[1] She first appeared in ... Narraganset Bay in March, 1772, ... to
prevent infraction of the revenue laws, and to put a stop to ... illicit
trade.—_Lossing’s Pic. Field Book of the Rev._, vol. ii., ch. 3, p. 60.
[2] See “Our First Break with the British,” notes 5, 19, 20, 24.
[3] “Often fired ... to compel their masters to take down their colors in
its presence—a haughty marine Gesler.”—_Idem._, p. 61.
[4] “Plundered the islands of sheep and hogs, cut down trees, fired at
market boats, detained vessels without any colorable pretext, and made
illegal seizures of goods of which the recovery cost more than they were
worth.”—_Bancroft’s Hist. U. S._, vol. vi., ch. 47, p. 417.
[5] “The Governor, ... sent a sheriff on board the Gaspee.”—_Idem._
[6] See _Idem._, vol. iv., ch. 8. Also “Our First Break with the
British,” Note 19.
[7] “Hopkins, the Chief Justice, ... gave the opinion that any person
who should ... exercise any authority by force of arms without showing
his commission to the governor ... guilty of a trespass if not
piracy.”—_Idem._, vol. vi., ch. 47, p. 416. “The governor, therefore,
sent ... to ascertain by what orders the lieutenant acted; and Duddington
referred the subject to the admiral.”—_Idem._
[8] See “Our First Break with the British,” Note 20.
[9] “As sure as the people of Newport attempt to rescue any vessel, ... I
will hang them as pirates.”—_Idem._, p. 417.
[10] “The Admiral answered from Boston: ‘The lieutenant, sir, has done
his duty.’”—_Idem._, p. 416.
[11] “Your two insolent letters.”—_Lossing’s Pic. Field Book_, vol. ii.,
ch. 3.
[12] “I would advise you not to send your sheriff on board the king’s
ship again on such ridiculous errands.”—_Idem._
[13] “I shall transmit your letter to the Secretary of State.... I will
send the sheriff of this colony at any time, and to any place within the
body of it, as I shall think fit.”—_Idem._
[14] “On the 9th of June, 1772, Captain Lindsey left Newport for
Providence in his packet.”—_Idem._ “Called the Hannah and sailed between
New York and Providence.”—_Idem._, _note_.
[15] “As Captain Lindsey, on this occasion, kept his colors flying,
the Gaspee gave chase, and continued it as far as Namquit (now Gaspee)
Point. The tide was ebbing, but the bar was covered. As soon as Lindsey
doubled the Point, he stood to the westward. Duddington, commander of
the Gaspee, eager to overtake the pursued, and ignorant of the extent of
the submerged point from the shore, kept on a straight course, and in a
few minutes struck the sand. The fast-ebbing tide soon left his vessel
hopelessly grounded.”—_Idem._
[16] Namquit, according to Lossing; Nauquit, according to Bancroft.
[17] “Lindsey arrived at Providence at sunset, and ... communicated
the fact to Mr. John Brown, one of the leading merchants of that
city.”—_Lossing’s Pic. Field Book_, v. ii., ch. 3.
[18] “At dusk ... Daniel Pearce passed along the Main Street beating a
drum, and informing the inhabitants that the Gaspee lay aground, ... that
she could not get off until three o’clock, and inviting,” etc.—_Idem._
[19] Brown “ordered the preparation of eight of the largest long-boats
in the harbor, to be placed under the general command of Captain
Whipple, one of his most trusty ship-masters,” ... “the row-locks to be
muffled, and the whole put in readiness at half-past eight at Fenner’s
wharf.”—_Idem._
[20] “The principal actors in this affair were John Brown, Capt. Abraham
Whipple, John B. Hopkins, Benjamin Dunn, Dr. John Mawney, Benjamin
Page, Joseph Bucklin, Turpin Smith, Ephraim Bowen, and Capt. Joseph
Tillinghast.”—_Idem._ “Led by John Brown and Joseph Brown of Providence,
and Simeon Potter of Bristol.”—_Bancroft’s U. S._, vol. vi., ch. 47.
[21] “Filled with sixty-four well-armed men, a sea-captain in each boat
acting as a steersman.”—_Lossing’s Pict. Field Book of the Rev._, vol.
ii., ch. 3.
[22] “They took with them a quantity of wood paving-stone.”—_Idem._
[23] “The boats left Providence between ten and eleven.... Between one
and two ... they reached the Gaspee, when a sentinel hailed them....
Duddington appeared, ... and waving the boats off fired a pistol at them.
This ... we returned.... Duddington was wounded.”—_Idem._
[24] “The crew retreating below.”—_Idem._
[25] “The schooner’s company were ordered to collect their clothing and
leave the vessel.”—_Idem._
[26] “Thomas Bucklin ... fired the musket.”... He afterwards assisted in
dressing the wound, supervised by Dr. John Mawney, an American.—_Idem._,
note.
[27] “All the effects of ... Duddington being carefully placed in one of
the American boats.”—_Idem._
[28] “The _Gaspee_ was set on fire, and at dawn blew up.”—_Idem._
[29] “A reward of five hundred dollars for the discovery of the
perpetrator of said villainy.”—_Idem._
[30] “Afterwards, ... a reward of five thousand dollars for the leader
and two thousand five hundred ... the other parties.”—_Idem._
[31] “A commission of inquiry under the great seal of England ... sat
from the 4th until the 22d of January ... adjourned until ... May ... and
sat until the 23d of June. But not a solitary clue to the identity of the
perpetrators could be obtained.”—_Idem._