The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-10-10

IIcu GouDIe dlu lOlu VI Il1e Ihdoc tAlid
OF the condition in which he left the
Gaspee. Several prominent citizens
! al once determined to organize an eX
petition to destroy this pest of ma
rine traffic" In the afternoon drum
mer paraded the streets assembling
the people in the ordinary man
ner. When a goodly number had
gathered man, diguised as an Indian
suddenly appeared on top of house
and proclaimed a secret enterprise
for the night, inviting all Of stout and
patriotic heart to assemble on the
wharf precisely at nine o'clock dis
guisad themselves as he was.
Meanwhile the organizers of the
expedition busted themselves with
the necessary preparations. Eight
Of the largest lOng-bOats IN the har
Dor were collected, and, the oars and
rOwiocks having been muf1led, they
We're placed at the wharf soon after
dark. A good supply Of arms was
put in them.
Just before sunset, as the trades
men were shutting up their shops,
the drummer made another trip about
the streets of the town beating his
drum and crying:
The schooner Gaspee is ashore on
Namquit Point! Who will help de
strOy herr
At the appointed hour nearly all the
men Of Providence had collected at
the meeting place. Sixty four Of
these, best known for courage, were
chosen, Then large supply of paw
ing blocks was thrown into the boats
to be used as missiles:and they set cut,
the eight boats pulling down the riv-
er ii body. 4 Captain WhippIe IS
supposed TO have been commander.
After long pull the boats approach
ed the Gaspee about two o'clock in
the morning, When sixty yards dis
tant they were hailed by the sentinel
No answer was made and the lookout
quickly hailed again. Captain Whip
pie then replied:
L want to come on board"
Dudington, who had been below,
Just then rushed on deck and cried:
stand off! You can't come aboardr r
As the boats still advanced Dud-
ingston pulled his pistol and fired at
them without doing any injury. At
| this one Of the assailants in the lead
ing boat named Joseph Bucklin
dropped his oar, seized his gun and
fred at Dudingston. The captain fell
to the deck badly wounded. Just as
the shot was fired Captain Whipple
called cut:
Il am the sheriff Of the county Of
Kent. l am come for the commander
Of this vessel and have him [ will.
dead or alive! Men, give way oa your
OaTsw
An instant later the boats were
under the lee Of the Gaspee and the
assailants were clambering over Lhe
side Captain Dudingston being in
| sensible, the crew of the vessel seemed
to be without leadership and made
little resistance. They soon surrend-
/ cred.
Immediately after opposition had
! ceased a surgeon with the party turned
his attention to Captain Dudingston
! After his wound was dressed he was
/ lowered into boat and rowed UP the
| river to Providence where he could
obtain better care.
As soon as the Gaspee's crew was
/ secured the men were bundled into
boats, everything Of value belonging
! to the officers and crew removed, and
| the vessel fired. The boats drew off
some distance and watched the flames
until assured that they were beyond
control and that the Gaspee would
never again annoy American mer-
| chantmen. As the schOOner's shotted
guns went off one by one, each was
greeted with a loud cheer Then the
Americans turned their boats toward
Providence and by daylight had all
/ dispersed qnietly to their homes,
This bold step excited the greatest
! indignation in England. The home
! goverement offered a reward ofe1, 900
for the apprehension of the leader and
! 500 lbs. for the other members Of the
expedition, with the promise of a par
don should the informer have been en-
gagged in the enterprise.
Incredible as it may seem these
great rewards proved no inducement
10 any OF tnOSe engaged, ana though d
! Commission of Inquiry under the
Great Seal of England sat from Jan
uary to June investigating the affair.
not enough evidence was obtained tc
even arraign solitary individual. II
was not until after the success of the
revolution that the names of those en-
gagged were learned.
Although this affair led to no i'm
mediate results, its influence in wild
oning toe breach between the colonIsts
and the mother country was great
and in it flowed the first blood shed il
the struggle for American independ
ence, this action being as direct re
sistance to oppression as the better
known fight at Lexington.
ALL FREE.