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During the Revolution, British soldiers occupied Copp's Hill, and found sport in firing muskets at the gravestones. Their favorite target was that of
Daniel Malcom, a sea captain and Patriot that greatly opposed the Revenue Acts. The Americans considered the Revenue Acts "taxation without representation."
In 1768, Malcom's boldest exploit was the clandestine landing of a cargo of wines without paying the duty.
During the night, a vessel anchored at one of the islands in the harbor. About 60 casks of wine were brought ashore, and guarded by bands of men armed with clubs. The casks were spread about the town.
Soon after this event, a meeting was held by prominent traders and merchants, and it was resolved that no English goods,
other than those used in the fishing industry, would be purchased from England for 18 months. In 1770, tension over boycotts finally
erupted, and contributed to the killing of
Christopher Snider and the
Boston Massacre.
Malcom had died in 1769, at age 44. In 1775, just before the Battle of
Bunker
Hill, some British soldiers stationed at North Battery struck Daniel Malcom's gravestone and shot it with musket balls, and to this day one can see
how it was defaced.
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