Location: 435 Nantasket Avenue, Hull
Coordinates: 42°16’44.2″N 70°52’02.7″W
Date dedicated: May 30, 1924
Architect/designer/manufacturer: Unknown
After World War I, it became common for towns that had not built any sort of war memorial to construct one of the “honor roll” variety with multiple plaques, thus honoring their soldiers from several different wars. While these are not, strictly speaking, Civil War monuments, they will be included here if a town has no separate Civil War monument and the memorial includes a list of those who served and/or died in the Civil War.
Hull’s Soldiers’ Monument was dedicated on Memorial Day 1924. Ceremonies began with the standard Grand Army of the Republic dedication ritual—though there was only one Civil War veteran present for the event (he was not a resident of Hull). A large procession followed which included veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I. They marched to the village cemetery where the graves of deceased soldiers were decorated, then proceeded back to the monument via Nantasket Avenue. At the monument, speeches were given by Mayor James Michael Curley of Boston (who had a summer home in Hull); C. V. Nickerson, the chair of the Board of Selectmen; and William A. Murphy, the editor of the local newspaper.[1]
In all, 24 men served from Hull. Three did not survive. Sgt. Ansel P. Loring with the 47th Massachusetts Infantry was killed on duty near New Orleans. According to his service record, he was shot by guerillas. Pvt. Nathaniel R. Hooper with the 20th Massachusetts Infantry was killed in action at Fredericksburg. Pvt. John M Cleverly with the 3rd Rhode Island Cavalry died of disease at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.[2]
The monument initially listed those who served from Hull in wars from the Revolution to World War I. It has since been significantly enlarged to include more recent wars.
[1] “Nearly 2000 Attend Dedication Exercises for Hull Memorial,” Boston Globe, May 24, 1924, 2.
[2] A. E. Sproul, “History of Hull,” in History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, ed. Duane Hamilton Hurd (Philadelphia: J. W. Lewis & Co, 1884), 1185.