Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/471

 CRAWFORD 467 sals for the monument to be erected to Wash- ington by the state of Virginia, he prepared his model, which was unanimously adopted as the best offered. From the period of his re- turn to Rome in 1850 until he was incapaci- tated for work, he was chiefly engaged on that series of grand historical and allegorical pieces which attested the finest development of his artistic powers. One of the most remarkable of these was the bronze statue of Beethoven, for the Boston music hall. The colossal eques- trian statue of Washington, 25 feet in height, was subsequently cast in Munich under the artist's personal superintendence, and arrived at Richmond in the beginning of 1858. Craw- ford had meanwhile .received a commission from congress to furnish marble and bronze statuary for the new capitol at Washington. Among the most remarkable of his designs were those for the pediment and the bronze doors ; and his grandest work is the colossal statue of "Armed Liberty " for the dome of the capitol. While engaged on these works he executed the " Babes in the Wood," the " Hebe and Ganymede," and several portrait busts. In 1856 he visited America, and leaving his family there returned alone to Rome. A can- cerous tumor on the brain soon after manifested itself, and he was obliged to renounce the practice of his art. He was successively re- moved to Paris and London for the benefit of medical treatment, and died after a painful ill- ness. Crawford finished upward of 60 works, many of them colossal, and left about 50 sketch- es in plaster and designs of various kinds. His chief mythological subjects are the "Genius of Mirth," the "Muse," "Autumn," "Or- pheus," "Cupid," "Flora," "lo," the "Peri," "Apollo," "Homer," "Diana," "Vesta," "Sappho," the "Archer," "Paris presenting the Apple to Venus," "Mercury and Psyche," " Jupiter and Psyche," " Psyche Found," "Nymph and Satyr," and " Boy and Goat." His Scriptural compositions include "Adam and Eve," "David and Goliath," "David before Saul," "The Shepherds and Wise Men before Christ," a group of 24 figures; "Christ dispu- ting with the Doctors," 12 figures; "Christ ascending from the Tomb," "Christ raising Jairus's Daughter," the " Daughter of Hero- dias," "Repose in Egypt," "Eve Tempted," "Eve with Cain and Abel," "Lead us into Life Everlasting," " Christ blessing little Chil- dren," and "Christ at the Well of Samaria." Among his other works are "The Dancers," two life-size figures of children; statues of Chan- ning, Washington Allston, and Henry Clay ; and many busts, including a beautiful one of his wife. Besides his strictly national works, there are several open to the public. The " Beethoven " is in the music hall at Boston ; " James Otis," in the chapel at Mount Auburn ; "Adam and Eve," "Orpheus," the "Shep- herdess," and " Josiah Quincy," in the Boston Athenaeum; the "Indian," in the library of the New York historical society; and "Flora" and 87 casts from his works in the New York Central park. CRAWFORD, William Harris, an American statesman, born in that part of Amherst co., Va., afterward erected into Nelson co., Feb. 24, 1772, died in Elbert co., Ga., Sept. 15, 1834. In 1779 his father removed to Edge- field district, S. C., about 30 miles above Au- gusta, Ga. In 1783 he again removed, cross- ing the Savannah river into Georgia, and set- tled in the present county of Columbia, where he died, leaving his family poor. The son be- gan to teach school at the age of 16. In 1794 he entered the academy of Dr. Waddel, where he remained two years ; after which he became principal of an academy in Augusta, studying law at the same time. He was admitted to the bar in 1798, and in the following spring com- menced legal practice at Lexington, and soon after assisted in compiling the first digest of the laws of Georgia. In 1802 he was elected to the state senate, where he introduced a reso- lution, which was adopted by both branches of the legislature, urging Mr. Jefferson to be- come a candidate for a third presidential term. In 1807 he was elected to fill a vacancy in the United States senate. During the canvass he fought two duels, killing his opponent in the first, and being wounded in the second. He was elected as a supporter of the administra- tion, but opposed the embargo bill, though at the next session he spoke and voted against its repeal. He was reflected in 1811, and became the exponent in the senate of the financial policy of Mr. Gallatin, then secre- tary of the treasury, and voted for a renewal of the first bank of the United States, a mea- sure which was rejected by the casting vote of the vice president, George Clinton. When, in March, 1812, the latter was disabled by sickness from acting as president of the senate, Mr. Crawford was chosen president pro tern. In common with Madison, Gallatin, and other older members of his party, he was not in favor of the war with Great Britain, and opposed any augmentation of the navy. But Madison and Gallatin having yielded to the demands of the younger and more ardent section of the party, Crawford went with them and voted for the war. In 1813, having just refused the secretaryship of war, he was appointed minis- ter to France. He took a warm interest in the negotiations at Ghent, and was in favor of peace, if it could be obtained, even without any mention of the impressment question, and that without waiting for definite instructions to that effect from Washington. During his residence in France he acquired the friendship of Lafayette, who appointed him agent for his American lands. In 1815 he asked a recall, and the senate having refused to confirm Gen. Dearborn, whom Madison had nominated as secretary of war, Mr. Crawford, while still on his voyage home, was appointed to fill his place. The next year, on the retirement of Alexander J. Dallas, he was appointed secretary of the