ati, related the following particulars
of the affair to Rev. Timothy Flint. Wyeth, then sixteen years old, was
a journeyman blacksmith in the employ of Watson and Gridley. He says:

"Our numbers were between twenty-eight and thirty. Of my
associates I only remember the names of Frothingham, Mead,
Martin and Grant. Many of them were apprentices and
journeymen, not a few, as was the case with myself, living
with Tory masters. I had but a few hours warning of what was
intended to be done. We first talked of firing the ships,
but feared the fire would communicate to the town. We then
proposed sinking them, but dropped that project through fear
that we should alarm the town before we could get through
with it. We had observed that very few persons remained on
board the ships, and we finally concluded that we could take
possession of them, and discharge the tea into the harbor
without danger or opposition. One of the ships laid at the
wharf, the others a little way out in the stream, with their
warps made fast to the wharf. To prevent discovery, we
agreed to wear ragged clothes and disfigure ourselves,
dressing to resemble Indians as much as possible, smearing
our faces with grease and lamp black or soot, and should not
have known each other except by our voices. Our most
intimate friends among the spectators had not the least
knowledge of us. We surely resembled devils from the
bottomless pit rather than men. At the appointed time we met
in an old building at the head of the wharf, and fell in one
after another, as if by accident, so as not to excite
suspicion. We placed a sentry at the head of the wharf,
another in the middle, and one on the bow of each ship as we
took possession. We boarded the ship moored by the wharf,
and our leader, in a very stern and resolute manner, ordered
the captain and crew to open the hatchways, and hand us the
hoisting tackle and ropes, assuring them that no harm was
intended them. The captain asked what we intended to do. Our
leader told him that we were going to unload the tea, and
ordered him and the crew below. They instantly obeyed. Some
of our number then jumped into the hold, and passed the
chests to the tackle. As they were hauled on deck others
knocked them open with axes, and others raised them to the
railing and discharged their conten