Stafford honors its Civil War veterans with a 1924 monument in its downtown Hyde Park.
The Soldiers’ Monument in the Stafford Springs section of town features a bronze statue on its front (east) face, and is topped by a bronze eagle.
The design reflects its relatively late dedication nearly 80 years after the end of the Civil War. No battles are listed, and the monument has very little lettering.
The allegorical figure wears a hooded cloak. Her left hand carries a wreath of forget-me-nots to symbolize immortality, along with palm leaves (glory), roses (love) and poppies (eternal rest).
Near the top of the column, the east and west faces display torches along with an excerpt from the Pledge of Allegiance, “One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The monument’s front face also displays the years of the Civil War inside a wreath. A dedication near the base reads, “The gift of Colonel Charles Warren to the town of his nativity.”
The north and south faces bear no lettering, and display torches.
The monument was funded with a bequest from Stafford native Charles Warren, a Civil War veteran who later became a merchant and banker. Warren, who died in 1920, also donated funds for the Warren Memorial Town Hall, which opened in 1924.
The monument was created by sculptor Frederic Wellington Ruckstull, who also created the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Baltimore and several busts at the Library of Congress.
Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Inventories Catalog
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