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| Letters From a Colonial Sailor
Sheds New Light On Boston Tea Party by
Will L. |
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Dearest Mother and
Father,
We have just arrived in the city of Boston to deliver our shipment of
tea after five and a half long weeks at sea. The crew of the ship
is tired from our long voyage from England to Boston. I have been
working with the Dartmouth’s rigging all day. My shipmates and I have
also been working with the sails and repairing the mast. The provisions
on this ship are wretched and the sleeping quarters are cramped. When I
ate it my first time I need a lot of different teas with honey,
berries, and wine. On occasion we might get dried fruit, nuts, and
salted meat. There are many beautiful women here that I might be able
to marry. I also have a low paying job. It is a hard job but I am doing
this for you.
From what I have heard, those Patriot worms are angry that the King has
put the tax on the tea. I cannot understand why they are upset that
they were not represented in Parliament even though it is the King’s
decision. They have been ordering Mr. Rotch and his ships to turn back
and go home. The other Loyalists and I are happy that The Crown is
showing these Colonies the he is their King. Mr. Rotch, my captain, is
under stress because of those Patriots. I dare say that the Patriots
are asking for a fracas. The loyal merchants who were chosen by His
Majesty to sell the tea are flustered. There have been arguments,
fights, and insults muttered. From what I see it seems that the whole
of Boston is unsettled.
Governor Thomas Hutchinson has said that we must unload the cargo
within twenty days of landing. We have until December 16th to unload. I
fear that if we unload this tea the Patriots will do something violent.
My shipmates and I think that the tea should be unloaded to show the
King that we are not going to be intimidated by them.
Your Loving Son,
William Rolf
December 16th, 1773
Dearest Mother and Father,
I have many worries for my safety although my life is continuing
normally. I have just finished taking my day watch. In an hour I have
to take my cleaning job. I do not like to take these shifts because
they usually last for a duration of five to nine hours and they are a
tedious thing to do. After that I will have to take the night watch.
The day of unloading has arrived and the Patriots are flustered. I dare
say that I have become more unsettled during my twenty day stay here.
Fear is dwelling in my heart and I have every reason to be so. I have
not been harassed myself, but a few of my shipmates have been. Some of
my shipmates overheard Mr. Rotch say that Samuel Adams has organized a
meeting so that the Patriots and the Loyalists can come to an
agreement. He is the cousin of John Adams, a well known lawyer here in
Boston. This meeting will start at ten o’clock at the South Meeting
House here in Boston. Mr. Rotch does not want to leave for fear of
having his ship and the goods on it seized by the government.
The merchants that have been chosen to sell the tea will most
definitely attend a meeting of this magnitude. I wish that I would be
able to attend this meeting, but I am unable. Those Patriots have
become an unruly and violent group of rabbles. They need to be taught a
lesson. If only they would stop arguing in such a petty manner and pay
the tax we would not have to have this meeting. The Crown needs to get
a better handle over those Patriots.
Your Loving Son,
William Rolf
January 26, 1774
Dearest Mother and Father,
I decided to sneak away from my watch to see a little of the meeting.
The Patriots and Loyalists were in a heated argument. Since I snuck
away from my post, Mr. Rotch punished me. The punishment was worth it.
I had finished cleaning as my punishment but I had witnessed a most
horrible thing. A large group of Indians came aboard our ships on the
sixteenth of December. I dare say I was frightened by them. So much so
I had naught to do with them. My shipmates and I think they were sent
by those Patriots but we cannot be certain. I did not know what they
were up to, but I knew it was no good.
When I saw it happening I had just came back from my watch of the
meeting. I had a sense of dread, a sense that I had failed to watch the
ship. Blast me for my carelessness. If I had known what they were up to
I would have tried to stop them. Alas, those Indians dumped all the tea
on our ships into the harbor. I do not know why the Patriots had those
Indians do such a thing. People here in Boston are calling this the
“destruction of the tea.”
When the King found out he was furious and closed the harbor of Boston.
We can not come home, but I am pleased by The Kings actions. I dare say
it was right of him to close the harbor. The people of Boston are
enraged by His Majesty’s actions. There have been an increase of tar
and featherings. I am unsettled by all the violence here. It makes me
most displeased that these Patriots can not agree with The King. I fear
that the the Patriots have gone too far with their unruly actions.
Your Loving Son,
William Rolf
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Historical References:
1. “Boston Tea Party” 4/28/06.
<www.answers.com/The%20 Boston%20 Tea%20 Party
2. “Boston Tea Party” 4/26/06 <www.everything2.com>.
3. Greely, Joe. “Travel, yes- Vacation, No.”
River Gazette. Sept. 2003: Page 6. 4/28/06
4. Hakim, Joy. From Colonies
to Country.
New York: Oxford university Press, Inc., 1993.
5. One April in Boston. 3 April. 2006.
<http:wwww.oneapril.com/colonial/greyhound.battl.html>
6. “The Boston Tea Party,1773” Eyewittness to History.
<www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/teaparty.htm> (2002).
4/26/06>
7. Wieser, Paul A, "Daily Life." 6 April, 2006.
<http://www.battleshipnc.com/history/bbss/sailor/daily/daily.php>
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