The Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument at the intersection of
Stribling Walk and Chapel Walk, center campus of the
US Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is ...
, is in memory of two
passed midshipmen (
H. A. Clemson, J. R. Hynson) who lost their lives when the
brig sank in 1846, one
midshipman (J. W. Pillsbury) who drowned near '
Vera Cruz' in 1846, and another midshipman (T. B. Shubrick) who lost his life in the
siege of Veracruz
The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz during the Mexican–American War. Lasting from March 9–29, 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States ...
in 1847.
The monument is made of marble and measures . Often shortened to the ''Mexican Monument'', it is also known as the ''Clemson Monument'', and is by an unknown designer. It was an 1848 gift by the Academy's
Brigade of Midshipmen.
[
]
Description
"A marble obelisk with a bronze wreath on each side is mounted on top of a square marble base adorned with four marble cannon tubes positioned vertically at each corner. Surrounding the base are four cannons, one pointed from each corner."
The surrounding horizontal cannons are Spanish 12-pounder smooth-bore
A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.
History
Early firearms had smoothly bored barrels that fired projectiles without signi ...
bronze guns captured in 1847 by the US Navy from the Mexicans in California.[
]
Inscriptions
One name is on each side of the obelisk: CLEMSON·SHUBRICK·PILLSBURY·HYNSON. Each name is surmounted by a leaf wreath.
On the monument's base, below Clemson:[
On the monument's base's sides below Hynson and Shubrick are stylized fouled anchors.][
]
Notes
References
{{reflist
Monuments and memorials in Maryland
1848 sculptures
United States Naval Academy buildings and structures