George Washington Returns to Charleston

George Washington Returns to Charleston

 

In 1881, on the 100-year anniversary of General Cornwallis' surrender to General Washington at Yorktown, the city of Charleston renamed its first public park Washington Square in honor of George Washington. More than 100 years later, and at the request of Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., General William C. Westmoreland chaired a committee of fellow Charlestonians to raise the funds to erect a statue of George Washington in the park that bears his name.

 

A native South Carolinian, General Westmoreland was one of America's most highly decorated and distinguished soldiers. His many duty assignments included Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Commander of United States ground forces in the Republic of South Vietnam and Chief of Staff of the United States Army. General Westmoreland led troops in 17 battle campaigns in three wars. Sixteen countries decorated him for his extraordinary military service and five institutions of higher learning conferred various honorary degrees upon him. General Westmoreland's sincere commitment to duty and service to his soldiers, state and country are the essence of this outstanding South Carolina soldier's life and career.

 

On the afternoon of December 14, 1999, numerous Charlestonians gathered to unveil the statue created by nationally acclaimed sculptor John N. Michel. The citizens of Charleston are grateful to the following who helped erect the statue:

 

The Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina, the Washington Light Infantry, the South Carolina Legacy Trust Fund, the City of Charleston, Charleston County, the Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge, Sons of the American Revolution, Wachovia Corporation, F. Averyt, Margaret F John H. Bennett, Jr., Anne Frances Bleecker, Julian V. Brandt III, Henry E. Brown, Jr., Kwadjo Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Cleveland III, John O. Conion, Hope H. Cooper, James F. Cooper, Jr., John E. Courson, Lydia H. Dane, Edward R. Drayton Toi Ahrens Estes, Yvonne Evans, Darrell C. Ferguson, Paul C. Figueroa, Henry B. Fishburne, Jr., Cindy M. Floyd, Jimmy Gallant, Carol Ezell-Gilson, G. Robert George, Wendell G. Gilliard, Ruth C. Glover, Lynda Heffley, Joseph C. Hurteau, Don James, A.D. Jordan, H.A. Barrett S. Lawrimore, James Lewis, Jr., J. Grahame Long, McClearen, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. McGee, Keith J. Marrero, John Meffert, Frederick R. Meyer, Roger Milliken, Robert M. Mitchell, Anne and Ben McC. Moise, Benjamin Allston Moore, Jr., Ellen Dressler Moryl, Jennie F.. O'Bryan, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Ohanesian, George Orvin, Brigadier General Oliver Lundstrom Peacock, Jr., Anne E. Ramey, Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mary C. Ramsay, Daniel Ravenel, Dick Reed, Francis D. Rogers, Jr., Timothy E. Scott, Larry Shirley, Mary Shoemaker, O.J. Small, Leon E. Stavrinakis, Henry Theiling, Paul E. Tinkler, Lawrence Walker, Charles T. Wallace, Charles W. Waring III, Jane Oxner Waring, Louis Waring, John H. Warren III, General and Mrs. William C. Westmoreland and Elizabeth Jenkins Young.

Submitted by @lampbane