While I was in Boston, I went to Forrest Hills Cemetery to visit Dr. Joseph Warren at his gravesite. I knew that he was buried in his family’s plot, so I was excited to see who else I’d find there. Thanks to The Dreamer, I feel in some strange way like I know these people. Dr. Warren may be my favorite patriot, but I’ve grown interested in his entire family.
Dr. Warren was one of the most influential men of the American Revolution, but he died at Bunker Hill–just at the start of the war–and sadly most Americans have no idea who he was. My hope with The Dreamer has been to bring him back into the consciousness of the people I have influence with through my story. Alan Warren may be a fictitious character, but the rest of the Warrens you read about in The Dreamer were all real. (Two of the Dreamer short stories feature the Roxbury Warrens.)
Dr. Joseph Warren actually has had several “final” resting places. When he was killed (shot in the face) at Bunker Hill a british officer “stuffed the scoundrell with another Rebel into one hole, and there he & his seditious principles may remain.” He did remain there, for about a year, at which point, after the British evacuated Boston, Paul Revere and Joseph’s two brothers Ebenezer and Dr. John Warren dug up his remains, identified them (by the false teeth Revere had put in himself), and reburied him in the Granary Burial Ground. He was moved from there to St. Paul’s, and then finally his family moved him to this lovely spot. The grave is at the top of a hill, lush, quiet and peaceful, not at all like the muddy, loud, touristy Granary Burial Ground.
Also on the site were his grandparents as well as his father Joseph Warren II who developed the Warren Russet apple (known today as the Roxbury Russet), and died when his son Joseph was 14. He fell out of one of his apple trees, broke his neck, and little John Warren, only two years old, found him there.
Above is one of several markers around the site for Joseph Warren IV, Dr. Warren’s oldest son, known as “Jose” who only lived to be 22. He never married or had kids. Sentimental, yes, but I was glad to see him there with his father (since no one knows where his mother is buried). It says “Sacred to the memory of Joseph Warren son of Maj Gen Joseph Warren who died suddenly April 2, 1799 aged 22 Be ye also ready”.
Mary Stevens Warren, Joseph’s mother (better known as “Aunt Mary” in the Dreamer) had a wonderful description on her headstone. It reads, “She was a woman of fine understanding great Piety, and was an object of general interest in the town of Roxbury.” I’m sure she was. She was the granddaughter of Robert Calef, the man who stood out against Cotton Mather in the Salem Witch Trials. After her husband died tragically she continued to run the farm on her own, a bit ahead of her times, and never remarried. And of course, she was the mother of a our favorite Bunker Hill hero, Joseph Warren III.
Another of Mary Warren’s sons, Dr. John Warren was buried there as well. He studied under his big brother Joseph while he was a student at Harvard, learning how to be a doctor. He served in the army as a surgeon after his brother was killed at Bunker Hill, and he headed up the military hospital during the New York campaign. Eventually he founded Harvard Medical School. There is more to be said about Dr. John Warren, but you’ll either have keep reading The Dreamer or do your own research.
John’s son, Dr. John Collins Warren, was also buried there, as well as his descendants–right up through 2011.
Next up: The Freedom Trail! If you watch me on Twitter, you already saw the sneak peek.
This is one thing I love about reading The Dreamer is all the richness of American history you bring to life Lora. I remember in school that I enjoyed learning about American history but now I find I love it. Reading The Dreamer has reignited my curiosity for history. As characters have shown up, I hungrily search them out and investigate who they were. Thank you for your love of the American Revolution and bringing it to life with such a fresh and energizing story.
Fascinating! Thank you for continuing to share your discovery journey with us!
I want to hug that tombstone.
I had this whoooole comment typed out and the site ate it. So I’ll type it again!
I hated American history in high school with the passion of most any other student who has been forced to sit for an hour every day listening to classmates read a dry history book, which was our baseball coach teacher’s preferred method of teaching. The history class I took in England helped a little, if only because I got to learn American history from the English perspective. But more than once, reading either this comic or the comments, I’ve found myself doodling around on Wikipedia because I faintly recognized some name or other, or just HAVE to know what happens to a certain character ( D: ) or just have to know /something/ else. Before I know it I’ve spent two hours more than I ever did in high school caring about early American history, on my own terms and my own time, no less! Your love of this particular history is so infectious! And then I go bothering my mom to tell me for the millionth time about all of our ancestors that we know of that had anything to do with the Revolutionary War, which is also fantastic. One poor kid’s mom so revered the Marquis de Lafayette that she named her son after him. No, I don’t mean by using the Marquis’ real name. She actually named her son “Marquis de Lafayette”. He went by MDL or Marcus his whole life. :P Another was a French guy who apparently pissed the British off by being impossible to catch and also crossing back and forth across the border to incite the colonists in an area to rebellion. Pretty awesome! He’s in a history book somewhere.
Anyway, I love you blogs, and thanks for making this history interesting. Maybe teachers should just use your comic to get kids hooked, and then go on teaching what they have to according to the school system. I’d have listened better, even once it was made clear to me the comic was partially fictional.
@Brittany @Caitydid: Thanks. :) I love hearing that…!
@Caera: I did. Duh.
@Lora I’m sure you did. :D <3
@Caera: I agree. I showed my mom pictures of the gravesite one time, and I said, “I want to have a picnic there someday!” She just looked at me like I was insane and told me that was creepy. But it’s still on my list of things to do at American Revolutionary historic sites, despite what non-history lovers think.
I’ll join you, Hannah. Picnics in graveyards are not creepy at all. >.> <.<
You know, I don't find graveyards in general one bit creepy. Even though I want to be cremated…I do like looking at old tombstones.
Also it is because of The Dreamer that I’m now applying to the Daughters of the American Revolution. I had never really considered it before and after reading I’ve become very inspired to become more a part of my own history. >u<
Lora, whether it be displayed in the comic or in an open forum, your vast knowledge of the revolutionary war never ceases to amaze. Can’t wait for the next report. B-)
P.S. — Glad Irene didn’t get you/dampen your fun. B-)
Yes, glad you had a safe trip, despite the hurricane! Thanks for bringing us along–so fascinating to see proof that these people really did exist! (Well, most of them. :)
Glad you enjoyed your time in Boston! I’m super interested in the history there, too; in fact, my husband and I very nearly had our wedding in the Old State House (but ended up having a rush job as he got transfered without warning… whomp whomp).
I’m pretty hyped — now that I’m back in the States and about to live in Charlestown, I think that next summer, I’ll apply to be one of the guides for the walking tours. I think it’d be great to spread knowledge!
“…as well as his descendants–right up through 2011.”
That is a beautiful thing. Brought tears to my eyes.
Again, thank you for sharing. Everything about this is wonderful.
*sigh* I will get there sometime! Will combine that with a visit to the Shirley-Eustis house (see if I can reclaim some family real estate – heh).
Lora, you’ll be happy to know that while Hurricane Irene totally flattened my Mom’s flower gardens, there’s one thing still standing “tall” in the middle of everything: the Roxbury Russet! Those Warrens got strong roots, for sure.
@Tamesin: <3
I hope you had a nice time glad to see you are back and thanks for the pics you posted and the history with them look forward to seeing more.
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