John Trumbull: The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill (1815-1831)

(Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA)

A painting by the American artist John Trumbull (1756-1843). The battle of Bunker's Hill on 17 June 1775 was part of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). After the battles of Lexington and Concord (19 April 1775), the defeated British forces retreated back to the city of Boston. The American forces followed and started to besiege the city. Boston itself was only accessible by land through a narrow strip of land but various hills were overlooking the city which could be used to advantage by the Americans. On 16 June 1775 the American Colonel William Prescott led about 1,200 men onto the Charlestown Peninsula, lying to the north of Boston, in order to set up positions from which artillery fire could be directed into Boston. British forces in Boston quickly realized the threat and send an army over the river to remove the American forces on the Charlestown Peninsula. The American forces on the Charlestown Peninsula saw the British preparations for an attack on the Peninsula and, after receiving reinforcements, dug in on Breed's hill and Bunker's hill on the penisula - awaiting the coming British attack. On 17 June 1775 3000 British soldiers landed on the penisula and attack the American fortifications. The first two British attacks were repulsed with heavy losses on British side but the third managed to penetrate the fortifications as the American troops had run out of ammunition forcing them to retreat. The British had managed to take the Charlestown peninsula but with heavy losses - about 1054 British casaulties (killed, wounded), including about 100 commissioned officers , compared to the 450 American casaulties (killed, wounded and captured). The Pyrrhic British victory did not change the fate of Boston as it surrendered 17 March 1776. The painting shows various named participants of the battle. The main focus of the painting is the scene around the body of the American general Joseph Warren, dressed in white. The British major John Small is shown preventing a fellow British soldier from bayoneting Warren. Behind this group is the death of the Scottish Major John Pitcairn, falling back dying in his son's arms. The soldier on the right is the American lieutenant Thomas Grosvenor with his black servant. Painting from 1815-1831