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Painting recreates General J.E.B. Stuart's October 1862 arrival in Mercersburg Reprinted from The Mercersburg Journal By ANDREA Y. HURLEY A newly created work of art by Long Island, NY, artist Ron Lesser commemorates the arrival of General J.E.B. Stuart in Mercersburg nearly 139 years ago. The oil painting, commissioned by Jerry Ross of Mercersburg, is the first of three planned to recall the events of October 10, 1862. Ross, who resides part-time in the 1832 brick farmhouse built by his family on Fort Loudon Road, decided to commission the painting to help garner interest in a local reenactment marking the 140th anniversary of Stuart's arrival in town. "I've always found the subject interesting," Ross said. "Then I found Jay Thompson's book on Stuart's raid." Learning more about events which took place a stone's throw from the family home, he began discussing the possibility of a reenactment with others who share his interest. The discussion got Ross's wheels turning, and he came up with the idea of having original works of art created. Upon completion, prints would be made available to the public, with the proceeds helping finance the reenactment and eventually benefiting local organizations, such as Fendrick Library. "Everyone thought it was a great idea," Ross said. "So I started to talk to artists." He found Ron Lesser, who specializes in frontier art. Lesser, who studied at the High School of Music and Art and the Pratt Institute in New York City, told Ross he'd love to do it. In addition to the oil and gouache paintings by Lesser that are available at galleries across the country, he has supplied artwork for the covers of books by well known authors such as Louis L'Amour. He has also created movie art for films such as Hang 'Em High, Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, and The Way West. When no one stepped forward to come up with the funds to get the project off the ground, Ross decided to take the plunge and personally commissioned the first painting - an oil of Stuart and his cavalry unit as it approached Mercersburg, passing the Ross farmhouse. "They took our horses, our chickens," Ross said. "They didn't steal though; they bought it with Confederate money!" True to the artist's reputation for attention to detail, the scene is set on a rainy fall morning. The leaves have left the trees, and the ghostly breath of the horses can be seen hanging in the air. Authentication of the fine details, such as the flags, uniforms, swords, and hats came from one of the leading authorities on Stuart's cavalry, Bob Trout. The men pictured are by no means anonymous. Each of the figures accompanying Stuart was created from an actual portrait of the specific individual. "Even the color of Stuart's horse was researched," Ross offered. "The rosette on his jacket is made of ribbons sewn together, supposedly a family thing." It is believed Stuart was wearing the rosette on the raid, and this painting is the first known to show it. "Lesser likes to provide a previously unknown historical truth in his work," Ross said, regarding the rosette. A local publication, Old Mercersburg, alludes to a flower which could be the rosette. In describing Stuart's ride into town, Old Mercersburg reads: "Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, with the flower of his famous cavalry, crossed the Potomac River that morning at McCoy's ferry above Williamsport ... ." Whatever the meaning behind the red rosette, its inclusion in the Lesser painting adds a bit of color to the bleak late morning scene. Ross is in the process of having the painting framed and would like to unveil and publicly display it in the very near future, hoping others will come forth with funds to commission two additional paintings. The second and what may be considered to be the pivotal scene would be set on the square, with Confederate soldiers and cannons present. The third would be set on the porch of Bridgeside, the Steiger property, where Stuart took a brief respite before leaving town. "I would like to see them commissioned locally, whether it be by a business or organization, so they remain in the community," Ross said. "The prints could generate income for local institutions, and I'd like to see them exhibited for public viewing." "This is about us ... and our town, which doesn't sell itself very well," Ross emphasized. "We need to raise the money to complete this - without the paintings, there are no prints to sell. It's all part of the whole." With each painting taking the artist two or three months to complete, in order to have prints ready for sale to fund a reenactment in 2002, now is the time to obtain funding. Ross is sincere in his belief that a reenactment of the event could be the largest in Franklin County. "Maybe it [the raid] was only two hours out of a 24 hour event, but it's about this community," Ross said. "I can envision closing off the square in the morning, putting in soldiers and cannons. There is already a good spot chosen for an encampment. We don't have a contract yet [with the reenactment coordinator known for his work at Gettysburg] but I have no doubt it could draw 10,000 people." Whether or not cannons roll onto the square next fall, enticing thousands of Civil War enthusiasts, the paintings would provide the visual element of a local event which, until now, has been noted mainly in words. Committed to adding to Mercersburg's historic legacy, Ross intends to eventually donate his painting to Fendrick Library. "This is my contribution to the history of Mercersburg." |