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Somerville and New England History Collection
 
The print at left depicts the death of Joseph Warren at the
Battle of Bunker Hill. Before the outbreak of fighting, Warren
had been a tireless writer and spokesmen for the Patriot cause.
He was also president of the Massachusetts Provincial Assembly
and the man who sent Paul Revere and William Dawes off on their
"midnight rides." When the war began Warren enlisted
as a private soldier. He was regarded as one of the first martyrs
for American independence and his death was a popular subject
for artists. This image is a copy of an engraving attributed
to John Norman (ca. 1748-1817) and is the frontispiece of Harold
Murdock's Bunker Hill: Notes & Queries on a Famous Battle
(1927). The print presents the popular view of Warren's death:
a shot to the chest, causing a relatively slow death that gave
him time to give one last patriotic speech. In reality, he died
instantly: a British soldier recognized Warren and aimed (successfully)
for the head. |
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