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Colonel William Prescott
Artist:
William Wetmore Story
Location:
Charlestown
Location
Charlestown
United States
See map: Google Maps
Neighborhood:
Charlestown
Type:
Sculpture
Year:
1880
Medium:
Bronze and Granite
Collection:
U.S. National Park Service
Funders:
Description:
Colonel William Prescott commanded the Colonial forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill. This over life-sized bronze statue shows him with his sword—the symbol of command—in his right hand. With his left hand, he signals his troops to hold their fire, waiting for the enemy to draw nearer. Before the battle, Prescott put aside his heavy uniform coat and tricorn hat in favor of a lightweight coat and shady hat. The cast-off military attire is shown at Prescott’s feet. The statue is the work of the American sculptor William Wetmore Story, who lived in Rome. It was cast there and erected beside the Bunker Hill monument in 1881.