Isaac Greenwood on Paul Revere

Isaac Greenwood

Because soldiers killed in battle were often buried in mass graves without ceremony, Joseph Warren's grave was unmarked. On March 21, 1776, several days after the British army left Boston, Paul Revere, Warren's brothers, and a few friends went to the battlefield and found a grave containing two bodies. After being buried for nine months, Warren's face was unrecognizable, but Revere was able to identify it as belonging to his friend.

Isaac Greenwood: Did you wish to see me, Sir?

Reporter: Yes, if you have time.

Greenwood: I have time for my family and my friends and for someone wanting to give me money. State your business and I’ll decide about giving you my valuable time.

Reporter: I write for the Boston Gazette and I’d like to ask you a few questions about Mr. Revere.

Greenwood: He used to live in that house over there next to the stream. I haven’t seen him since he became a hero of the Patriot Army.

Reporter: Was he a friend of yours?

Greenwood: Indeed he was and we are all very proud of Paul and his dutiful wife Rachel.

Reporter: (Reaching into his pack and withdraws a folded newspaper) On September 19, 1768, the Gazette wrote this advertisement. (He unfolds the newspaper and shows it to Greenwood)

Have you seen this advertisement?

Greenwood: I may have seen it but I don’t remember. Besides my eyes are not what they once were.

Reporter: Let me read it aloud:

WHEREAS many Persons are so unfortunate as to lose their Fore-Teeth by Accident and other ways, to their great Detriment, not only in Looks, but speaking both in Public and Private—This is to inform all such, that they may have them replaced with artificial ones, that looks as well as Natural & answeres the End of Speaking to all Intents, by PAUL REVERE, Goldsmith, near the Head of Dr. Clarke’s Wharf, Boston.  All persons who have had false teeth fixt by Mr. John Baker, Surgeon-Dentist, and they have got loose (as they will in Time) may have them fastened by the above, who learned the method of fixing them from MR. BAKER.

Greenwood: Yes, I do remember that. I was much younger in those days. I was an instrument maker. I would turn ivory into billiard balls and various flutes or anything that could be made of ivory. I would have offered to make teeth for Paul but he was so clever and good with his hands that he made his own teeth.

Reporter: Now that is why I’ve come to you. Mr. Revere does not speak to press people and I wanted to know about the death of a good friend of his.

Greenwood: I can’t help you there. He had a thousand friends – all patriots.

Reporter: Just last week, Mr. Revere was able to identify the body of his long-time friend Joseph Warren. He was able to know it was his friend by a tooth that he had placed in the friend’s mouth years before.

Greenwood: I hope whatever story you write, you will not say that Paul Revere pretended he was a Surgeon-Dentist and he never pretended anyone could eat with his false teeth. He just made them for show so that folks could smile without shame. He did it with wire – nice work.

Reporter: I am not here to disparage the fine career of Paul Revere only to mention how he managed to keep his wife and children alive by finding a means of earning when his engravings no longer were being sold. His friend, Joseph Warren was killed during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.