In 1775, Bunker Hill, located on the outskirts of Boston was expecting the British to attack soon. Gun powder was in extremely short supply. As a result the troops trying to defend Bunker Hill would be vulnerable to an attack from the well equipped British. A shipment of "a few barrels" of gun powder from Savannah Georgia helped but still left the Continentals poorly equipped to defend themselves.

In 1775 a Harvard College graduate named Joseph Warren, M.D. volunteered to fight in the Revolution. He refused the position of physician-general to the Massachusetts militia saying he wanted a more hazardous service. This led to his appointment as a major general of the colony’s fighting force.

Joseph Warren, M.D. was well known for his studies of smallpox. He also served as president of the Council of Safety as well as Grand Master of Freemasons for North America.

The morning of June 17, 1775 Dr. Warren met with the members of the Council of Safety. Later that afternoon he went to Bunker Hill. Upon his arrival the commander offered to take orders from Dr. Warren. He refused and asked to serve as a ordinary volunteer. Soon afterwards the British attacked Bunker Hill as expected. Early in the battle Dr. Joseph Warren took a direct hit to the head. It was the next morning when a medical friend identified his body.

Dr. Warren at age 35, became the first high-ranking officer to fall in the American Revolution. A decision was made to bury him at the spot where he fell. The next year after the British had been driven out, Dr. Warren was re-interred in King’s Chapel with military and Masonic rites. Later the Masons of Charlestown Mass. erected a 35-foot monument at the spot where he fell. It stood for 40 years before being replaced by the Bunker Hill Monument. A scale model of the Warren maker was placed inside the tall granite obelisk.

In 1789 the first Governor of Georgia Edward Telfair, was not able to forget, although Savannah had supplied powder to Bunker Hill it was woefully small. "Had Georgia been more generous the outcome at Bunker Hill might have been different." Gov. Telfair waged a campaign to commemorate the major-general who knowing went into battle with powder scarce.

The result was on December 19, 1793 a 284-square mile tract of Georgia was designated as Warren County. Warrenton Georgia, the county seat of Warren County, incorporated 35 years after his death.