Page 22 - Nov Dec 2022 MFMW.indd

An account of the Capture and Burning
of the British Schooner “GASPEE”

”‘˜‹†‡ ‡ ‘—”ƒŽǡ ‘†ƒ› ‡’–‡„‡” ͛͘ǡ ͙͛͠͡

In the year 1772, the British government had stationed at Dunn. A line from right to left was soon formed, with
Newport, Rhode Island, a sloop of war, with her tender, the Captain Whipple on the right, and Captain Hopkins on the
• Š‘‘‡” ƒŽŽ‡† –Š‡ ƒ•’‡‡ǡ ‘ˆ ‡‹‰Š– ‰—•ǡ ‘ƒ†‡† right of the left wing.
„› ‹ŽŽ‹ƒ —††‹‰•–‘ǡ ƒ ‹‡—–‡ƒ– ‹ –Š‡ ”‹–‹•Š ƒ˜›ǡ
for the purpose of preventing the clandestine landing of The party thus proceeded till within about sixty yards of
articles subject to the payment of duty. The Captain of this –Š‡ ƒ•’‡‡ǡ ™Š‡ ƒ •‡–‹‡Ž Šƒ‹Ž‡†ǡ Dz Š‘ ‘‡• –Š‡”‡
schooner made it his practice to stop and board all vessels ǫdz ‘ ƒ•™‡”Ǥ ‡ Šƒ‹Ž‡† ƒ‰ƒ‹ǡ ƒ† Ǯ‘ ƒ•™‡”Ǥ  ƒ„‘—– ƒ
entering Or leaving the ports of Rhode Island or leaving minute, Duddingston mounted the starboard gunwale in
Newport for Providence. his shirt, and hailed “ Who comes there ?” No answer. He
hailed again, when Captain Whipple answered as follows:
 –Š‡ ͙͘–Š †ƒ› ‘ˆ —‡ ͙͚͟͟ǡ ƒ’–ƒ‹ Š‘ƒ• ‹†•‡› Ȅ Dz ƒ –Š‡ •Š‡”‹ơ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘—–› ‘ˆ ‡–ǡ Ȅ † † Ȅ  ›‘—Ǣ
left Newport in his packet for Providence, about noon, with Šƒ˜‡ ‰‘– ƒ ™ƒ””ƒ– –‘ ƒ’’”‡Š‡† ›‘—ǡ Ȅ † † Ȅ  ›‘—Ǣ •‘
–Š‡ ™‹† ƒ– –Š‡ ‘”–ŠǤ ‘‘ ƒˆ–‡”ǡ –Š‡ ƒ•’‡‡ ™ƒ• —†‡” •—””‡†‡”ǡ Ȅ †† Ȅ  ›‘—Ǥdz
•ƒ‹Ž ‹ ’—”•—‹– ‘ˆ ‹†•‡›ǡ ƒ† ‘–‹—‡† –Š‡ Šƒ•‡ ƒ• ˆƒ” ƒ•
ƒ —– ‘‹–ǡ ™Š‹ Š ”—• ‘ơ ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ˆƒ” ‹ ƒ”™‹ ǡ I took my seat on the main thwart near the larboard
about seven miles below Providence, and is now owned rowlock, with my gun by my right side, and facing forwards.
„› ”Ǥ ‘Š Ǥ ”ƒ ‹•ǡ ‘—” Žƒ–‡ ‘˜‡”‘”Ǥ ‹†•‡› ™ƒ• As soon as Duddingston began to hail, Joseph Bucklin,
standing easterly, with the tide on ebb about two hours, who Avas standing on the main thwart by my side, said to
when he hove about at the end of Namcut Point, and stood me, “ Ephe, reach me your gun, and I can kill that fellow.”
to the westward, and Duddingston in close chase, changed I reached it to him accordingly, when, during Captain
his course and ran on the Point near its end, and grounded. Š‹’’Ž‡ǯ• ”‡’Ž›‹‰ǡ — Ž‹ Ƥ”‡†ǡ ƒ† —††‹‰•–‘ ˆ‡ŽŽǡ ƒ†
‹†•‡› ‘–‹—‡† ‹ Š‹• ‘—”•‡ —’ –Š‡ ”‹˜‡”ǡ ƒ† ƒ””‹˜‡† ƒ– Bucklin exclaimed, “I have killed the rascal.” In less than a
Providence about sunset, when he immediately informed minute after Captain Whipple’s answer, the boats were
”Ǥ ‘Š ”‘™ǡ ‘‡ ‘ˆ ‘—” Ƥ”•– ƒ† ‘•– ”‡•’‡ –ƒ„Ž‡ ƒŽ‘‰•‹†‡ –Š‡ ƒ•’‡‡ǡ ƒ† „‘ƒ”†‡† ™‹–Š‘—– ‘’’‘•‹–‹‘Ǥ
‡” Šƒ–•ǡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ •‹–—ƒ–‹‘ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ƒ•’‡‡Ǥ The men on deck retreated below as Duddingston entered
the cabin.
He immediately concluded that she would remain
immovable until after midnight, and that now an As it was discovered that he was wounded, John Mawney,
‘’’‘”–—‹–› ‘ơ‡”‡† ‘ˆ ’—––‹‰ ƒ ‡† –‘ –Š‡ –”‘—„Ž‡ who had for two or three years been studying physic
and vexation she daily caused. Mr. Brown immediately and surgery, was ordered to go into the cabin and dress
resolved on her destruction; and he forthwith directed one Duddingston’s wound, and I was directed to assist him. On
of his trusty ship-masters to collect eight of the largest ‡šƒ‹ƒ–‹‘ǡ ‹– ™ƒ• ˆ‘—† –Š‡ „ƒŽŽ –‘‘ ‡ơ‡ – ƒ„‘—– Ƥ˜‡
Ž‘‰ „‘ƒ–• ‹ –Š‡ Šƒ”„‘”ǡ ™‹–Š Ƥ˜‡ ‘ƒ”• –‘ ‡ƒ Šǡ –‘ Šƒ˜‡ inches directly below the navel. Duddingston called for Mr.
–Š‡ ‘ƒ”• ƒ† ”‘™Ǧ Ž‘ • ™‡ŽŽ —ƫ‡†ǡ –‘ ’”‡˜‡– ‘‹•‡ǡ Dickinson to produce bandages and other necessaries for
and to place them at Fenner’s wharf, directly opposite the –Š‡ †”‡••‹‰ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ™‘—†ǡ ƒ† ™Š‡ Ƥ‹•Š‡†ǡ ‘”†‡”• ™‡”‡
dwelling of Mr. James Sabin, who kept a house of board given to the schooner’s company to collect their clothing
and entertainment for gentlemen, being the same house and everything belonging to them, and put them into their
purchased a few years after by the late Welcome Arnold; boats, as all of them were to be sent on shore. All were
is now owned by, and is the residence of Colonel Richard J. soon collected and put on board of the boats, including
Arnold, his son. one of our boats.

About the time of the shutting of the shops, soon after They departed and landed Duddingston at the old still
sunset, a man passed along the Main street, beating a house wharf, at Pawtuxet, and put the chief into the house
†”— ƒ† ‹ˆ‘”‹‰ –Š‡ ‹Šƒ„‹–ƒ–• ‘ˆ –Š‡ ˆƒ – –Šƒ– ƒ•’‡‡ of Joseph Rhodes. Soon after, all the party were ordered to
™ƒ• ƒ‰”‘—† ‘ ƒ“‹† ‘‹– ƒ† ™‘—Ž† ‘– ƪ‘ƒ– ‘ơ —–‹Ž depart, leaving one boat for the leaders of the expedition,
͛ ‘ǯ Ž‘  –Š‡ ‡š– ‘”‹‰ǡ ƒ† ‹˜‹–‹‰ –Š‘•‡ ’‡”•‘• ™Š‘ •‘‘ •‡– –Š‡ ˜‡••‡Ž ‘ Ƥ”‡ǡ ™Š‹ Š ‘•—‡† Š‡” –‘ –Š‡
who felt a disposition to go and destroy that troublesome water’s edge.
vessel, to repair in the evening to Mr. James Sabin’s house.
About 9 o’clock, I took my father’s gun, and my powder- The names of the most conspicuous actors are as follows,
horn and bullets, and went to Mr. Sabin’s, and found the viz.: Mr. John Brown, Captain, Abraham Whipple, John B.
southeast room full of people, where I loaded my gun; ‘’‹•ǡ ‡Œƒ‹ —ǡ ƒ† Ƥ˜‡ ‘–Š‡”•ǡ ™Š‘•‡ ƒ‡•
and all remained there till about 10 o’clock, some casting have forgotten, and John Mawney, Benjamin Page, Joseph
bullets in the kitchen, and others making arrangements Bucklin, and Turpin Smith, my youthful companions; all of
for departure; when orders were given to cross the street whom are dead I believe every man of the party, excepting
to Fenner’s wharf, and embark, which soon took place, and myself; and my age is eighty-six years this twenty-ninth
a sea Captain acted as steersman of each boat, of whom †ƒ› ‘ˆ —‰—•–ǡ ‡‹‰Š–‡‡ Š—†”‡† ƒ† –Š‹”–›Ǧ‹‡ǡ ͙͛͠͡Ǥ
I recollect Captain Abraham Whipple, Captain John B.
Hopkins, (with whom I embarked,) and Captain Benjamin EPHRAIM BOWEN.

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