stood ready with hatchets to cut off the bindings of the
chests and cast them overboard. I remained till I was tired,
and fearing some disturbance might occur, went home, leaving
the Indians working like good, industrious fellows. This is
all I know about it."

The account given by General Ebenezer Stevens to his son, Horatio Gates
Stevens, is as follows:

"I went from the Old South Meeting House just after dark.
The party was about seventy or eighty. At the head of the
wharf we met the detachment of our company (Paddock's
Artillery) on guard, who joined us. I commenced with a party
on board the vessel of which Hodgdon[21] was mate, (the
'Dartmouth') and as he knew me, I left that vessel with some
of my comrades and went aboard another vessel, which lay at
the opposite side of the wharf. Numbers of others took our
places on board Hodgdon's vessel. We commenced handing the
boxes of tea on deck, and first began breaking them with
axes, but found much difficulty, owing to the boxes of tea
being covered with canvas,--the mode that the article was
then imported in. I think that all the tea was destroyed in
about two hours. We were careful to prevent any being taken
away. None of the party were painted as Indians, nor, that I
know of, disguised, excepting that some of them stopped at a
paint shop on the way, and daubed their faces with paint."

[Illustration: Signature, Alexander Hodgdon]

Robert Sessions, of South Wilbraham, (now Hampden) Mass., another actor
in the scene, says:

"I was living in Boston at the time, in the family of a Mr.
Davis, a lumber merchant, as a common laborer. On that
eventful evening, when Mr. Davis came in from the town
meeting, I asked him what was to be done with the tea. 'They
are now throwing it overboard,' he replied. Receiving
permission, I went immediately to the spot. Everything was
as light as day, by the means of lamps and torches; a pin
might be seen lying on the wharf. I went on board where they
were at work, and took hold with my own hands. I was not one
of those appointed to destroy the tea, and who disguised
themselves as Indians, but was a volunteer; the disguised
men being largely men of family and position in Boston,
while I was a young man, whose home and relations were in
Connecticut. The appointed and disguised party proving t