The Bunker Hill Soldier's Monument

The Soldier's Monument

On November 11, 1865, the preliminary steps were taken for a soldier's monument to be placed in the cemetery in Bunker Hill.

The soldier's monument was erected in 1866 and is dedicated to the memory of the brave men who lost their lives in the Civil War.  For many years, Memorial Day military tribute has been paid to veterans of all wars in ceremonies held at the base of the monument.

On three sides are the names of the men who died in the Civil War, the place where they died, and the cause of death.

The work of putting back the fallen monument after the tornado of 1948 was done by Floyd Spickerman, James Vaughn, and Malvern Allen.  A gin pole, blocks and tackle, and plenty of rope was employed to hoist the heavy stones.  Burlap sacks were placed under the ropes to keep them from being cut on the sharp corners of the stones.  The big pieces, which caused the men no little concern, was taken up in five hitches, using a tractor for power to pull the two blocks hitched to a sling on the stone.  

The monument suffered rather badly in the tornado.  The center section, bearing a coat of arms, was broken on one corner and the lower spire and foundation was also chipped and broken.  The eagle lost a large part of its tail and left wing in its flight to the ground.

The engraving on the monument is:

To the memory of

The brave men

Who died in the service of their Country

During the war

For the suppression of the slave holders'

Rebellion of 1861

This monument is erected

by their fellow citizens

1866

...Read more about this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/

--Cite this story:  The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." BUNKER HILL GAZETTE-NEWS, August 23, 2012, sec. 1. Republished 13 November 2014.