1922] BARRETT, HISTORICAL GROUPS 169 



denly with wide open eyes. "Joe didn't lie as much as usual," he re- 

 marked in perfect EngHsh, to my utter astonishment. "But that old 

 Osage, he didn't live so very long after chasing my loway people. I 

 have a song about him, that I made up myself, and this is the way it 

 goes : 'My comrade, away over there on the Arkansas. I asked you 

 to eat with me — An Osage heart !' " 



HISTORICAL GROUPS 



"THE STORMING OF CHAPULTEPEC" AND "THE BATTLE 



OF WINCHESTER" 



By S. a. Barrett-^ 



During the year 1922, two more of the Museum's series of historical 

 groups have been completed. The "Storming of Chapultepec," typical of 

 the Mexican War, was opened to the public on Januar}- 27, 1922. It 

 depicts one of the most spectacular moments in the war between Mexico 

 and the United States when, on September 13, 1847, the American 

 forces stormed this great fortress and completed the reduction of the 

 capital city of Mexico. 



As shown in figure 102, the scene depicted in this group, is that 

 from the front ranks of the advancing American forces as they are 

 sweeping up the middle slopes, carrying the Mexican redouts and forc- 

 ing their way toward the steeper slopes and the heavier fortification of 

 the citadel itself. 



The figures in the foreground are done in wax with the utmost 

 fidelity to every detail of uniform, accoutrements and all the other ele- 

 ments of the setting. This foreground, with its life-size figures, its 

 broken cannon and other full-size armament is so dexterously blended 

 with the painted background, that it is quite impossible for the spectator 

 to tell where the real foreground ends and the painted background 

 begins. 



Here the artist's perspective reveals to us, not only the steep slopes 

 of Chapultepec, with the masses of troops contending amid the clouds 

 of smoke, but we see stretched far below us the great, beautiful valley 

 of Mexico, and a portion of that picturesque capital city, and in the 

 distance the surrounding, snow-capped mountains rising range upon 

 range. Thus there is displayed for the visitor, not only a great lesson 



^^Director, Milwaukee Public Museum. 



