The Cavalryman

During the 67th Semi-Annual Reunion of the El Paso Scottish Rite Bodies, the unveiling ceremony of the statue titled “The Cavalryman” took place on the afternoon of Thursday, March 28, 1940. This statue was a gift from the late Percival Henderson, former Superintendent of the El Paso Smelter. Funded through provisions in his will, it was created as a memorial to his friend William Crawford Harvie, a member of the El Paso Consistory, and as a lasting artistic contribution to the community. Henderson had purchased the triangular plot of land in front of the Scottish Rite Temple specifically for this purpose.

The statue depicts a U.S. Cavalryman in the uniform of the 1870s, symbolizing the first organized protection for early settlers, immigrants, and ranchers in the Southwest. It stands as a tribute to the role of the U.S. Cavalry in establishing law and order during the frontier era.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by high-ranking military officials, including Major General John Brees, Commander of the Eighth Corps Area from Fort Sam Houston, and Major General Kenyon A. Joyce, Commander at Fort Bliss. Troops and the Seventh Cavalry Band from Fort Bliss also participated in the event, underscoring the statue’s military significance.

The statue was designed and sculpted by José Ruiz de Rivera (1904–1985), a renowned artist whose works are held in major institutions such as the Smithsonian. Rivera carved the statue and its base from a 10-ton solid block of black granite quarried in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The finished sculpture stands 8 feet 3 inches tall. Rivera employed a full-time blacksmith to keep his tools sharpened throughout the carving process.

Interestingly, Rivera later reflected in a 1968 oral history interview with the Archives of American Art that this project marked a turning point in his career. After completing The Cavalryman, he decided to move away from figurative sculpture and embrace a more modern, abstract style.

In 1995, El Paso artist Ron Clark conducted a detailed study of the statue, including X-rays and geological analysis of the granite, before undertaking its restoration. Today, The Cavalryman remains the oldest free-standing sculpture in El Paso and a powerful civic monument to the region’s frontier heritage.