Soldiers and Sailors Monument

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common was erected in memory of Massachusetts soldiers and sailors who died in the American Civil War. Designed by Martin Milmore and dedicated on September 17, 1877. Union Generals George B. McClellan and Joseph Hooker were among the estimated 25,000 people attending the dedication on Boston Common. The Monument is located on a rise called Flag Staff Hill and rises to a height of 126 feet on its base. The column is topped by a figure representing the Genius of America. Four statues at the base represent Peace, the Sailor, the Muse of History, and the Soldier. Bas-relief plaques depict the departure and return of the forces, the Navy, and the work of the Boston Sanitary Commission. In one plaque, Longfellow can be seen accompanying the governor. The figures at the base of the column represent the sections of the country: North, South, East, and West. Here is another view of the monument I took seven years ago.

Ether Monument / Good Samaritan

This 40-foot-tall monument in the Public Garden near the corner of Beacon Street and Arlington Street commemorates not a person, but a medical breakthrough: the use of ether as an anesthetic. The first public demonstration of ether anesthesia was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846 by Boston dentist William T.G. Morton and Doctor John Collins Warren. Morton administered the ether, and Warren then removed a tumor from an unconscious patient. Ether had enormous benefits, allowing doctors to work more closely and carefully, and giving patients a respite not only from pain, but also from the anxiety associated with surgery. Atop the monument, two figures sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward enact a Biblical story about the relief of suffering. The Good Samaritan is shown caring for an injured stranger he met on the road.

_________________________
Description from Boston Arts Commission

Headstone

Warren Tavern

Another view of the Bunker Hill Monument down the street by the Warren Tavern.

Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument stands 221 feet tall at Breed's Hill, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution fought on June 17, 1775.