The stone of William N, and Dorothea Hall is located far from the civil war

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1 Jeff Grover Rel 167 Project 2 The stone of William N, and Dorothea Hall is located far from the civil war monument in Mt. Hope Cemetery. However, the civil war must have meant a great deal to Mr. Hall, as his stone in Range 1, Lot 221 is practically a war monument in and of itself.on the top of the stone sits a life size bust of Captain Hall. Beneath the bust s pedestal is the name Hall. However beneath this plain introduction lies a formidable array of military symbols. The top of the front of the stone has a large American eagle with its wings spread, and its head looking to its left in the traditional fashion. The eagle sits upon the frame of the epitaph of the couple, which reads: William N Hall , Dorothea His Wife But the significance of this stone is not what is written upon it, but how different it is to most other stones in Mt. Hope, even those of veterans. The stones in the civil war section are all the same, simple marble stones with the name of the deceased and dates of birth and death engraved on the front. Much like the uniforms they wore in life, the stone of each soldier looks the same as the man next to him. William Hall, however, is buried in a family plot instead of with his brothers in arms. The frame of the epitaph is the most spectacular part of this stone. Two shields adorn the frame, each containing a different symbol. One holds an anchor, the other a trumpet. William Hall was the captain of the 78 th Infantry, Company H. The shield with a trumpet inside it is a symbol of infantry. Like the wings of a paratrooper, the shield with a trumpet would be worn as a patch on the uniform of an infantryman. The other 1

2 shield contains an anchor. This is traditionally a symbol of faith, but its meaning is not clear on this particular stone. The stone also has two different types of stars. One is the five pointed star, and the other the six pointed star. While the six pointed star is traditionally associated with Judaism, I doubt that an army commander in civil war from Scotland would be Jewish. The five pointed star has the obvious connotation of a patriotic symbol. Each of the 50 stars in the current flag represents a state. Perhaps this star is meant to represent New York, since he enlisted in Rochester, and returned here after the war. The five pointed star is also a symbol of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic), which was a part of William Hall s life. The stone also has two symbols opposite one another. The left symbol is two flags with a torch between them. The second is a collection of three spears, probably representing war. On the back of a one dollar bill one notes that the American eagle holds two different articles. In one talon is the olive branch representing peace, the other talon holds many arrows representing war. The two flags with a torch between them is another good metaphor for war as well. Were the carving more detailed, perhaps the flags would be American and Confederate. The torch in the middle is a great metaphor for conflict and bloodshed. The flame risks both flags as it burns down closer to each. Three different version of the iron cross are present on this stone. The iron cross has been used by many military and religious groups for years. Sadly its height of fame is seen in the third Reich when the first class iron cross was one of the highest honors of a German soldier. However the iron cross was present much earlier than World War II, 2

3 and continues to be used today. In fact both pistol and rifle marksmanship medals are an iron cross with a wreath around it. At the bottom of the frame is a rather large symbol with crossed swords surrounded by a seal, and another seal below it with US carved into the center of it. It is another confusing symbol to me since the crossed swords were a symbol of cavalry, and much later its replacement, an armor division. But Captain Hall was a member of the infantry, so this leads me to the conclusion that perhaps the stone was designed by someone who was not familiar with military symbolism. Two small banners adorn the stone s frame as well. One has 3 stars and a small diamonds shape, and is hung from a small eagle. The other is the crossed swords hung from a rifle. Considering the crossed swords are a symbol of the cavalry, this is probably another symbol the artist threw in to make the stone look more interesting. On the bottom of the frame for the epitaph is a banner running across. It has Captain on one side William Hall on the other, and the most interesting caption by far in the center Rebellion Even though Mr. Hall was born in Scotland, did not even enlist in the army until the age of 40, his time with the United States military in the Civil War must have been a true highlight of his life. Captain Hall was active in the GAR after the Civil War ended. The GAR is a society for the Union veterans of the civil war (SUVCW). In the revolutionary war the soldiers were made up of militia members from the same town. In the Civil War however, the soldiers who fought together did not necessarily live in the same city. When Revolutionary War came home they could rely on each other to take care of one another, as we as take care of the families of those who were killed. Since veterans of the 3

4 Civil War did not necessarily know others in their own town who served, societies like the GAR helped to create solidarity and friendship for veterans of the Civil War. On March 6 th 1862 the Rochester Union Advisor ran an article telling of a gift made by the company to Captain Hall. At the store of Alderman Vose in Buffalo, the friends of Captain Hall presented him with a sword and belt as a token of their good will on going to the field (UA, pg 2). Alderman Vose then made the presentation of the sword with this speech: Your many friends have witnessed with feelings of admiration on the success attending your patriotic effort to recruit a company of men in this city to be attached to the Eagle Brigade. The men whom you have enlisted under your command are many of them personally known to us, and we believe them to have the true metal to constitute a brave soldier: their courage in the hour of conflict will take them, no doubt, wherever their Captain leads. Several of those friends of yours who have contributed to purchase this beautiful sword, have designated me to present it to you as a small token for the sacrifice you have nobly made in the cause of your country in this, her hour of peril. May it be a weapon powerful in your hands to combat her enemies, and an incentive to lead your men to victory. May it never be borne in an inglorious retreat, but ever foremost in the battle for our country s rights, and like the weapon in the hands of the undaunted Col. Fry, may it strike down the traitor who dared to raise his puny arm against the cherished flag of our noble union (UA, 2). Captain Hall was quite honored with this gift as his reply showed: 4

5 Sir: I am unable to express my sentiments to you, and those with whom you have been instrumental in procuring this sword you have presented to me. I accept the token with a heart overflowing with thanks for his manifestation of kindness and {illegible} and when I am called into action I shall gladly be the call, and take heed that no dishonor is brought upon this sword or upon the glorious cause which it is given to defend. With this slight acknowledgement of your kindness, I again assure you of my warmest thanks. The story of William Hall is also the story of the 78 th infantry in New York. The 78 th were a volunteer infantry unit, which entered the war May 25, William N. Hall was the captain of company H. His company consisted of 90 men. His officers were 1 st Lieutenant Cyrenus Hall (I ve found no indication they are related), 2 nd Lieutenant Henry R. Randall, 1 st Sgt. Thomas R. Grenan, and Sgt. William J. Cramond (78 th page). One of the 78 th s first posts during the war was at Harper s Ferry (78 th page). This was during the siege of the area, so the 78 th did not see any real action. The eventual loss of Harper s Ferry would not occur until September of that year. On May 28 th, the regiment was called to help with the retreat of the 111 th PA volunteer infantry to Bolivar Heights. The two regiments would meet again later in the famous battle of Antietam. The retreat was obviously done well since no union soldiers were lost. On September 17 the 78 th was a part of the battle that some historians believe is truly where the tide turned for the union instead of Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee had begun his invasion of the north. Antietam was where the Union put a stop to him. On September 17 th at dawn, the union attacked in the pouring rain, and the battle began. 5

6 By around 8:45 the soldiers from Pennsylvania s 125 th were in a terrible predicament. They chose an awful defensive position near Dunker Church. The 60 th and 78 th regiments were sent in to help them. General Marsena Patrick told the leader of the 78 th Colonel Goodrich to proceed with caution until reinforcements could arrive to assist them. Colonel Goodrich did not heed the advice of his commanding officer, and was gunned down on the way to help the 125 th. By 9:00 AM the 78 th had caught up with the 125 th and began to assist them along with the help of the 34 th of New York (Priest, 121). Upon hearing of the death of Goodrich, Marsena Patrick ordered the 78 th towards the northeast and back into the action. Patrick then thought better of his order when he saw the resistance they would face. Without their commanding officer the 78 th simply ignored Marsena s order and marched on towards the enemy. Meanwhile the 125 th was left alone again to face 4 Confederate brigades. Perhaps Patrick s order should have been heeded because minutes later Confederate forces unloaded upon the left flanks of the 78 th causing much disarray. Under orders the 78 th eventually marched towards the safety of the woods with dignity, and in the words of Marsena Patrick himself, as if on parade. (Priest, 129) The battle of Antietam was not statistically a victor for either side. Both Union and Confederate forces sustained heavy losses. In fact, a day battle with as much bloodshed would not be seen again in the Civil War. However, the Union did what it set out to do, which was halt the Confederates in their invasion of the North. After Antietam there were no serious threat of invasion by the Confederacy. Captain Hall lived through Antietam, and the 78 th was not a part of any major battle through the rest of the war. 6

7 The 78 th infantry regiment was entirely made up of volunteers. Captain Hall was apparently instrumental in recruiting men for the Union army. Especially for one who did not always call the United States his home, Captain Hall went far beyond the call of duty. Captain Hall died on January 25 th 1913, at the age of 95, of chronic endocarditis. The endocardium is the tissue layer which lines the inside of one s heart (Web MD). When bacteria are introduced into one s blood through surgery or certain dental procedures, they sometimes travel through the blood stream and end up growing in the heart. When a valve is too badly infected, it stops working and the heart fails. Captain Hall s wife Dorothea died August 19 th 1907 of senile dementia. This may have been a case of what is known today as Alzheimer s disease. Actual Senile Dementia is the breakdown of brain cells which causes loss of short term memory, and sometimes rapid mood swings (HS). Captain Hall s stone is a unique addition to Mount Hope. Stones inspired by religion may sometimes be beautiful and elegant, but they are quite common. I was surprised to find Hall s stone made no reference to where he is now, and yet it makes quite certain that he will be remembered generations to come. From the dignified bust, to the elaborate frame around the sparse epitaph, Captain Hall s stone catches the eyes of every passerby. 7

8 Bibliography Priest J. M. (1989). Antietam. Shippensburg PA: The White Mane Publishing Company. The Union Advisor. (1862) page 2, column 2, March Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil war ( The 78 th of New York Regiment, Cameron Highlanders ( The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (1913) January 28 ed. Also great thanks to Brian Wilcox the civil war reenactor who explained some of the symbols on the stone, and told me about the GAR. 8

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11 Lower-right, zoomed 11

12 Eagle, zoomed 12

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15 Lower part, zoomed 15

16 Middle-left, zoomed 16

17 Upper-left, zoomed 17

18 Upper-right, zoomed 18