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In this section of
Gaspee HistoryPage Up


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Go to
Gaspee Raiders
for biographical information on the Americans in the boats attacking the Royal Navy ship Gaspee.

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Books: American Colonial and Revolutionary War history or the people involved. We have suggestions for you.

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One whaleboat from Warren joined longboats from Providence and Bristol to attack the Gaspee.

Capt. Greenwood brought a whaleboat of Warren men to attack the Gaspee. Omsbee's statement describing this whaleboat of men is the first known (as of 2006)  mention of a person coming from Warren to participate.  Ormsbee says he was in a whaleboat,  but he does not mention specifically the place from whence his "whale boat" left on the night of the attack.  The three most likely points of departure are:

    # 1. Warren,

    # 2. Bristol, or

    # 3.  Providence. (It is consistent with Ormsbee's choice of words that Ormsbee was with some men who went from Warren to Providence and left in one of the boats from Providence.)

Omsbee's statement, written in Warren, was:

"In June 1772 when the English Revenue Cutter Gaspee was burnt in Providence River, I was one that went from this town and helped do it. Capt John Greenwood, James Smith, Abner Luther, Abel Easterbrooks, Nathaniel Easterbrooks, Hezekiah Kinnicut and myself went together in a whale boat and we helped burn her."

His use of the words saying he was "one that went from this town" and then saying the list of persons ". . . . and myself went together in a whale boat" suggests more likely than not that the men all went in one boat that left from Warren.

Furthermore, a whaleboat is not likely to fall within the description of "eight of the largest long-boats in the [Providence] harbor" which departed from Providence, and certainly was not near the Bristol boat of Potter when Briggs was impressed to help row the Bristol boat.

So our conclusion is that this whaleboat with seven men left from Warren.