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The British never thought of ignoring Bunker and Breed's hills and taking the Charlestown Neck. Had they thought of that little detail, they would have put a cork in the bottle and stranded the American force with no way of retreat. The disastrous frontal attacks on Breed's Hill could have been avoided in favor of starving them out. But Sir William Howe was never any good at reading a map.

It's interesting that John Stark would appear at this battle. He fancied himself the King of New Hampshire, but his victory over a Hessian force at Bennington became one of the decisive battles of the war. It cut Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne's line of advance off and set Burgoyne up for American victories at the two battles at Saratoga. Those two victories got France off the fence and on our side in a major way.

Dr. Joseph Warren is one of the unsung heroes of the war because he died far too soon. The Green Dragon Tavern was home for St. Andrew's Masonic Lodge, the Minute Men, the Sons of Liberty and the local Committee of Correspondence. Dr. Warren was not only Grand Master of St. Andrew's, but Grand Master of all the Masonic lodges in the Colonies. When the British found the body of their archenemy Warren, one officer wanted to take his head for display back to London. A British officer who was a Mason prevented them from taking this prize, and Warren was buried in a mass grave at the battlefield.

Six months later, his lodge brothers went to the battlefield to disinter Warren's body to bring it to Boston for a proper Masonic funeral. His body was identified by dental bridgework made by Paul Revere, the local silversmith. Warren's was the first body in the Colonies to be identified by dental work. His lodge brothers wrapped his moldering corpse in a blanket and took it to Boston for the funeral.

This would be the last battle of the war in Boston.

Excellent history lesson! Thank you for sharing.

Publius!
*GENTLE HUG AND CHASTE SMOOCH*

How lovely to see you!
Thanks for contributing to our History lesson!

Publius, good to hear from you!

Thanks for the additional history, fascinating information.