A Short Account by David Kinnison
The longest surviving participant of the Boston Tea Party, David Kinnison was interviewed in January, 1850 by Benson John Lossing, the author of The Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution. Below is the authors’ recording of the conversation.
David Kingston arrived to Boston together with other members of the Committee of Correspondence from Lebanon, Maine after they decided to answer the call of other committees to destroy the tea.
They repaired to Boston, where they were joined by others; and twenty-four, disguised as Indians, hastened on board, twelve armed with muskets and bayonets, the rest with tomahawks and clubs, having first agreed, whatever might be the result, to stand by each other to the last, and that the first man who faltered should be knocked on the head and thrown over the tea.
They expected to have a fight, and did not doubt that an effort would be made for their arrest. “But” (in the language of the old man) “ we cared no more for our lives than three straws, and determined to throw the tea overboard. We were all captains, and every one commanded himself.” They pledged themselves in no event, while it should be dangerous to do so, to reveal the names of the party – a pledge which was faithfully observed until the war of the Revolution was brought to a successful issue
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