General John A. Logan Statue

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This equestrian statue honors John A. Logan, a politician and veteran of the Mexican–American War and Civil War. The monument is located in the center of Logan Circle, a small public park and traffic circle at the intersection of 13th Street, P Street, Rhode Island Avenue and Vermont Avenue, N.W. 

Originally a member of the Democratic Party, John Logan was elected to the Illinois State Senate and later the U.S. House of Representatives. On April 2, 1862, he resigned from Congress and entered the U.S. Army as a Colonel. Despite entering the army from civilian life, Logan was regarded as a competent officer and outstanding field commander. After the war, Logan returned to Washington and resumed his career in politics. He was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican and later to the U.S. Senate.

Shortly after Logan's death in 1886, the Society of the Army of the Tennessee (SAT) began working on plans to erect a monument in his honor. Congress agreed to help provide funding for the project, and approved plans for the monument on March 2, 1889. Franklin Simmons, an American artist working in Rome, was chosen to be the sculptor. The monument was installed in what was then known as Iowa Circle and formally dedicated on April 9, 1901. 

General Logan is depicted as a man of dignity and determination. He sits erect on his horse with his sword drawn. Allegorical figures on the north and south ends represent War and Peace, and the statue’s long sides contain bas-reliefs of important scenes from the general’s life. The panel on the west shows Logan presiding over a council of war. The eastern panel depicts the General receiving the senatorial oath of office. Except for the sub-base of pink granite, this elaborate memorial is made entirely of bronze.

Part of Civil War Monuments
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: September 20, 1978

Within Logan Circle Historic District and Fourteenth Street Historic District