He was appointed Lieutenant in the Continental Navy on 14 June 1777, to serve on the frigate USS Ranger under John Paul Jones.

Released after the end of the war, Hall settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1818 and held various community positions until his death there on 22 June 1830.

Hall departed Boston, Massachusetts on 11 August 1943, for shakedown training off the East Coast, then reported for duty at Norfolk, Virginia on 28 September.

The three destroyers rendezvoused at sea with the battleship Iowa, carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt and other dignitaries to the Teheran Conference.

They performed escort and antisubmarine search duties off western Africa until 6 December, then rejoined Iowa for the return voyage of the President and his party.

Ordered to the Pacific, Hall departed Charleston, South Carolina on 21 December and arrived at Pearl Harbor 11 January 1944.

On 22 January, she cleared Hawaii with Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner's Expeditionary Force bound for the capture and occupation of the Marshall Islands, a giant step across the Pacific toward Japan.

After an escort voyage with transports to Pearl Harbor and back between 29 February and 26 March, Hall was assigned patrol and lifeguard duties in the Kwajalein area.

On 4 April, while searching for a downed Marine flyer near Wotje, she received two 6-inch shells close aboard from an enemy shore battery.

Hall continued her effective role in the overwhelming amphibious victory until departing Majuro atoll 12 May for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 18 May.

She made two fuelling voyages from Majuro to the Marianas, then shifted her base to Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands, on 26 August to screen refuelling and replacement units during the operations for the capture of the Carolines.

Getting underway from Manus Island on 29 November, Hall steamed to Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, to join 7th Fleet for the developing invasion of the Philippines.

On 15 February she joined a fire support unit, which included flagship Texas, west of Saipan and set course for Iwo Jima.

The force arrived off Iwo the next day; after joining in a heavy shore bombardment, Hall covered underwater demolition teams and furnished close fire support for minesweepers until the troops stormed ashore 19 February.