New Page #43!
Lest you feel bad for the Americans on the last page...
I’ve drawn a lot of battle scenes by now, but I’d never actually made myself nauseous until this page.
Some of my friends were joking with me at my birthday party at C2E2 last week about Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (because they know it’s an easy way to ruffle my feathers) and they came up with a bunch of other titles for apocraphal Hollywood historical atrocities, their favorite being “Bunker Hell.”
Which, of course, was hilarious and we all laughed. But… it’s also actually very accurate.
Early in the day of the battle, American snipers positioned themselves in the empty buildings in Charlestown. They had unobstructed aim onto the battlefield and the British lines withered under their fire. Orders were given to the Royal Navy to set fire to the town in order to flush out the snipers and alleviate that advantage of the Americans. The burning of Charlestown was already mentioned in The Dreamer, way back when Frederick Knowlton stood up to his dad on the ethics of military tactics.
On the east side of the field, a column of British Light Infantry advanced, trying to make their way up the edge of the Mystic River along the riverbank which was sunken from the rest of the field of high grass, obscuring them from view from the American’s position. If successful, they could have easily come around behind the American works and ended the whole thing very quickly. The Americans had already spotted the gap, however, and Colonel John Stark’s men put a stone wall there, which they stood behind to fire directly into the advancing column of redcoats. You can imagine the rest.
The Americans were told to hold their fire, aim low, and to aim for the officers. General Howe lead two assaults against the rail fence (where Thomas Knowlton was stationed) and was repelled both times. On the third assault, he turned and marched up the hill instead of the fence, and with Pigot’s forces advancing on the Charlestown side, they were finally able to break into the redoubt. As it was explained to me, an eerie cease-fire happened at this point (probably so that the British entering on opposite sides of the redoubt weren’t caught in each other’s friendly fire.) Chaotic hand to hand combat ensued, which, if you were an infantryman in His Majesty’s Army, meant bayonets.
Colonel Prescott and the Americans made haste to get out of there. But, as we saw on the last page, the fighting in the redoubt was carnage. Col. Stark and the men along the rail fence covered Prescott’s retreat best they could. But most of the 450 casualties the Americans suffered happened then and there. The death of Dr. Joseph Warren among them.
The British suffered over 1,000 casualties at Bunker Hill. That was one fifth of the number of men they had in Boston and nearly half their number on the battlefield that day. As you can imagine, they were angry by the time they made it to the breastwork atop that hill.
Dr. Forman left this description from one of the British Generals present at Bunker Hill in the comments on Wednesday. I thought it was worth posting here incase you missed it:
“And now ensued one of the greatest scenes of war that can be conceived: if we look to the height, Howe’s corps ascending the hill in the face of entrenchments, and in a very disadvantageous ground, was much engaged; and to the left the enemy pouring in fresh troops by thousands, over the land; and in the arm of the sea our ships and floating batteries cannonading them: strait before us a large and a noble town in one great blaze; the church steeples, being of timber, were great pyramids of fire above the rest; behind us the church steeples and heights of our own camp covered with spectators of the rest of our army which was not engaged; the hills round the country covered with spectators; the enemy all anxious suspence; the roar of cannon, mortars, and musquetry; the crush of churches, ships upon the stocks, and whole streets falling together in ruin, to fill the ear; the storm of the redoubts, with the objects above described, to fill the eye; and the reflection that perhaps a defeat was a final loss to the British empire in America, to fill the mind; made the whole a picture and a complication of horror and importance beyond any thing that ever came to my lot to be witness to.”
-British General Burgoyne to Lord Stanley, from a letter of June 25, 1775.
General Howe took command of the British Armed Forces in America shortly after this battle relieving Military Governor General Gage. But Howe would not make another move with his army in Boston… until he moved them out all together nine months later. He had learned a lesson at Bunker Hill the price he had paid for it wasn’t worth repeating.
To learn more about the Battle of Bunker Hill, buy one of these books. Buy via these links and you’ll help support The Dreamer!
And read my friend Derek Beck’s article on Bunker Hill.
Expect my C2E2 post-Con write up on Monday.
- VOTE to preview the next page!
This must be so sad for the British & Titanic lost 400 more in 1912, I felt really bad for Britain.
And first to comment too.
I can see why this one can make a person queasy. That is a lot of death in a very small piece of real estate.
Wow….
Just one panel, but….wow.
On a side note, I recently finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and I loved it — it was the perfect mix of history and fantasy in my favorite genre of historical fiction.
*tells himself that the guy with glasses in the incentive is modeled on him*
INCENTIVE CAPTION!!!
Alan: “You! Have you seen my cousin, Joseph Warren?”
Soldier-Me: “Uhhh…..he’s…in a happy place, surrounded by tea cosies.”
Knowlton: “Man, I never get to go to that place…”
I love historical fantasy too–that’s what I write :)
Haven’t read AL:VH yet, but I may have to…
And I love your caption (as usual). I was thinking something along the lines of
Alan: “Where’s everybody hurrying off to?”
Soldier (yes, it does rather look like you): “Didn’t you hear? There’s a sale on tea cozies at Ye Olde Tea Emporium.”
Though poor Knowlton finally did get to go to that happy tea cozy place in the sky….
*LIKE*
Captain Edward John Smith: “Did you say tea cozy, well let me join in…”
I wonder just how many times “tea cozy” has been mentioned over the course of this blogs existence?
LOL! When did it actually start, I wonder?
over in the forums…..Lora knows the exact details
Actually, I don’t remember how it started!
I know that initially I thought it had something to do with Mrs. Knowlton’s teapot collection. http://comic-chic.deviantart.com/gallery/852123#/d193hnk But then realized it was probably mostly random. At which point I can’t remember the genesis of it anymore…
The earliest reference to “tea cozy” that I remember was during Alan and Knowlton’s meeting with Washington at the mansion.
I know i first started using them in incentives around the time Nathan volunteered (end of issue 11, start of issue 12), but I’m sure they were around way before that.
The earliest reference I found to the Tea cosies was here: http://thedreamercomic.com/blog.php/new-page-10-3/ The trail goes cold after that….
Interesting! It’s definitely in reference to something already established. You’ll have to pick up the trail in the forum. Wonder what thread it was on.
This is starting to getting rather intriguing.
The Mystery of the Missing Tea Cosy!
A mystery worthy of Hercule Poirot!
Perhaps we should consider bringing the Scooby Gang in on this.
XD I always thought it started around when they went to Inclenberg…
Not sure if one should call this a lovely page or not. Well-done might be the better compliment.
Though if this is enough to make poor Lora queasy, I hope they don’t ask her to draw Cold Harbor or Antietam or Fredericksburg…
Well, I’m writing the books. So anything I have to draw is my own fault. Just like The Dreamer.
Speaking of that Civil War graphic novel project, what’s the latest word on that?
“Like” To Appomattox on Facebook and you can follow their updates. Right now one of my backlot sketches is their cover art!
Wow another powerful update! I feel bad for all the families who lost members and the poor people whose houses are being burnt, such a waste.
Fred concurs.
War is indeed Hell. This page pretty much gets the message across without words. Technically those guys were the “enemy”, but damn, I sure feel sorry for ‘em all the same.
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
— George Santayana, Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies (1922)
War is one of those situations where the living can actually envy the dead, since the whole bloody mess is over for them. That’s my take on it, anyway.
And every one of those British (and American) soldiers had lives outside the battle – we just don’t know all their stories (like we do with Warren, Knowlton, etc.). Extra-sobering thought.
Wow…just wow.
You know, it’s like, I know these things happened, and it’s not like I haven’t seen this stuff on the TV and it’s not like it’s never affected me, but there are just some pages–heck, every page you draw–that brings this closer to home than anything.
I totally agree.
*nods solemnly*
And me.
*raises hand and nods*
All that blood in that purty British hair… :’(
In all seriousness, though, this patriotic little <3 of mine has always had plenty of room for Britain and our shared history/people/language/culture/etc. It's what makes the War for Independence particularly dramatic for me. Who knows where my sentiments and loyalties (and friends and relations) would've rested if I'd been alive back then…?
Lora, I love these mini-history lessons you're including! Paired with your captivating artwork, they teach me more and make a greater impression on me than any high school history textbook ever did. (And I kept all my textbooks, because after literature, history was may favorite subject from a very young age.) Thank you so much for what you're doing! Thank you so much for dreaming The Dreamer! And keep on keeping on. :)
A friend of mine put it succinctly, “In war, young people die, and they die horribly.” All the medals and parades can’t dilute the fact that any military confrontation is a awful ritual sacrifice by both sides. You bring this fact to life in a way most history books don’t.
I wonder if the families of the British dead felt the way we feel about Afghanistan and wonder, “Why don’t we just get out of there?” That’s only if they got word of the loss before the war was over.
I know I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been said over and over again by this point, but wow. Intense.
Also, will it still support the Dreamer if we buy one of the books used from the site via that link?
Yup! As a matter of fact, if you follow that link initially, anything ELSE you buy will still support The Dreamer. So if you have an Amazon shopping list, buy it after you click one of my book links. The affiliate kickback I get goes STRAIGHT into paying Julie Wright my colorist. And you’ve been around long enough to remember life without Julie. How often updates were missed… Because I just couldn’t do it all…
Yeah, help me keep Julie around forever please!
Oh, that’s good to know! Too bad I already own (or have read) the books you’ve listed. I’ll keep an eye on that, though. (You could’ve made a killing on my praying mantis supplies…)
Well poop-sticks! :( I will be more likely to read these books if I get them on my Nook…which I can’t do from the links you’ve given. In fact, the only reason I haven’t purchased those books at all so far is because I’m trying to figure out if I can jerry-rig it to make me happy and pay you at the same time. :)
Which books? I’ll send you links, gladly!
@Julie: “Poop sticks”? :D
I’ve been meaning to tell you, I got my librarian to buy your books! Now I just have to convince my APUSH teacher to let students read them for his book reports! He lets us read Dear America books…and The Dreamer is way better!
Fantastic! I’ll go make my purchases XD
Yeah, I’ll be doing that as soon as I decide on a book (though I’m leaning towards Lockhart)
I love Decisive Day. It’s one of my favorites. I haven’t read Lockhart’s yet but Derek Beck told me it is fantastic.
Lockhart does a great job of bringing the historical figures to life. I’ll admit, military maneuverings make my eyes glaze over – I need to know more about the lives behind them. The interactions between Warren and Putnam in his book – however brief – are quite funny and engaging. Wish those two had more time to enjoy each others company.
VI: Alan: Where is a tea cosy? I NEED a tea cosy!
Random militiaman: man, you have a problem!
Alan: Tea cosy, precious! Must… have…. precious!
Random Militiaman #2: Uh, where is a surgeon? This man is cracked! (trying to appease Alan) I think the Brits took your tea cosy.
Alan: Noo! They stole precious!!!!!
Militiamen rolls eyes.
Ok… I gave it a try. Lol.
“After the Battle, the King’s wounded Troops were carried to Boston; & it was truly a Shocking Sight and Sound, to see the Carts loaded with those unfortunate Men, & to hear the piercing Groans of the dying & of those whose painfull Wounds extorted the Sigh from the firmest Mind.” – Peter Oliver, Tory eyewitness in Boston
You know what? As heartwrenching as the updates have been recently…I REALLY love seeing this page in conjunction with the one from Wednesday. This is why I really love this comic and your work Lora – you’re not afraid to show both sides of the issue. The Battle of Bunker Hill took a heavy toll on both the Patriots (I dare not say the Americans, as that’d be discounting a good chunk of the population) and the British, and it’s good to see you showing that. Well, as good as something like this could be….
Note to self: no more cheese doodles when looking at pages about Bunker Hill XP
Ummm….what?
lol I was eating cheese doodles (aka store brand cheetos) when I saw this page…made me just a wee bit woozey
In that case you won’t want to watch the Joseph Warren forensic video mentioned below. :O
Already did…..THAT. WAS. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Awesome, yes, but c’mon, we’re talkin’ about Joseph’s SKULL here! I thought you of all people would’ve AVOIDED that. Was the morbid curiosity to much for you to resist, as it was for me?
…you’re talking to the girl who wants to watch The Raven overanoverandover, luvs her Grey’s Anatomy, and grew up with ER. I would’ve watched it anyway!
Oh, no, I’m NOT saying you’re the squemish type. Neither am I. I’m just a little surprised you’d actually choose to view Joseph’s SKULL, considering your strong feelings for him. But, hey, Whatever floats your boat! :)
lol it’s the closest thing I’ll get to ever seeing his real (nonromantisied) face…Yes, I’m weird, very very weird
I feel like it’s been AGES since I made some noise here. Agh at finals and assignments!!
The last few pages really made me forget that The Dreamer is actually a teen-romance fantasy’esque graphic novel because there’s always all these amazing build up of the world and doesn’t entirely revolve around just the character. GRAHHHH GREAT UPDATE! Even though I think I was somewhat tracing the line of dead bodies in this week’s update. ;_;
Lest the outpouring of sympathy for maimed British soldiers soften patriotic zeal, do remember what some of them just did to Dr. Joseph Warren. John and Alan Warren certainly will not forget and may be a very long time in forgiving. In fact, they do not even know about it yet. Maybe we should spare them. WARNING to the squeamish: while not gory, this short video features Joseph Warren’s actual remains and has been known to induce nightmares Joseph Warren at Bunker Hill – Forensics
Very informative.
I think you & Derek should start a Kickstarter campaign to fund the forensic reconstruction of Warren’s face using the 3D image of his skull you already built. You know, like they do on the History channel for Cleopatra or King Tut or someone like that…
Intriguing idea! Unlike Tut, we do have excellent John Singleton Copley portraits of Joseph Warren (Alas, not of Alan because he is fictional). Issues that intrigue Warren fans, biographers and historians, like Joseph’s exact hair color and whether he was svelte or a bit puffy, cannot be clarified by the facial reconstructions. So I am cheering on the film version of The Dreamer as preceding the History Channel version of Crime Scene CSI from poor Warren’s head.
Film version of Dreamer FTW!!!
Ah, but if we have Joseph’s facial reconstruction first, we could then find the absolutely perfect actor to portray him in the film version of The Dreamer!
P.S. You’re right, Sam. Alan hasn’t forgotten: http://www.thedreamercomic.com/comic.php?id=217
I doubt John has either.
Thanks for the reminder. Bea, and I dare say some Dreamers, must be appalled by Alan’s thirst for vengeance.
Interesting video. Thanks muchly for it.
Brent, You are welcome!
I wonder, if Joseph had survived Bunker Hill is it possible he might later have been a delegate to the Continental Congress and had a part in creating the Declaration of Independence? Maybe even being the one chosen to actually WRITE it, instead of Jefferson?
I’ve actually always thought if he survived the war he stood a fair chance of becoming one ofour earliest presidents.
The Continental Congress had already been meeting and Joseph Warren was not a delegate. He was back in Massachusetts running the Provincial Congress and trying to run the military end of things. I’m not sure if he would’ve been sent as a delegate to Philadelphia anytime soon because they needed him where he was.
That being said, if he survived, I have little doubt he would have gone on to do other, more prominent things at a national level.
Sure, but post-war, ten years down the line or so……fair chance, I’d say.
Agreed. I bet he’d be doing more than Congress at that point. My guess is either Massachusetts governor or Washington’s VP since I’ll bet he would have stayed state side unlike Adams and I’ll bet he would’ve remained active in the military.
All conjecture of course!
David, Many would agree with you and Brent. Joseph’s associates, including those who thought themselves of lesser abilities, went on to do great things. Among them: John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress and governor of Mass.; John Adams, US minister to European powers and second US president, and even Warren’s medical apprentice (and Tamesin ancestor) William Eustis, US Secretary of War and another MA governor; Robert Treat Paine, etc. Dr. John Warren “only” founded Harvard Medical School and co-founded the Mass. Medical Society, publisher of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Was Joseph presidential material? Maybe.
Boys, boys. They’re all just boys.
That’s…pretty amazing, all nausea aside. Hard to grasp just how badly they got creamed until you see it like this.
On a lighter note, I agree about the Abe Lincoln Vampire slayer thing…I saw the poster in the movie theatre and spazzed out so much, I think I embarressed my brothers. :P
How would you feel about “George Washington: Zombie Fighter”? :)
Huuuulk… SMASH!!
(that’s how I feel.) XD
Joseph Warren, Werewolf Slayer! X-)
No. Just… NO.. :P
C’mon man, the guy just died…. </3
If that’s your attitude, don’t ask me why the Brits used a silver musket ball to bring him down.
You’re joking, I presume… O_o
They didn’t do silver musket balls…
Oh, if anyone would be a silver musket ball Werewolf Slayer it would be Paul Revere.
…Or Johnny Tremain.
Revere…Heh…I see what you’ve done ‘tharr.. ;)
@Niki: That’s what they want you to think…See, he himself was bit when he stopped a British werewolf and someone knew it, took his ‘special’ pistol, and, well….
@Lora: Actually now that I think about it it may have been Revere, keeping his protege from becoming that which they fought against. Those present chose to blame the British to keep the secret, save Paul’s reputation, and hopefully rally support for the cause.
Aw geeeez, you sound like you’ve already been won over to the dark side…. (AKA, historical fiction/vampire/werewolf fantasy)
*is in mourning for you*
Partly……mostly it’s just a very overactive imagination.
In that case.. :D
That’s cool. All history geeks need good imaginations!
UGH I would implode on the spot!
Wellllll… I’m not exactly hot for that concept myself, but that Lincoln movie might end up inspiring a “trend” in historical fiction/fantasy, so we should prepare ourselves for such a possible eventuality. You know how insensitive Hollywood can be.
It probably will end up doing so. *CRINGE!*
Sigh. Why can’t people write historical fiction the way it was *supposed* to be done?
Just about anything goes, If it brings in the moolah. :(
See, I have to disagree rather emphatically here…I write historical fantasy, but I write historically-accurate fantasy. Or maybe closer to historical fiction with a heavy dose of fantasy (but they don’t have a category labeled that on Amazon).
Yes, I have characters who use “magic”, for lack of a better term. There are dryads and powries/stonecoats and glaistigs, and some of the characters have the ability to talk to animals. However, I did more research for my book than many history majors do for their senior thesis. If I say the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry was in the area of Meadow Bridge outside of Mechanicsville, VA right at the start of the Seven Days Battle, then that’s where they really were. There really were roses blooming outside Dr. Brewer’s brick house on Grace Street in Richmond when Jeb Stuart lay there dying. I don’t change the history (except a few small spots, like putting Co. F in the place of Co. C for one of the minor skirmishes because it fit my plot line better. But if I changed history, I know exactly what I did change it.) I try to write historical characters accurately, too (even if I do something like give Col. Mosby the ability to “fog” people’s minds–it’s as good an explanation as any for why he was able to get away from the Yankees so many times. They didn’t call him the Gray Ghost for nothing.)
What I’m saying is, historical fantasy can be a good thing. It draws in some people who won’t read history on its on merits. I’ve had many people read my book and say “I hate history, but I loved reading your story. I just didn’t realize how much history I was getting.”
And I certainly don’t write historical fantasy for the moolah. It’s a very small (though thankfully growing) genre.
If you get right down to it, The Dreamer could be categorized as historical fantasy. It’s certainly not straight historical fiction.
Sorry about the little rant, but I did feel the need to defend the other side :)
(But I know nothing about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so I can’t judge how bad their history is).
*wild applause*
And as for the historical accuracy of
Joseph Warren: Werewolf SlayerAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, while the personal conversations and certain meetings are fictionalized, everything from the time he set up his law practice to the time he got shot is very accurate.I agree. That’s brilliant of you- kudos to you for all your research to make your story the best it can be.
I’m not saying that the Vampire slayer thing is going to have innacurate facts about Lincoln’s life and where he grew up and blah blah blah. I’m fretting over the fact that they’re meshing an amazing man like that with something as negative (and quite frankly, rather demonic…) as vampires.
You’re right; there’s nothing wrong with melding history with other genres to make it more appealing. It just seems like that film…I don’t know…like they’re trying to drag down his reputation with something like that. I find it highly insulting.
Nah….having read it, it seems like they’re trying to make him more awesome, or at least just have a good old romp through history.
I’m not saying all this to try and get you to read it — if it’s not your thing (like me and most rap albums), i’m fine with you leaving it on the shelf, as it were. My only point with all these comments is that I had fun with it and if you like the genre then I’d recommend it.
Hm true enough. Don’t mind me; I’m just a stubborn goat. I don’t care to watch any movie that’s blown up in popularity.
But perhaps I’ll read the book.. :D
@nessili : Umm… Actually I was referring to those greedy Hollywood types who don’t mind warping historical fact WAY out of recognition just to make a profit. I was NOT taking a swipe at reputable authors like yourself. Just so we’re clear, I actually LIKE historical fiction AND fantasy so long as it’s kept within reason and tries to remain more or less accurate even IF it also involves stuff like vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc., so when I said I didn’t really care for “the concept” I MEANT the concept of George Washington: Zombie Fighter from that other conversation I had with Niki, NOT the genre itself. On the other hand I have no personal objection to Abe Lincoln slaying vampires so long as it’s done with respect to the man. BTW, I happen to be a big fan of “Alternate History” which I guess is sort of like “Historical Fantasy” but mostly without the supernatural stuff. Anyway, I hope this clarifies things between us. No offense intended, and all that, and I wish you the best of luck with your writing.
sorry about the soapbox then :) Totally misread where you were coming from.
Ah, forget it! :) I really should be more clear about whatever topic i’m referring to and avoid misunderstandings like this. Actually, though, you DID otherwise raise some good points for the historical fantasy genre so your “little rant” wasn’t wasted. That being said I stand by my opinion of those show-biz types who intentionally skewer history in WHATEVER genre they’re using just so long as it’s profitable. Like I said before, the Lincoln/vampire movie could start a trend in similar type movies. If that happens there are bound to be some real “stinkers” in there. So like it or not we had better get prepared for it. :(
That’s a lot of dead dudes in red coats. Now, if someone wants to make a pretty penny off the Queen, they could wash those coats and sell them back to the soldiers for a nice profit. Just saying. Or better yet, sell them back to the militia and then the Red Coasts couldn’t tell friend from foe.
That’s a good way of sticking it to QUEEN George the Third! :D
Pingback: New Page #55: | The Dreamer