The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Susan Martin Javorsky (formerly Susan Marting of Stronghurst) and her husband, Frank, of Indianapolis, Indiana, spent two weeks on a Fall Tour wandering around the eastern United States.
The couple visited the NFL and MLB Halls of Fame, Niagara Falls, Lake Placid NY, Bar Harbor ME, and several National Parks including Gettysburg and Antietam.
This photo was taken at the Virginia State Monument facing the field of Pickett's Charge, located on West Confederate Avenue. The monument was the first of the Confederate state monuments to be placed at Gettysburg and honors the "common" soldiers from Virginia as well as Army of Northern Virginia commander Robert E. Lee on his horse Traveler.
The monument was designed and sculpted by Frederick William Sievers (1872-1966). The material used is Westerly Granite and standard bronze. The total cost was $50.000. The tip of the Virginia flag is 16 feet tall. Overall, the monument is 41 feet in height.
Frederick Sievers used photographs and a life mask to capture the features of General Lee's face. Those who knew Lee, and who were living at the time of the monument's dedication, thought this sculpture was the best likeness of the General. Traveler's bones were on display in Lexington, Virginia, where Lee had settled before his death. Sievers found a live horse that matched the size and shape of the bones as a model for Traveler.
It was dedicated on June 8, 1917, but work had begun on the monument as early as 1913, as depicted in some photographs of the 50th anniversary of the battle.
Susan is holding the October 2, 2019 edition of "The Quill" featuring the recent Civil War Reenactment event in Oquawka.
They completed their trip by driving the Blue Ridge Parkway to visit Grandfather Mountain NC (and walking across the Mile High Swinging Bridge), Blowing Rock NC, and Pretty Place Chapel in Greenville SC.
When you go on a trip, take "The Quill" along and have your picture taken with it, then send it to us. Let's see where all "The Quill" can travel.