The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-05-06

from Bristol. Twice the hail of the SEN
tinel was disregarded, when Duddingston
himself, leaping on the guowale, hal,ed,
but received no answer. A second Tune
| he hailed, and was answered IN terms
energetic and prolane by WhippIe, who
at the same time ordered his men TO
spring to their oars. Shots were then
| fred from the vessel and returned by the
boats. While Whipple was replying a
musket-ball fred by Joseph Bucklln,
wounded the Lieutenant in the groin
and as he fell the attacking party board
ed the schooner at the bow, and ailer a
brief struggle drove the crew below, and
became masters of the deck. Dudding-
ston was severely wounded in the arm
and body. He was attended by DR.. John
Mawney, then a student of medicine,
who accompanied the expedition as sur.
geon. This was the first British blood
| shed in the War of Independence.
1t was near daylight when, the Lieu
tenants wounds being dressed, he was
\ landed at Pawtuxet, and the captors,
| having set fire to the vessel, returned to
Providence. In the flames of the burn
! ing Gaspee were consumed that night the
last hope or wish Of pardon. The forms
of law were to be complied with, few
short years of increasing irritation and
of earnest preparation were to ensue, but
the end was already foleseen, and for
| this colony there alone remained to pre-
pare, quietly but with vigor, for the in
| euitable war.
Midshipman Dickinson sent report of
the capture to the Admiral, who trans
mitted a copy of it to Governor Wanton,
with the request that he would take
measures to apprehend the offenders.
| Deputy Governor Sessions also advised
that large reward should be offered for
| their detection, and stated that such was
the opinion of the principal gentlemen
| of the town. The Governor issued his
proclamation accordingly, offering 9lOO
| sterling to any person who would furnish
evidence sufficient for conviction. An
active correspondence cnsued between
| the Governor, the Admiral and the Lieu
tenant, whose wounds, though severe,
proved not to be mortal, and an accaunt
Of the capture WIS sent to Lord dlIlsbor-
ough by Governor Wanton.
But the excitement oCCasioned by this
daring act did not prevent the steady
course of Justice. 1t is one of the most
! striking facts connected with the affair,
that at the July term of the Common
! Pleas in Kent county an action was
brought by Jacob Greene X Co. against
Duddingston, for the rum and sugars
seized by him in the spring, Oh its pas
sage from Greenwich to Newport, and
sent to Boston for condemnation. A YER
diet for the plaintiffs was rendered, with
| g295 damages and costs Duddingston
appealed to the Superior Court, but fail
| ing to appear, the case went by default.
! He afterwards petitioned the Assembly
for Il new trial, on the ground of una
yoidable detention from the meeting Of
the Court. The petition was granted, on
condition that he would deposit the
amount of the judgment with the Clerk
| OF the Court to await the result,
A mulatto slave, named Aaron Briggs,
who was engaged in the expedition, and
afterwards escaped from his master and
went on board the Beaver, came near
exposing the whole party, most Of whom
were among the leading men in Provi-
dence, with some from Bristol. Admiral
| MOntagu forwarded his deposition to
Governor Wanton, requesting him to ar
rest the persons therein named for eX-
animation; but Wanton, although even
,ually loya,ist, instead of obeying the
request, took depositionsinvalidating the
testimony of Aaron and forwarded them
10 Montagu, who, although unconyinced,
as he afterwards informed Wanton, was
obliged to rest satisfied, and detained the
slave. The Assembly approved the con-
| duct and correspondence OF the Governor
in this affair, and also appointed the
! Deputy Governor and Chief Justice to
inquire, in behalf Of Duddingston, con-
corning a sum Of money belonging to
| him in the hands of a man who refused
to surrenderit, and advised Duddingston,
in case these referees could not settle it,
TO adopt his legal remedy. 1t should be
| remembered that suits agninst Dudding-
| ston for his illegal acts were threatened
! before the destruction of the Gas
pee, and still maintained, but the case of
| Hill had proved that these would not pre-
vent his receiving justice in any good
| cause where he might be plaintiff.
To present an unbroken narrative of
these important events requires that we
should pass over to the next chapter the
occurrences of year following the de-
structien Of the GaSpee, and confine our
attention to that subject alone. When
the news reached England the Kings
| proclamation was issued, offering a re-
ward of Gl 900 each for the arrest and
conviction of the two leaders of the affair,
and $500 each for any other of the
offenders, with free pardon in addition
to any one concerned, except the two
chiefs, who would implicate the rest. A
commission was issued to JOS Wanton,
Governor of Rhode Island, Daniel Hors-
manden, Frederick Smythe and Peter
Oliver Chief Justices of New York, New
Jersey and Massachusetts, and Robert
Auchmuty, Judge of Vice Admiralty at
Boston, or any three of them, to inquire
into and report upon the facts. Instrnc-
tions were given for their guidance, by
the third article of which they were re-
quired to communicate to the Govern.
ment of Rhode Island any information
they might obtain as to the persons con-
cerned in the outrage, that they might
be sent to England for trial.
Meanwhile Lieutenant Duddingston
had returned to England, and was there
tried by court martial on board the Cen
taur, man-of-war, at Portsmouth, for the
loss of the Gaspee. Upon full inquiry
he was honorably acquitted.
The commission and instructions were
sent to Admiral Montagu, and by him
transmitted to Governor Wanton, who at
once notified the Commissioners The
Kings proclamation was posted by the
sheriffs throughout the colony, and the
Admiral was informed that the Court
would probably assemble in about a
week. Upon the arrival of the New
York and New Jersey Judges at Newport,
Wanton wrote to Montagu that quorum
was in attendance, and desired his pres
enCe. Mentagu excused himself, but |
sent full powers to Captai. Keeler of the |
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