Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Boston Common (2007)

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument on

Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beac ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, in the U.S. Commonwealth of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, was erected in memory of Massachusetts soldiers and sailors who died in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Designed by

Martin Milmore __NOTOC__ Martin Milmore (1844–1883) was an American sculptor. Life and career Martin Milmore was born in Sligo, Ireland on September 14, 1844. He immigrated to Boston at age seven, graduated from Boston Latin School in 1860, took art lesso ...

, construction began in 1874 and the monument was dedicated on September 17, 1877. Union Generals

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

and

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

were among the estimated 25,000 people attending the dedication on Boston Common.

Overview

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is located on a rise called Flag Staff Hill. The monument is neoclassical in design, taking the form of a

victory column A victory column, or monumental column or triumphal column, is a monument in the form of a column, erected in memory of a victorious battle, war, or revolution. The column typically stands on a base and is crowned with a victory symbol, such as a ...

carved of Hallowell white granite. The monument rises to a height of . The platform is and features four bas-relief bronze tablets. The first tablet is titled ''The Departure for the War,'' and depicts a regiment marching by the Massachusetts State House. The second bas-relief tablet depicts the medical care on the battlefield and is titled '' The Sanitary Commission.'' The third tablet depicts Union sailors in an engagement between a Federal man-of-war and a Confederate ironclad likely CSS ''Virginia''. The fourth tablet, entitled ''The Return from the War'' shows a regiment of veterans marching by the State House to present their battle flags to Governor

John Albion Andrew John Albion Andrew (May 31, 1818 – October 30, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He was elected in 1860 as the 25th Governor of Massachusetts, serving between 1861 and 1866, and led the state's contributions to ...

. Above the bas-relief tablets at the base of the column are four carved granite figures representing the northern, southern, eastern and western sections of the reunited nation. The bas reliefs feature images of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

and

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely tran ...

. Bronze statues stand on the corners of the monument to represent peace, holding an olive branch and facing south; history, holding a book and gazing skyward; a sailor, clad in a navy uniform and gazing toward the sea; and the citizen-soldier, wearing an army uniform and standing at ease. The bases that hold the statues were empty for several years leading to conflicting stories that the monument was never finished or the statues had been stolen or placed in storage. The mystery was solved in 2014 when the statues were returned after restoration at the Daedalus Studios in nearby

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

. Surmounting the doric column is a bronze allegorical female figure entitled AMERICA. She faces south and wears a tiara of thirteen stars. Her left hand holds the United States flag and her right hand clutches a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a s ...

and sword.

Inscription

The base bears the following inscription:
TO THE MEN OF BOSTON
WHO DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY
ON LAND AND SEA IN THE WAR
WHICH KEPT THE UNION WHOLE
DESTROYED SLAVERY
AND MAINTAINED THE CONSTITUTION
THE GRATEFUL CITY
HAS BUILT THIS MONUMENT
THAT THEIR EXAMPLE MAY SPEAK
TO COMING GENERATIONS

Gallery

Image: Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Boston) Text.JPG Image:Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Boston) America.JPG Image: Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Boston) Man.JPG Image:Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Boston) Peak.JPG

References

* Forbes, Esther, and Arthur Griffin. ''The Boston Book.'' Houghton Mifflin Company: 1947. *

External links

More pictures of the monument at dcMemorials.com

Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the Inventory of American SculptureBoston monument
a
Massachusetts Civil War Monuments Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldiers And Sailors Monument (Boston) 1877 establishments in Massachusetts 1877 sculptures Allegorical sculptures in the United States Boston Common Bronze sculptures in Massachusetts Granite sculptures in Massachusetts Massachusetts in the American Civil War Monumental columns in the United States Monuments and memorials in Boston Outdoor sculptures in Boston Sculptures of women in Massachusetts Statues in Boston Towers completed in 1877 Union (American Civil War) monuments and memorials in Massachusetts