Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-05-29
TO THE KINGS most EXCEL
LENT MAJESTY

LE4N VI ~ Id 4
\. May 1T PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY -
ODE dlrnco To your royal commission anC
instructions, and from due sense OF ih'
duty therein enloiued on ~, we have
used our utmost care and diligence 10
the purpose al euquIrng into and report
ing TO your Majesty all the cIrcunsan
ccs relative to the attacking, plunderlng
/ aud burning the schooner Gaspee wound
Ing Lieutenant Dnddingsion, aud all 9th
or matters IN the same commission and
Instructions contained.
We now beg leave, most hunbly, tc
report to your Majesty, tha, on The ear
Test intelligence Of your Mhjos,y's com.
mands, we, with the utmost dispatch ir
our power, repaired to Newport, where,
nu the fith Of January last, your NIales-
Iy's royal commission was published IN
the presence OF large number of peo-
/ pie, who, on the occasion, behaved with
great propriety. We next proceeded
+, to give public notice Of the subject mat
ter of the commission and our being as
scmbled for the execution thereof, re-
qncsring all persons who could give u,
any information relative to such mat
lcrs forthwith so to do.
I We beg leave to observe TO yonr
! Majesty, that the place where the Gas
pee was destroyed, is, n, least, twenty
three miles from Newport, and the acci-
dent of her running aground but n few
hours before the attack take away all
possibility of the inhabitants of the town
being instrumental in or prlvy to the dc
sirurllon Of her; nor have we any evi.
dencc, even Of the slgh'cs, kind, TO in
duce suspicion to the contrary.
We further beg leave humbly to rep
resent TO your Majesty, that in the part
Of our duty contained under the inquiry
into the assembling, armlng, and lead
ing on the people to attack the Gaspee
also the concering and preparing the
same, we have been particularly atten-
tive. Bat after our utmost efiorts, we
are not able 10 discover any evidence oi
either; and therefore, are humbly Of o.
pln'on, both from the unforeseen event Of
The Gaspec's running on shore, the sud-
denness OF the undertaking and its ac-
compIlshmen,, and the total want of evil
dcnce Of even an intention TO destroy her,
though many witnesses OF credit as well
inhabitants of Providence as other pla-
ccs, were strictly examined on this cad
that the whole was conducted suddenly
and secretly.
On the tenlb Of juno last, abou, in
the morning, number OF armed people,
many Of whom, by their dress, appe arcd
much above the rank Of common people,
and were accompanied by several ne
groes and others, boarded the schooner
Gaspee, then on shore on IA pout of land
called Namquit, which is within the
township of Warwick, aud county OF
Kent, in this colony, and about six miles
from the town OF Providence and after
wound'ng the Lieutenant, and using the
crew vita great barbarity, first plumber
ed and then burnt the schooner, taking
the Lieutenant and his people on shore,
to place called Pawtuxet, about two
miles distant. With respect TO the con
duct Of the magistrates, on the morning
Of the eleventh of June, the deputy gov
ernor, being Informed of the destruction
Of the Gaspee, the Lieutenant being
wounded on shore nj PawtuXet, frs, in.
qurng If any Of the offenders were
known, and receiving no information OF
such, Immediately repaired 10 the place,
md IindIng the Lieutenant IN a danger
ons condition, offered him every proper
assistance, TO which the Lieutenant re.
Plicd, he wanted no iavors for himself,
hut desired his people might be taken
care al and sent on board the Beaver,
which was accordingly done. The dep
uty governor then told the Lieutenant
the design oi hIs yISIt vas not only TO al-
ford hun any assistance, but TO procure
such dcclara'ion from his own mouth
respecting the transaction that The Of
lenders might be brought 10 Justice :;
to whE'h the Lieutenant answered, he
would not give hlm any account Of the
matter, first, because Of his indlspuslion.
and, secondly, II was his duty TO forbear
any thing Of that nature until he had
done 1t unto court martial. The deu-
uty governor then asked the iieutcnant
I! he was willing that his officers and
men should be examined, 10 which, af.
ter some refusal, he consented They
were accordingly examined ON oath, but
were not able To give information against
any person IN particular. Mr. Andrews.
Judge oi the cuurt of Vice Admiralty in +.
this colony, attended tie deputy govern. =
or, and behaved Y,ry properly on The
occasion. The same day tho deputy
2 governor, 10y letter, informed the Gov F.
eTnor Of what had happened, and Of eve.
~ step he had taken as magistrate,
and sent him oil the dispositions. H.
another letter Of the l2th OF June, he fur
her informed the Governor, il vas the
unanimous opinion Of a great number Of
he most respectable inhabitants Of Prov Y
dcncc, that proclamation with prop.
'r reward, should, by the governor be
ssucd, for The experimenting and bring
ng To justice the persons concerned. \
which was accordingly done. In july N
oIlosing, warrant vas granted for the II
ono Aaron Briggs, ne \
'ro, then "n board your Malesry's ship
hc Beaver, commanded by Capt. Lind \
ey, for beng concerned in burning the 1
'aspcc and wounding The lieutenant. 1
he same wns delivered I'm a sbor;U