attention all TORY SYMPATHIZERS

[Joel Silverberg]

Perhaps, before entering Rhode Island waters openly expressing royalist sentiments, some Captains should be aware of our colony's local history, including the scuttling, dismasting, and torching of the British custom ship <I><B>Liberty</B></I> in Newport on July 19, 1769 and the boarding and burning of the schooner and British revenue ship <I><B>Gaspee</B></I> on June 9, 1772 off Pawtuxet Village. This incident including the shooting of the Captain of that vessel, one Captain Dudingston who become the first Englishman to shed blood in what would become the American Revolution. The captain and his crew were captured and removed to Pawtuxet and the vessel was burned to the waterline whereupon the powder magazine exploded. We also had our own "tea party" in March 1775 (before the more famous one in Boston) and our colonial legislature declared its independence from the British Crown on May 4, 1776 ... two full months before the delagates in Philadelphia signed the declaration of independence. I call to your attention several links for those interested in more information concerning the burning of the Gaspee and the Liberty.

http://gaspee.org/ is particularly extensive, with links to many original documents of the period, including the British reward offers for information leading to the apprehension of the perpetrator's of these deeds. British investigations were unsuccessful in bringing any of the rebels to justice.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteagui ... hapt3.html is a short arcticle on RI activities during the revolutionary era, 1763-1790

and

http://www.informamerica.com/The%20Burn ... (1772).htm contains some information on the burning of the Liberty, a much less well known incident.



joels@ids.net

[Joel]

Just after I posted the above message, I found a super image capturing the moment of the Gaspee's demise. That is Captain Dudingston being carried off the patriots on the longboat on the shore.




joels@ids.net

[Warren Kaplan]

Just after I posted the above message, I found a super image capturing the moment of the Gaspee's demise. That is Captain Dudingston being carried off the patriots on the longboat on the shore.

Joel,
Great history lesson and a fabulous picture. But the picture brings a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat. I get very upset when I see beautiful sailing vessels burn. I sort of feel that they are "alive" and have a life of their own and we are priviledged to use and take care of them. Think I'm crazy but God knows I talk to Sine Qua Non (my wonderful CD27) all the time. I "suspect" I'm not alone in this madness.

Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
Cd27 #166 (1980)



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