Hill, William Lowell, 1855-1922

William Lowell Hill was born in Auburn, Iowa, in 1855 and enlisted in the United States Navy on November 18, 1873. Hill remained in the navy throughout his life, received a Medal of Honor in 1884, and rose to the rank of chief boatswain. During the Spanish-American War, he served onboard the cruiser USS Brooklyn and saw action at the Battle of Santiago. He left the Brooklyn on July 24, 1899, and moved on to other posts. He ended his career with the command of two prison ships at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he committed suicide in 1922.

From the guide to the William L. Hill journals, Hill, William L. journals, 1896-1899, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)