Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren | |
---|---|
2nd President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress | |
In office May 2, 1775 – June 17, 1775 | |
Preceded by | John Hancock |
Succeeded by | James Warren |
Personal details | |
Born | Breed's Hill, Charlestown, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America | June 11, 1741
Cause of death | Killed in action |
Resting place | Forest Hills Cemetery |
Spouse |
Elizabeth Hooten
(m. 1764; died 1773) |
Relations | Mercy Scollay (fiancée) |
Children | Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, and Richard |
Education | Roxbury Latin School |
Alma mater | Harvard College |
Occupation | Physician |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Massachusetts Bay United Colonies |
Branch/service | Massachusetts Patriot militia |
Years of service | 1775 |
Rank | Militiaman Major general |
Battles/wars |
|
Joseph Warren (June 11, 1741 – June 17, 1775), a
Warren had been commissioned a
Biography
Joseph Warren was born in Roxbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay, to Joseph and Mary (née Stevens) Warren. His father was a respected farmer who died in October 1755 when he fell off a ladder while gathering fruit in his orchard. After attending the Roxbury Latin School, Joseph enrolled in Harvard College, graduating in 1759, and then taught for about a year at Roxbury Latin.[2][1] While teaching at Roxbury, Warren pursued postgraduate studies at Harvard, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in 1763 after defending a thesis against the proposition that all disease was caused by obstruction of bodily vessels.[3] He married 18-year-old heiress Elizabeth Hooten on September 6, 1764. She died in 1773, leaving him with four children: Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, and Richard.[4] Before his death in 1775, he was engaged to Mercy Scollay.[5]
While practicing medicine and surgery in
Warren conducted an autopsy on the body of young Christopher Seider in February 1770, and was a member of the Boston committee that assembled a report on the following month's Boston Massacre. Earlier, in 1768, Royal officials tried to place his publishers Edes and Gill on trial for an incendiary newspaper essay Warren wrote under the pseudonym A True Patriot, but no local jury would indict them.[7]
In 1774, he authored the song "Free America," which was published in colonial newspapers. The poem was set to a traditional British tune, "The British Grenadiers."[8]
Warren owned at least one enslaved person. This unnamed man, formerly enslaved to Joshua Green, helped Warren with his medical practice.[9][10]
Lexington and Concord
As Boston's conflict with the royal government came to a head in 1773–1775, Warren was appointed to the Boston
In mid-April 1775, Warren and Benjamin Church were the two top members of the Committee of Correspondence left in Boston. On the afternoon of April 18, the British troops in the town mobilized for a long-planned raid on the nearby town of Concord, and already before nightfall word of mouth had spread knowledge of the mobilization widely within Boston. It had been known to rebel leadership for weeks that General Gage in Boston had plans to destroy munitions stored in Concord by the colonials, and it was also known that they would be taking a route through Lexington. Some unsupported stories[12] argue that Warren received additional information from a highly placed informant (usually claiming it was from Margaret Kemble Gage, the wife of General Thomas Gage),[13] that the troops had orders to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. However, there is little evidence of this as the troops apparently had no such orders. Regardless, Warren learned there was some British expedition likely to begin that night, and so sent William Dawes and Paul Revere on their famous "midnight rides" to warn Hancock and Adams in Lexington. (There is growing consensus in new scholarship that Mrs. Gage never did conspire against the British and that Warren needed no informant to deduce that the British were mobilizing.)[14]
Warren slipped out of Boston early on April 19, and during that day's
Death
Warren was commissioned into the Continental Army at the rank of major general by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. Three days later, he arrived at Charlestown just before the battle of Bunker Hill began and made his way to where Patriot militiamen were forming. Upon meeting General Israel Putnam, Warren asked where he thought the heaviest fighting would be; Putnam responded by pointing to Breed's Hill. Warren subsequently volunteered to join the militia at the rank of private against the wishes of both Putnam and Colonel William Prescott, both of whom unsuccessfully requested that he serve as their commander instead. Warren declined their request due the fact that Putnam and Prescott held more military experience.
During the early stages of the battle, Warren repeatedly stated that "These fellows say we won't fight! By Heaven, I hope I shall die up to my knees in blood!"[16] Defending the Patriot redoubt against two failed attacks by British troops, he kept firing his gun until running out of ammunition and was killed in action during the third and final assault by British gunfire. The man who killed him was possibly Lieutenant Lord Rawdon, who personally recognized him, or by a British officer's servant, an account supported by a forensic analysis conducted in 2011.[17]
After the battle, Warren's body was stripped of his clothing, repeatedly bayoneted and then buried in a shallow ditch by British forces.[18] Captain Walter Laurie, who participated in the battles of Lexington and Concord, later wrote that he "stuffed the scoundrel with another rebel into one hole, and there he and his seditious principles may remain."[19] American soldier Benjamin Hichborn subsequently wrote a letter to John Adams on December 10, 1775, claiming that Lieutenant James Drew, a Royal Navy officer stationed onboard the sloop HMS Scorpion, went to Breed's Hill "a day or two" after the battle and exhumed Warren's body, "spit in his face, jumped on his stomach, and at last cut off his head and committed every act of violence upon his body... In justice to the officers in general I must add, that they despised Drew for his Conduct."[18] Warren's body was exhumed again ten months after his death by his brothers and Paul Revere, who identified the remains by an artificial tooth Warren had installed in his jaw.[20] His body was interred in the Granary Burying Ground. In 1825, it was exhumed and reinterred in St. Paul's Church in Boston before being moved one final time in 1855 to his family's vault in Forest Hills Cemetery.
Legacy
General Gage is rumored to have said that Warren's death was equal to the death of 500 ordinary colonials.
At the time of Warren's death, his children were staying with his fiancée, Mercy Scollay, in Worcester as refugees from the Siege of Boston. She continued to look after them, gathering support for their education from
There are at least four statues of Joseph Warren on public display. Three are in Boston: one in the exhibit lodge adjacent to the Bunker Hill Monument, another on the grounds of the Roxbury Latin School, and the third atop the puddingstone at his grave site at the Forest Hills Cemetery (this statue was commissioned by the 6th Masonic District, and dedicated in a ceremony by the Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts on October 22, 2016). The fourth is in a small park on the corner of Third and Pennsylvania avenues in Warren, Pennsylvania, a city, borough, and county all named after the general.
Fort Warren on George's Island in Boston harbor, started in 1833, was named in his honor. In 1840, the first Warren School was built on Salem Street in Charlestown, Massachusetts near Bunker Hill. It relocated to School and Summer Streets in 1868, and later merged with the Prescott School to form the Warren-Prescott School.[22]
Fourteen states have a
The
The streets of Detroit, Michigan, were redesigned after the 1806 fire, based on the Pierre L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C.; Warren Avenue in Detroit is named after Joseph Warren.[27]
Five ships in the Continental Navy and United States Navy were named Warren in his honor.
Warren Square in Savannah, Georgia, is also named for him, as well as Warren Street in Trenton, New Jersey.[28]
Freemasonry
Warren was a Scottish Freemason. He was a member of Lodge St Andrews, No.81, (Boston, Massachusetts), which held a Charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The Lodge continues to meet in Boston under the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The date he joined the Lodge is not known but was during the period after the inauguration of the Lodge on St Andrew's Day, 30 November 1756 and 15 May 1769 when he is recorded in the Grand Lodge of Scotland's membership register as being the Master of the Lodge.[31] Paul Revere and William Palfrey are also recorded, in the same entry, with Revere being named as Secretary of the Lodge.[32][33] Warren was appointed Grand Master of all Scottish Freemasonry in the 13 colonies by the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
He was appointed
The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts has an award in his name for Masons who have served the fraternity, the country, or humanity with distinction. It is the second-highest honor conferred by the Grand Lodge, surpassed by only the Henry Price medal. The Henry Price medal is usually awarded to those who served with distinction in the Grand Lodge, while the Joseph Warren medal may be conferred upon any Mason within the Grand jurisdiction.
In popular culture
Warren Lodge No. 32 of the Grand Lodge of New York is a historic Masonic lodge that meets in Schultzville, New York. It was founded in 1807 and named in memory of Joseph Warren.
Walter Coy portrayed Warren in the 1957 film Johnny Tremain.[36] Warren also appeared in episodes 5 and 9 of the 2002 animated television show Liberty's Kids.
Ryan Eggold was cast as Warren in the 2015 miniseries Sons of Liberty.
Warren is featured in the song "Wildfire" by the band
Joseph Warren is referenced in the A. W. Burns/George W. Hewitt song "America Shall Aye Be Free".
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Kelly, Howard A.; Burrage, Walter L. (eds.). . . Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Company.
- ^ Frothingham 1865, pp. 12–13. The book's description of "the grammar school in Roxbury" appears to indicate Roxbury Latin School.
- ^ Forman 2012, p. 41.
- ^ Frothingham 1865, p. 558.
- ^ "Mercy Scollay is Copley's "Lady in a Blue Dress".
- ^ Forman 2012, p. 146.
- ^ Forman 2012, Chapter 10.
- ^ Silverman, Jerry. "Of Thee I Sing," Citadel Press, 2002, p. 3.
- ^ Liberatore, Wendy (2021-02-12). "Historians say they won't skirt slavery as they plan museum for Warren County namesake". Times Union. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "Q&A: In Boston State House play, Cliff Odle explores slavery, freedom, and allyship". News. 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ Biographical Sketch of Gen. Joseph Warren, Embracing the Prominent Events of His Life, and His Boston Orations of 1772 and 1775: Together with Celebrated Eulogy Pronounced by Perez Morton, on the Re-interment of the Remains by the Masonic Order, at King's Chapel, in 1776. Boston: Shepard, Clark & Brown. 1857. p. 35.
- ^ Fischer 1994, p. 95–97.
- ISBN 978-1-60844-012-2.
- ^ Beck, Derek W. (April 3, 2014). "Dr. Joseph Warren's Informant". Journal of the American Revolution.
- ^ John Laurence Blake, The American Revolution (New York: Derby & Jackson, 1860), 52.
- ^ Tourtellot 1959, p. 213.
- YouTubeRetrieved on April 4, 2012,
- ^ a b "To John Adams from Benjamin Hichborn, 25 November 1775". National Archives. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ^ Fischer 1994.
- ^ "Boston 1775: Sumner letter". Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ISBN 978-1608440122.
- ^ "Full Historic Timeline". Charlestown Historical Society. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Romig, Walter (1986). Michigan Place Names. Walter Romig. p. 582.
- ^ Dyson, Cathy (July 20, 2003). "History and legend unlock origins of unusual names". The Free Lance-Star. pp. A7. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 335.
- ^ Smith, H.P. (1885). History of Warren County. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Masons & Co. p. 575.
- ^ "The Streets of Detroit". Tina Granzo. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey".
- ^ "U.S. Famous Freemasons". Archived from the original on May 10, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. Famous Master Mason". Archived from the original on January 4, 2016.
- ^ "15 MAY 1769 - BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS... - The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland - Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ Registration Book No.1 (1736-1797), pages 127 and 188. Grand Lodge of Scotland
- ISBN 9781846040498.
- ^ "The Builder Magazine - October 1918". Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ "Joseph Warren, Martyr of Bunker Hill". Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- IMDb. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ "Wildfire". YouTube.
Bibliography
- Cary, John (1961). Joseph Warren: Physician, Politician, Patriot. University of Illinois Press. Crown Publishing.
- Di Spigna, Christian (2018). Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution's Lost Hero. Crown. ISBN 9780553419320.
- Fischer, David Hackett (1994). Paul Revere's Ride. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195088472.
- Forman, Samuel A. (2012). Dr. Joseph Warren: The Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill, and the Birth of American Liberty. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4556-1474-5.
- Frothingham, Richard (1865). Life and Times of Joseph Warren. Boston: Little, Brown, & Company. Life and Times of Joseph Warren public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- Hardman, Ron; Hardman, Jessica (2010). Shadow Fox: Sons of Liberty. Fox Run Press. ISBN 978-0-9819607-0-8.
- Warren, Joseph, ed. (1928–1936). Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.
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- Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1887–1889). Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton and Company. Bibcode:1887acab.book.....W.
Further reading
- Forgotten Patriot Leader of the American Revolution Who Was Killed in Battle Profile of Joseph Warren's life and death.
- The Other Ride of Paul Revere: The Brokerage Role in the Making of the American Revolution Social Network Analysis using only organizational affiliations identifying Joseph Warren and Paul Revere as central to the events leading up to the American Revolution.
- The Sword of Joseph Warren Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society with a first-hand account of Joseph Warren's death at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
External links
- Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation Devoted to the life and legacy of America's "Founding Martyr".
- Dr. Joseph Warren on the Web Compendium of full texts of Joseph Warren's writings and speeches, including weekly updates.
- National Park Service: Dr. Joseph Warren Profile of the hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- Joseph Warren Dies a Martyr in the Battle of Bunker Hill New England Historical Society account on the death of Joseph Warren.
- Painting: Joseph Warren Description of the portrait of Joseph Warren by John Singleton Copley on display at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
- The Warren Tavern: History