous trio of this painting4 ,although the painting is so universally known1 it is surprising that so little authentic printed material is available either on the artist himself or the story of the creation of this1 his most celebrated work4 ,archibald ,m4 ,willard1 the painter of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was born in ,bedford1 ,ohio1 ,august #bb1 #ahcf4 ,his father1 the ,reverend ,samuel ,willard1 was a ,baptist minister and a ,vermonter4 ,in the home was grandfather ,willard1 between whom and the young artist there grew to be a strong bond of understanding and sympathy4 ,the grandfather1 a relative of ,general ,stark and a soldier of the ,revolutionary ,war1 was one of the ,green ,mountain boys who was at the surrender of ,general ,burgoyne4 ,grandfather and grandson spent much time together in rambles through the then picturesque ,bedford glens4 ,the rugged surroundings appealed to young ,willard's artistic sense4 ,the old man figured often in the boy's cartoons4 ,many a tree was stripped of its outer bark to produce a smooth surface upon which with red chalk and charred embers the young artist produced savages of hideous mien4 ,as frequently happens with young artists1 young ,willard1 did not receive much encouragement from the ,willard family1 perhaps because every smooth surface of wall1 barn-door1 board fence1 etc41 bore evidence to the budding genius4 ,for varying periods1 the family were located at ,kent1 ,salem1 ,aurora1 ,mantua1 and ,la ,grange4 ,when ,willard was a lad of seventeen1 the family moved to ,wellington1 ,lorain county1 ,ohio4 ,at the outbreak of the ,civil ,war1 ,willard enlisted in the ,eighty-sixth ,ohio ,regiment4 ,while with his regiment at ,cumberland ,gap1 he painted several pictures of the surrounding country4 ,these were photographed and many of the photographs were sold to his comrades4 ,with the close of the ,civil ,war1 ,archibald ,m4 ,willard1 then a sturdy young man1 returned to ,wellington1 together with his close companion1 ,hugh ,mosher4 ,both had served faithfully and well4 ,willard had become a non-commissioned officer4 ,he secured employment in the shop of ,e4 ,s4 ,tripp1 a wheelwright and wagon-maker4 ,the old shop still stands at ,wellington4 ,willard's original job was to paint the wagons4 ,from the mere painting of the wagons he gradually passed to decorating the wagons artistically1 and finally to decorating1 with woodland and animal scenes1 a number of gaudy circus chariots4 ,he did this work so artistically that 8,tripp's wagons0 became known all over that part of the country4 ,there was coperation between the two men1 for apart from the artistic painting1 the wagons themselves were sturdily and well-built4 ,willard's artistic temperament carried him beyond mere commercial painting4 ,he began painting pictures on the wagon boxes4 ,these were so well executed that they created much comment4 ,he gradually became so elaborate in these1 that his employer1 ,mr4 ,tripp1 had to restrain him4 ,undoubtedly the interest created by these paintings sold many a wagon for their builder and advertised him in a most unusual way4 ,if any of these ,willard-decorated-,tripp-wagons were now available1 they would bring a price far in excess of the cost of the wagons themselves4 ,while working at his trade as wagon painter1 ,willard devoted all his spare time1 energy1 and what little money he could save to the study of painting on canvas4 ,he had a very decided sense of humor and nearly all of his earlier subjects are of a humorous character4 ,it was early in the seventies that he painted the first two pictures from which he received compensation4 ,these were the outcome of a request by his employer's daughter asking him to paint a picture for her4 8,pluck number ,one0 was the result4 ,it depicts a dog hitched to a little wagon1 a boy driving1 and his baby sister in the wagon with him4 ,the dog takes off the road in chase of a rabbit1 and the little boy desperately trying to stop him4 ,a wreck follows where the rabbit jumps a log1 but the youthful occupant clinging to the lines1 and the little sister1 escapes unhurt4 ,illustration3 8,,yankee ,,doodle0 ,willard's original conception for the humorous painting submitted to ,j4 ,f4 ,ryder4 ,from this1 the 8,spirit of '#gf10 with its far-reaching inspiration1 was finally evolved ,in ,cleveland at this time was a photographer and art dealer named ,j4 ,f4 ,ryder4 ,this painting came to his attention with other early productions by ,willard4 ,the astute ,ryder quickly recognized the quaint humor and natural ability displayed in these early pictures4 ,willard thereupon painted a sequel to 8,pluck0 which he entitled 8,pluck number ,two40 ,mr4 ,ryder had these two paintings reproduced in color by chromo-lithography4 ,they became two of the most popular pictures of their day4 ,they sold at ten dollars the pair4 ,many thousands were sold4 ,this proved to be the beginning of a long and profitable business acquaintance and lasting friendship between ,willard and ,ryder4 ,the proceeds from the sale of these pictures permitted ,willard to take an art course in the studio of ,j4 ,d4 ,eaton1 of ,new ,york4 ,this was in #ahgc4 ,following this1 ,willard painted among other things a picture which he called 8,yankee ,doodle40 ,it was an ordinary sized canvas and delineated a ,fourth of ,july celebration in a country village4 ,an old man in the center beating a drum1 with a younger man on each side1 the one with a drum1 the other with a fife4 ,the surroundings and background were rural4 ,this painting was finished a few months prior to the opening of the ,centennial ,exposition of #ahgf at ,philadelphia4 ,when ,mr4 ,ryder saw the picture1 he immediately conceived the idea of changing the subject from humorous to patriotic1 and ,willard concurred in the idea4 ,contrary to a rather general belief1 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was not painted for exhibition at the ,centennial4 ,at that period there was a general and widespread spirit of patriotism and the days of the ,revolutionary ,war were especially before the people of this country4 ,mr4 ,ryder had this prominently in mind and for this reason he suggested to ,willard the painting of this picture that reproductions therefrom might be made and a large number of these reproductions sold generally throughout the country and particularly at the ,centennial4 ,it was not sent to the ,centennial until many of these colored reproductions had been distributed1 and a large popular interest in the painting had arisen4 ,it was then1 on special request made by those in charge of the ,centennial that the original painting itself was sent to the ,exposition4 ,mr4 ,ryder suggested that the title be 8,yankee ,doodle0 and under this title 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was at first known4 ,he left the conception and development of the painting to ,willard's imagination4 ,at that early period after the ,civil ,war1 when the training days of the militia system had practically gone to pieces1 the various companies were expected to go into camp for three days each year4 ,these days had become a neighborhood picnic4 ,uniforms were seldom in evidence4 ,there were few guns or swords4 ,there were1 however1 always the flag1 the fife1 and the drum4 ,willard had this idea prominently before him4 ,he slashed into outline various charcoal attempts1 but the lines would not fall or respond as he wanted them to4 ,the real idea as to what ,yankee ,doodle and the men who fifed it and drummed it1 stood for1 eventually began to thrust itself persistently into the pencil points4 ,willard daily became more enthused over the patriotic features to be delineated4 ,his early days of marching and fighting under the stars and stripes helped greatly in stirring his patriotic enthusiasm1 which later was put upon and filled the completed canvas4 ,while ,willard was engaged in painting this picture1 his father1 who was posing as his central figure1 became critically ill4 ,he did not live to see the finished painting4 ,when ,willard was told that his father was soon to pass away1 all thoughts of a humorous picture faded from his mind4 ,he decided to paint his father as he really was4 ,after ,willard became acquainted with ,mr4 ,ryder1 at ,ryder's suggestion1 ,willard moved to ,cleveland4 ,he used as a studio1 a small room on the fourth floor of what used to be the ,union ,national ,bank ,building located at ,euclid ,avenue and what was then ,hickox ,alley1 ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,from this time on ,willard spent almost his entire life in ,cleveland4 ,this little studio had a northern exposure1 and he was artist enough1 even then1 to realize the value of the northern light4 ,his canvas when stretched was taller than himself4 ,his idea had become a big one and nothing but life-size would do for the figures to be used4 ,he followed the general idea of his first picture1 8,yankee ,doodle or a ,fourth of ,july ,celebration0 but the spirit of the whole was changed4 ,the old man in the center was ,willard's own father1 a tall1 straight1 powerful man1 with flowing white locks yet the figure of a man of thirty1 without coat1 bare-headed1 his white hair blowing in the breeze1 his shirt sleeves loose1 marching forward with a step as firm and unhesitating as the grim and determined look on his face4 ,the face of the old man shows features which could be kind1 but now set like flint in the face of the enemy--filled with the courage of a man who has put character1 and thought1 and prayer into the music through which he utters his patriotic purpose4 ,perhaps there is a bit of humor in the figure of the fifer--it could not be otherwise--for it is a portrait of the fifer of ,wellington1 ,hugh ,mosher4 ,while depicting his humorous face with its puckered mouth1 there is the same air of determination in the figure1 the eyes1 and the forward step1 that so mark the picture of the old man4 ,in these characters one sees the spirit of men who will stand and play until they die1 or by their contagious heroism will turn the tide of battle4 ,as already stated1 for the first few years the painting was known under the title of 8,yankee ,doodle40 ,while the picture was on exhibition in ,boston1 ,mr4 ,brainerd1 who had charge of the exhibition1 suggested changing the title to 8,yankee ,doodle1 or the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,this suggestion was made because at that time in ,boston there was a public character1 a half-wit1 who was commonly known about the city as 8,yankee ,doodle40 ,in some curious way1 the painting and this half-wit were being confused in the public mind4 ,this change of title was adopted4 ,finally 8,yankee ,doodle0 was dropped entirely and the painting has since been known under the title of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,the ,fifer ,illustration3 ,,hugh ,,mosher who posed as the fifer4 ,from an original photograph made by ,william ,f4 ,sawtelle of ,wellington1 ,ohio ,the ,fifer--,hugh ,mosher ,when ,archibald ,m4 ,willard returned home from service in the ,civil ,war1 there came back with him to ,wellington his comrade1 ,hugh ,mosher4 ,mr4 ,willard first became acquainted with ,mosher after the family moved to ,wellington4 ,they soon became close and lifelong friends4 ,their service in the ,civil ,war1 in which they were comrades1 more closely cemented this friendship4 ,hugh ,mosher was born at ,perry1 ,lake county1 ,ohio1 ,january twenty-ninth1 #ahai1 and died at ,brighton1 ,ohio1 ,august fifteenth1 #ahib4 ,his father served in the ,war of #ahab1 and his grandfather had served in the ,revolutionary ,war4 ,he himself enlisted for the ,civil ,war1 and became a fifer in ,company ,h1 ,forty-third ,infantry ,regiment1 ,ohio ,volunteers4 ,he never fully recovered from the effects of his army hardships4 ,he was a tall and well built man1 over six feet in height4 ,in appearance he suggested a typical frontiersman of the ,daniel ,boone or ,simon ,girty type4 ,hugh ,mosher 7or ,mosier as it is sometimes wrongly spelled7 who posed as the fifer1 spent most of his life in ,wellington1 ,ohio4 ,returning from the ,civil ,war1 he again took up his farmwork4 ,he was a celebrated performer on the fife1 and his fame had spread throughout the surrounding country4 ,he was probably the best fifer in northern ,ohio4 ,it is said of him that he would rather fife than eat4 ,he carried this little instrument with him wherever he went and delighted to play whenever chance offered4 ,no patriotic gathering in or near ,wellington was considered complete without ,mosher and his fife4 ,he was intensely patriotic1 and even in his last illness deeply regretted being unable to attend the celebration of the ,fourth of ,july in his home town of ,wellington4 ,he spent considerable time posing for ,mr4 ,willard1 and many photographs of him were taken by ,mr4 ,william ,f4 ,sawtelle1 a photographer of ,wellington1 for use in ,willard's painting4 ,willard1 however1 could not get satisfactory photographs of ,hugh ,mosher4 ,this was before the day of the quick-acting shutter4 ,the cap of the camera could not be operated quickly enough to get satisfactory expression4 ,for this reason1 poor ,hugh ,mosher had to go to ,willard's studio and pose4 ,in order to get the proper expression1 ,mosher not only had to pose1 but had to continue fifing all the time he was posing4 ,willard had a habit of calling attention to the peculiar way in which ,mosher held his fife--with the thumb out4 ,the rumor is that after ,willard had made his many and individual studies of ,mosher1 that ,mosher was unable to get to ,cleveland to see the finished canvas of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,he did not see it until he visited the ,centennial4 ,at the ,centennial there was always a crowd around the painting4 ,mosher joined the crowd4 ,while he thus stood before the picture1 someone in the crowd recognized him1 and he was immediately given an ovation4 ,one of the original sketches for the fifer1 ,i believe1 still exists4 ,it was in existence and exhibited in ,cleveland1 ,november1 #aiab4 ,at the same time also was exhibited a marble figure of the old drummer1 ,willard's father4 ,the ,drummer ,boy ,illustration3 ,,henry ,,kelsey ,,devereux who posed for the drummer boy4 ,from an original portrait taken about #ahgh ,the ,drummer ,boy--,h4 ,k4 ,d4 ,in the original sketches for 8,yankee ,doodle10 ,willard depicted three grown men4 ,when the humorous aspect faded from his conception1 and he decided to depict his father seriously1 he conceived the idea of including for his third figure a young lad instead of a grown man4 ,in this way1 the picture would present three generations of patriots1 the grandfather in the center1 the father at his side1 and on his right1 the grandson looking up into grandpa's face with confidence and admiration4 ,in #ahge1 there was organized in ,cleveland1 ,brooks ,school1 a preparatory school for boys from ten years upward4 ,it was so named after its inceptor1 the ,reverend ,john ,brooks1 who lost his life in a most tragic manner while in ,boston to secure a principal for the school4 ,it was a military school4 ,in #ahgf1 it was domiciled in its building on ,carnegie ,avenue 7then ,sibley ,street7 near the present ,east ,thirty-sixth street4 ,the spirit of the boys in the school was very military4 ,they had for instructor the late ,captain ,f4 ,a4 ,kendall1 who served with distinction during the ,civil ,war4 ,three companies composed the ,brooks ,school ,battalion4 ,the first company composed of the older boys2 the second1 of the intermediate2 and the third1 of the smaller boys in both age and stature4 ,for some reason the third company1 in competitive drills1 always won over the other two4 ,this was due undoubtedly to the natural sympathy older people always have for the younger and smaller when in competition4 ,i was captain of the ,third ,company and it was my observation that the little fellows usually got most of any sympathy being given1 yet1 too1 it was a noticeable fact that they tried harder1 paid closer attention1 and usually drilled more perfectly than the older boys4 ,on the sixth of ,march1 #ahgf1 the ,brooks ,school ,battalion gave a competitive drill at their armory1 in compliment to the ,cleveland ,grays1 and as may be guessed every boy was on his toes to show the hero soldiers in gray what could be done4 ,mr4 ,willard1 desiring a subject to use in his picture as a drummer boy1 attended this drill4 ,why he selected me never has been explained to me4 ,maybe an incident in the drill of the ,third ,company had its effect4 ,anyway1 to this day1 although nearly fifty years have passed1 recalling the happenings of that day brings to me a thrill for the earnest effort and perfection of drill of those little fellows4 ,the two companies of larger boys had passed through their drill in a way to please everybody4 ,when it came time for the little fellows to march out1 every boy was keyed to the limit4 ,they went through the set maneuvers perfectly and when about finished1 it popped into my head to try something very difficult that the others had not tried4 ,marching down the side of the hall in column of fours1 and wheeling to the left1 at the end ,i gave the order 8fours left into line and forward guide right double-quick march40 ,so perfect was the spacing between the fours that they wheeled into line in perfect alignment1 broke into double quick as one1 and went charging down the hall toward the spectators amid a burst of applause4 ,that settled the day and the ,third ,company retained the honor of being the color company4 ,one thing that likely intensified this military spirit among us was the fact that just at this time there was on exhibition at ,cleveland1 a panorama of the ,battle of ,lookout ,mountain4 ,it was a splendid picture1 aroused much enthusiasm1 and the proceeds--in part at least--went to pay for the completion of the soldier's monument at ,dayton4 ,a select squad from the ,brooks ,school ,battalion gave an exhibition drill in front of the picture to help the entertainment4 ,shortly after this competitive drill1 my father told me he had given permission to ,mr4 ,willard to use me as a model for the drummer boy in his picture4 ,i recall a feeling of resentment on my part for that meant giving up afternoon play1 a thing not to be contemplated with a feeling of joy by any boy4 ,however1 paternal edicts generally prevail1 and a beginning was made by going down to ,mr4 ,ryder's gallery and posing for a number of photos4 ,this was followed by a number of visits to ,willard's studio where hours were passed in rather a trying way for a boy4 ,willard was very kind and thoughtful4 ,he entertained me with stories of the war1 told me what was in his mind for the creation of this picture1 and often would let me rest and walk in front of the picture to see what he had done4 ,i can recall the enthusiasm of the man4 ,he worked as if possessed of an idea that pleased him1 but which he might lose4 ,with watching him work and the picture develop1 ,i too soon became enthusiastic4 ,i forgot that it was tiresome to stand on one leg1 and that bent1 the other advanced1 and the foot resting on an inverted box1 with the head twisted to one side and the eyes raised and arms outstretched1 although it was really very exacting of one's temper and strength4 ,however1 things progressed rapidly1 and by the thirtieth of ,march the picture was about finished1 and ,i took my mother1 at ,willard's request to see it4 ,i am sure she experienced the feeling that thousands of our mothers have when they have seen their beloved son marching off to war4 ,and then the momentous day came when it was rolled up and sent to the ,centennial4 ,that fall ,i went to the ,centennial with my parents4 ,we spent about two weeks there4 ,almost every day ,i went into the ,art ,gallery to stand before 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,each time ,i felt something aroused in me that did not diminish by the frequent visits4 ,it also was curious to mark the effect on others4 ,always there was a crowd in front of the picture and many if not most of the people had perceptible tears rise to their eyes as they stood and gazed4 ,many actually cried1 yet came again and again to look with reverence on that canvas that pulsed so much of ,american spirit4 ,later in life ,i stood before the picture again1 where it now hangs in ,abbot ,hall1 ,marblehead1 ,mass41 for which town my father1 ,colonel ,john ,henry ,devereux1 bought the picture and presented it thereto4 ,then1 as before1 not only to me but to all in the room1 arose a feeling of sentiment1 a feeling of reverence1 a feeling almost of awe that made one instinctively bare one's head and swallow the lump that will sometimes come in one's throat4 ,it may be that enthusiasm borne of an intimate knowledge of the creation of this picture makes me over-enthusiastic1 but then and afterwards1 even to this day1 when ,i learn how it holds the interest of all that look at it1 the belief is strengthened that the picture was an inspiration1 though it might be judged crude in execution by artistic standards4 ,i know little or nothing of art1 nor does the ordinary individual looking at a picture1 but any one picture that can so universally move the onlooker must convey something deeper than the pigments on the canvas4 ,the determination and fight depicted by the old man in face and figure1 without uniform1 in shirt sleeves1 coat off1 sleeves loose1 vest open and shirt open at throat without collar or stock is symbolical of the patriot ready to fight without purchase or thought of anything but the cause at heart4 ,the fifer1 a touch of humor for his1 a humorous face1 his fringe of whiskers1 but a bandage about his head on which blood shows1 a twinkle in his eye1 but a set look on the face and a decided poise in the figure marching to his own fife music4 ,the boy fresh from a loving mother's care and carefully uniformed1 his eyes fixed upon his adored grandsire that he may do all that this loved1 brave1 and loyal man is determined to do4 ,the wounded soldier in the foreground1 his head pillowed on the shell-shattered wheel of a cannon1 with heart and strength enough left to raise his cap in salute to 8,old ,glory40 ,over them all the flag of freedom1 the stars and stripes1 back of which come the first line of cheering patriotic troops entering action4 ,it tells the story of the old way1 and of the spirit and determination when men fought face to face1 each individual a fighting machine to fight for love of country and freedom4 ,the flag is really an anachronism1 as although it depicts the thirteen stripes and the thirteen stars on a blue field1 it was not until ,june1 #aggg1 that the ,united ,state ,congress really accepted this design1 and ,betsy ,ross made the first flag with these emblems4 ,the painting created little or no stir among the art critics and connoisseurs4 ,it was not painted for such4 ,the painting was a patriotic human document that reached the hearts of millions and will for centuries to come be an inspiration to further millions yet unborn4 ,archibald ,m4 ,willard has passed4 ,he may not be classed as a great artist but in the 8,spirit of '#gf0 he painted himself into everlasting fame4 ,an ,early ,account ,illustration3 ,,the ,,reverend ,,samuel ,,willard who posed for the central figure in the painting ,an ,early ,account by ,j4 ,f4 ,ryder ,the conception and purpose of the artist and his adviser cannot be better interpreted than in ,mr4 ,ryder's own words1 written many years ago4 8,the idea of the artist in painting the picture was to concentrate all the determination and enthusiasm possible in a few figures4 ,no field afforded a better subject than the ,revolution1 with its determined old heroes and the air of #8,yankee ,doodle' to rouse them to the highest pitch of enthusiasm4 8,the three chief figures meet all the requirements of the situation and are in true keeping with the surroundings4 ,over them lower the clouds of smoke from a battle-field toward which they are marching4 ,behind them a few brave ,continentals struggle up the hill1 while by the side of a dismantled cannon lies a wounded soldier who raised himself on his elbow to give a last cheer to the stirring strains of #8,yankee ,doodle4' ,the lines have evidently been forced back4 ,the dying soldier and the broken cannon show where the line has stood4 ,the other soldiers have been retreating4 ,but the three musicians advance1 and the sound of their music thrills the retreating troops with new courage4 ,hats are in the air2 the flag has turned2 the threatened defeat is about to become a victory4 ,the dying man raised himself to cheer4 ,the trio of homespun musicians are discoursing with all their might that music whose shrill melody is so surcharged with patriotism4 ,the old drummer in the centre1 bare-headed1 grand in his fearlessness1 without coat1 one sleeve rolled up as though he had turned from the plough to grasp the drumsticks1 his white hair blown in the air1 his eyes set close and defiant as though he saw the danger and feared it not1 the sharp lines about his mouth showing a fixed determination--all combine to make up that wonderful figure in our history which no rags could degrade nor splendor ennoble--the ,continental soldier4 8,on the left of the brave old drummer is the fifer who seems to have come to blow his fife1 and he will do it as well here among the flying bullets as in the porch of his cottage4 ,his eyes are fixed toward the sky as though reading the notes of his music on the clouds4 ,around his brow is a blood-stained handkerchief1 which tells of the bullet which grazed yet spared him4 ,his whole energy is poured into the reed at his lips1 and one can almost hear the shrill notes of #8,yankee ,doodle' above the noise of battle4 8,on the right of the old man marches a boy1 hardly in his teens1 whose drum keeps time to the beat of the other4 ,his face is upturned to the old man1 as though he were his grandfather1 as if to question perhaps the route or the danger ahead1 but still with a look of rapt inspiration4 ,no shade of fear lurks in his calm eyes1 while the #8rub-a-dub' of his little drum sounds as clear and distinct as the heavier roll of the aged drummer4 8,the entire group is conceived with a fervid sympathy which makes the observer concede sure victory to the combatants2 victory also to the artist4 ,the man who had carried the stars and stripes1 marching under the same thrilling tune1 put his heart into the picture4 ,the work was an inspiration4 ,mr4 ,willard had no thought of depicting three generations of one family1 but the inference is so natural that he has cheerfully adopted it4 8,the canvas is large and figures are heroic in size4 ,when finished1 the picture was placed in the show window of my art store in ,cleveland4 ,the crowds which gathered about it blockaded the entrance to the gallery and obstructed the sidewalk to such an extent that it was necessary to remove it from the window to the rear of the store1 where it was on exhibition for several days1 during which time all business in the store was discontinued on account of the crowds which filled the place4 ,the interest and enthusiasm which it created were remarkable4 ,the late ,right ,reverend ,bishop ,bedell was a daily visitor and frequently spent an entire half day1 so deeply was he impressed4 8,the painting was finally sent to the ,centennial ,exposition at ,philadelphia and prominently placed in ,memorial ,hall1 where it created a notable interest throughout the ,exposition4 ,after which by earnest request it was taken to ,boston and exhibited for several weeks in the ,old ,south ,meetinghouse4 ,thence it was taken to the ,corcoran ,gallery at ,washington1 thence to ,chicago1 ,san ,francisco1 and other cities1 always by request--so great was the desire of the public to see the painting which had aroused such enthusiasm in the hearts of a patriotic people4 ,at last it found a permanent home in ,abbot ,hall at ,marblehead1 ,mass41 the gift to that old town of the late ,general ,j4 ,h4 ,devereux1 who purchased it from ,willard to present it to the town of his birth4 ,it stands in the old hall which breathes of historic patriotism4 ,it is the pride of the people of ,marblehead and of all ,americans who visit it4 8,pictures have been painted by artists of great skill1 possessing qualities of technique of method1 valuable beyond the works of other artists2 pictures which give pleasure to experts and connoisseurs4 ,in the midst of such works #8,the ,spirit of '#gf' stands4 ,the eye wanders from these works of great technique1 and is awed by the grandeur of the old man1 by the force of the fervid and devoted group1 by the spirit which invades the whole4 ,mr4 ,willard with his powerful but1 perhaps1 less finished touch did more than please the eye of experts2 he stirred the heart of a nation40 ,preliminary ,sketches and ,replicas ,illustration3 ,,the ,,final ,,preliminary ,,crayon ,,study ,,sketch ,showing one of the stages in the evolution of the finished painting4 ,believed to be the only study sketch now in existence ,the ,preliminary ,sketches and ,replicas ,a number of preliminary sketches were made4 ,of these1 ,i believe1 only one is now in existence4 ,it is owned by the ,reverend ,william ,e4 ,barton of ,oak ,park1 ,illinois1 who was formerly pastor of the ,first ,congregational ,church at ,wellington1 ,ohio4 ,it came into ,doctor ,barton's possession in the following manner4 ,in the preparation of his early sketches for the preliminary groupings1 ,mr4 ,willard was assisted by ,mr4 ,william ,f4 ,sawtelle1 a photographer of ,wellington4 ,willard gave this original crayon sketch to ,mr4 ,sawtelle4 ,mr4 ,sawtelle preserved it1 expecting to pass it on to his son4 ,his son died4 ,mr4 ,sawtelle was a member of ,doctor ,barton's church4 ,upon the death of his son1 ,mr4 ,sawtelle gave this crayon sketch to ,doctor ,barton4 ,this original rough sketch embodies essentially the ideas wrought out in the oil painting1 but naturally it is rough and unfinished4 ,the drummer boy is a head shorter4 ,his face is in the shadow4 ,the dying man is much too prominent in the foreground1 a mistake which ,willard later corrected4 ,apart from these points1 it lacks altogether the spirit and inspiration which ,willard worked into his finished painting4 ,apart from the preliminary sketch referred to in the preceding paragraph1 ,doctor ,barton possesses an original painting of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 made by ,mr4 ,willard4 ,this ,willard executed in oils and in size thirty-four by twenty-eight inches4 ,this painting was made in #aiaf and really constitutes the third and last original painting of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 made by ,mr4 ,willard4 ,the original and the ,cleveland replica are full size4 ,this third painting is really executed in miniature4 ,willard did not attempt to make an exact copy2 hence1 in this small painting there are many variations from the two larger paintings4 ,it was presented to ,doctor ,barton4 ,it was painted by ,mr4 ,willard to replace a large photograph of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 which was hanging in ,doctor ,barton's home during one of ,mr4 ,willard's visits4 ,doctor ,barton's home then being in ,oak ,park1 ,illinois4 ,the ,reverend ,william ,e4 ,barton was for many years a close personal friend of ,mr4 ,willard1 and conducted his funeral services4 ,mr4 ,willard died at #dicc ,holyoke ,avenue1 ,cleveland1 ,october #aa1 #aiah4 ,the funeral services were held in ,cleveland1 but the burial was in the ,willard lot1 among his old friends at ,wellington1 ,ohio4 ,doctor ,barton also possesses probably the only original sketch made to convey ,willard's original conception of what he intended to call 8,yankee ,doodle10 the idea of which was entirely changed after he met and talked with ,ryder1 and a patriotic instead of a humorous conception was decided on4 ,doctor ,barton had asked ,willard if he had any of his first sketches that were humorous1 to which ,willard had replied that he had not preserved any of these4 ,doctor ,barton then asked him whether he had the original idea of the ,fourth of ,july celebration which he had intended to call 8,yankee ,doodle0 sufficiently in mind to make for ,doctor ,barton a sketch which would embody ,willard's original conception for the painting4 ,willard replied that he had this original idea well in mind and would be glad to make for ,doctor ,barton a crayon sketch thereof4 ,a little later ,willard made this and in sending this to ,doctor ,barton1 with characteristic humor entitled it 8,the ,first ,sketch that was made ,last40 ,this sketch does not typify 8,the ,spirit of '#gf40 ,it is merely the forerunner out of which 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was evolved4 ,it is strictly a humorous sketch of ,fourth of ,july musicians marching4 ,the wonderful inspiration developed in 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 is entirely lacking4 ,this ,willard made for ,doctor ,barton in #ahih4 ,in #aiab a replica of 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was made by ,willard himself4 ,willard was then #gf years of age4 ,this replica was executed for the ,city of ,cleveland as a special ,commission4 ,this is located in a prominent place in the new ,city ,hall at ,cleveland4 ,it is fitting that this replica should be available in ,cleveland where 8,the ,spirit of '#gf0 was conceived and executed by a ,cleveland artist and painted from ,cleveland and northern ,ohio subjects4 ,this replica naturally is not as well executed as the original4 ,this would be almost impossible at ,willard's then advanced age4 ,in this replica ,willard incorporated a number of changes4 ,the coloring is different4 ,he changed the arrangement of the stars from a circle of thirteen stars to a circle of nine with four stars in the center4 ,he moderated the stride of the men4 ,he changed the wounded soldier in the foreground to a more upright position4 ,he changed the drummer boy4 ,the drummer boy who posed in the ,cleveland replica was ,willard's grandson1 ,williard ,connelly1 a ,cleveland ,central ,high ,school boy4 ,in #aiag1 another artist1 ,james ,m4 ,flagg1 painted a picture which he entitled 8,the ,spirit of #aiag0 for which he took ,willard's idea1 painting the men to look younger and putting them into modern uniforms1 making a few other changes and then taking credit for having originated the picture4 ,five hundred copies of this volume were privately printed1 on ,alexandra handmade paper1 by ,the ,arthur ,h4 ,clark ,company at ,cleveland in the month of ,april1 #aibf 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,all other inconsistencies are as in the original4