to deceive the authorities, and lead them to the
belief that the disguise was too complete to allow of identification for
arrest or punishment. Cavils like this are superfluous in view of the
abundant testimony to the contrary. The sworn protest of Captain Bruce,
of the "Eleanor," one of the tea-ships, given on a subsequent page in
this volume, is of itself sufficient evidence upon this point. The
number of those who, prepared as they were, on the spur of the moment,
really bore any very great resemblance to Indians, was no doubt small. A
large number of the actors hastily assumed such disguises as were
nearest at hand.

No doubt the principals in this transaction pledged one another to keep
their connection with it a profound secret, and they did so, but the
young apprentices and volunteers, who, without premeditation, joined the
party on its way to the wharf, were under no such restraint, and we can
only wonder that they made no revelation concerning an event of such
importance. It was not until a very late period of their lives that any
of them opened their lips publicly about it, and when more than half a
century had elapsed since it occurred.

The names of fifty-eight of these men, given below, are taken from
Thatcher's "Traits of the Tea Party," published in 1835, while nine or
ten of them were yet living, the source whence all later lists have been
derived. Possibly this list is identical with that mentioned as having
once been in the possession of Peter, the son of Benjamin Edes, the
printer. Of this list it is safe to say that, while far from being
complete, it is correct as far as it goes. The names that follow the
list of 1835, have been gleaned from a great variety of sources,
principally family tradition.

"List of the tea party, furnished in 1835, by an aged Bostonian, well
acquainted with the subject, of the persons generally supposed, within
his knowledge, to have been more or less actively engaged." Those
starred were then living:

*George R.T. Hewes.
Joseph Shed.
John Crane.
Josiah Wheeler.
Thomas Urann.
Adam Collson.
S. Coolidge.
Joseph Payson.
James Brewer.
Thomas Bolter.
Edward Proctor.
Samuel Sloper.
Thomas Gerrish.
Nathaniel Green.
*Benj. Simpson.
Joseph Eayres.
Joseph Lee.
William Molineux.
Paul Revere.
John Spurr.
Thomas Moore.
Samuel Howard.
Matthew Loring.
Thomas Spear.
Daniel Ingoldson.
Richard Hunnewell.
John Hooto