Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-29
REVOLUTIONARY "REMINISCENCES

| 'onhson, having been born In l7lS,
and living till 1874, was in the prime of lite
when English oppression of the colonies com :.
mehceo, and his sons were old enough 10 be
garucipators IN the revolutionary struggle.
ihe snip carpenters were among the most az
i've ol the patriots, and Eleazer johnson was
one OF their leaders Indeed, the shin yards
were the hot-beds of the revolution. and we
arc NOT certain that the first aggressive acts
against the authorities were not there con
GeIyed, aud by those men nut into execution
1t was the fact that Rev. Mr. Parsons Soeic-
y was Principally composed of them. tba.
uade MN among the most active of that
time, IN defence of liberty SO that NJ a meet
ms OF ladies at his house, he furnished what
was tnen called Liberty tea " and at the close
Oi one vi ms sermons called for volunteers 10
step forward in the church. for the formation
of a military company The same wear tbey
oullt the powder house, IVA the town yote1
Ihat the bill granting " an excise on distilled
spirits was an infringement on the natural
rights OF Englishmen.n For this vote ali H.
carpenters "a OF the town held up their hands
1hey used 10 know then when III and O'Clock
came in the yards
Next after came the stamp oppression and
mere again they were united; and fron ,boso
>hlpyards more than elsewhere. came tho nro.
ceSsiohs that marched about the town with
uIe anu drum, calling upon every man To an
sMeT the questlOn-'' stamp or no starnn p,
II ne replied stamp" they Knocked him
GOWN, missed him, or otherwise showed their
u lf . no stamp" the answer was
isl In-lOin us'-nO neutrals were alIowaJ
hie eazer johnson was in the head ranks of this
seml-reoellion. Next came the tea difficulty
and all have heard what was done by the
" MohaWks' of Boston with the tea az that
port but as yet none of our historians have
gwen the fact, that before Boston acted in the
disguise of Indians, the ship carpenters OF
nj hllnlU a,,I. l..
tea In Market Square. How this well authen
ucated fact escaped them, that the first def ,nt
resistance TO the tea imposition in this coun-
Try was In NewburypOrt, We cannot tell But
iwice was this resistance made once by burn
Ing IL In Federal street, and again in the mar
kef. The tea was stored in the powder house
for safe keeping
Elearer johnson, standing one day upon the
timber OF his yard. called his men about him
and after few patriotic words. gave tbs or-
der, " All hands who are ready TO join. knock
your adZes from their handles. and f,IIow
me" Every adze in the yard was Knocked
on, and that stout athleti, man. who youl1
have marched through u regiment of cred
coats mad they stood in his way, taking hi;
orOad-axe as an emblem of leadership and
for use, marched at the head Of the comp,nv
TO the powder house. There that well-tried
axe opened way through the door, and each
man again shOudered his chest Of tea again
fell into line They marched direc. 70 the
market and then in single lie around the old
meeting house, where the pump now is. when
JohnsOns axe opened bis chest and hoy and
tea were on the ground together Each man,
as he came up did the same, when, with his
own hand, johnson lighted the pile and burnt
1t TO ashes; and on that spot, without disguise
the ship carpenters Of Newburyport destroyed
the first that was destroyed in America
NepdHryp0r Herald.