The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-09-05
From Fzint's Western Rerier,

!
pioDaoiy the only surviving one, who took
s part IN throwing the tea overheard from
n 'Ie hrltish SHIPS iii Boston harbor. undouhf-
guy one OF the measures which precipitaf-
r ed the revolution. His name is Joshu,.
Wyeth, a relative of the celebrated Tob,r
Wyeth, of Cambridge, whom every Har-
ward scholar, of the times of the venerable
Willard and Tappan, so well Remembers
lie lives in this city, Cincinnati is turned
OF seventy-tve years, appears to be in ro-
bust health, and uncommonly cheerful al
though, it is believed, his circumstances
are Strengthened. His simple narrntivc
gave US vivid impressions of the feeliuos
that actuated his fellow townsmen on the
occasion of the bringing the tea into Dos-
ton harbor. News of the most interest;ncr
character TRANSFERRED every day. Never
was period SO full of rumors and renortz
winch had not yet acquired the horrible
and bloody interest to unfit them for the
tea table. The patriots saw that the fai~
could not resist the seasoning of the fra
grant beverage, with the discussion Of
these themes OF universal interest, and Il
was determined, that they should not he
lea INTO such irresistible temptation, that
II should be removed by throwing the tea
overheard. 1t was proposed that young.
men, not much known in town, and not liza
Die to be easily recognized, should lead in
tne business. Our narrator believes that
most OF the ne----SGs.s screwed Ter the occa-
/ sion were apprentices ard journevmen
NOT few OF them, as was the case with
himself, living with tory masters. He had
pdC d re" hours warning of what was in
tented to be done. The part which he
'ooh III the business is related as follows.
and nearly in his own words:
l Iabored, as lourneyman blacksmith,
WIN western d Gridle{, blacksmiths by
trade' and Baptists by profession. Yves
tern, at the time, was neutral, but after
wards became tory. Our numbers wore
between tWenty-eight and thirty. Of nv
aS@9ei;;tes, !. GGty rcfnefahar tho names or
rockingham, Mead, Martin and Grant
we were met together one evening. talk
ing over the tyranny of the British Govern
ment, such as the heavy duties. shuttinq,
up the port of Boston, the murderinn oi'
Mir. Gray's family. sending people TO Emo
land for trial, and sundTy other acts r.
oppression. Our indignation was ipcreas.
ed by having heard Of the arrival of the
tea ships at this time. We agreed that If
the tea was landed, the people could not
stand the temptation, and would certainly
Duy 1t. We came to Il sudden determine
ton to make sure work of it, by throwino,
1t all overheard. We first talked of firin6s
the Ships, but We feared the fire would
communicate to the town. We then pro-
the town before We could get get tbr9o'nligsha WITH
it. We had observed that very few per.
sons remained on hoard the three ships,
and We finally concluded that we could
take possession Of them, and discharge the
tea into the harhor, without danger or ep-
position. The greatest objection to our
plan was, that it would take such great,
length of time 10 carry it through, and rem
der US more liable to detection. We,
agreed! one all, that we would GO on, at
the risk of Our lives. We proceeded to
cOntrlve the mode Of accomplishing OLE
business. One of the ships laid at Han
cocks wharf, and the others few PAGES
out in the stream, with their warps made
fast to the same wharf. 4 brigade of Brit
ish soldiers was encaEnped on the common,
less than a mile from the wharf We
agreed, in order, as much as we might, to
prevent ourselves from being discovered.
to wear ragged clothes, and disfgure our.
selves as much as possible. We coIclud-
ell to meet at an old building at the head
of the wharf, and to fall in one after anoth-
er, as if by accident, so as not to excite
suspicion. After having pledged our hon
or that we would not reveal our secret, we
separated.
AT the appointed time, we all met &c
cording to agreement. We were dressed
to resemble Indians, as much as possible.
We had smeared our faces with grease,
| and scot, or lampblack. We should not
have known each other, except by our
voices, and We surely resembled devils
from the bottomless pit, rather than men,
We placed one sentry at the head of the
wharf one in the middle, and one ON the
bow Of each ship, as we took possession
We then proceeded rapidly to business.
We boarded the ship which was meored
by the wharf, and the leader of our com
pany in very stern and resolute manner.
ordered the captain and crew to open the
hatchUays, and hand us the hosting tack
lie and ropes, The captain asked us what.
we intended to do? The header told him,
that we were going tc unload the ships OF
| the tea, and ordered him and the crew be-
low, assuring him, that if they obeyed, no
harm was intended them. They instantly
! obeyed, without murmurs or threats. Some
of our number irnmped into the hold, and
I passed the chests to the tackle. As thew
were hoisteGon deck, others knocked them
open with axes, and others raised them to
the railing, and discharged their contents
overheard. All that were not needed for
discharging the tea from this ship, went
on board the others, and warped them to
the wharf, where the same ceremonies
were repeated, as at the first ship.
While we were unloading, the people
collected in great numbers about tho
| wharf, to see what was going on. They
t crowded about us, so as to be much in our
| wsv. We paid no attention to them, nor
S did they say any thing to US. They evil
= IDENTIFY wished us success for none Of
j. them gave any information against US
Our sentries were not armed, and could not
stop any who insisted on passing. If We
f had been able it would not have been good
$ policy; for, in that case, they might have