The Worth Monument in the Big Apple: A salute to a Civil War legend and an

The General William Jenkins Worth Monument, slapped up in 1857, is a reminder of the life of this Civil War general who was born in 1794, a native New Yorker. The Major General, a White Hatter, got his military game on in the War of 1812, then managed the West Point cadets for eight years. But it was during the Mexican-American War where he truly made his mark. In 1846, Worth was raised to Major General, and in 1847, the Congressional Sword, the top prize of the Congressional Medal of Honor (which was only established in 1861), was captured by him.

Fresh off a promotion to Army Commander of the Texas Department by 1849, the monument, made from granite and designed by the James G. Batterson, boasts the inscription: GENERAL WILLIAM JENKINS WORTH / 1794-1849 / WILLIAM J. WORTH, BORN IN HUDSON, N.Y. / BEGAN HIS MILITARY CAREER IN THE WAR OF 1812, / AND FROM 1820-1828 WAS COMMANDANT OF CADETS AT WEST POINT. / IN THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR, HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF / IN BATTLES INSCRIBED ON THIS MONUMENT.

For many moons, this spot was the starting line for the Burial of the Ancients parade and bonfire, an oddball tradition organized by the students of Columbia College. It marked the end of their academic year and guaranteed a prosperous future.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons