The principal statements made by the participants in the Gaspee Affair. 

There were only three  American participants in the attack whom left us with formal statements giving their version of the Gaspee attack.  Aaron Briggs was captured and gave a confession to the British almost immediately after the attack.  But his knowledge was limited by the circumstances of his impressment as a slave while he was rowing on another errand.

There were two others who gave formal written statements, Of course, because of the need for secrecy all during the period from the attack in 1772, until the declared end of the war in 1782, nothing was written down by them (or by other participants).  Such evidence could have gotten them hanged if the writing was found by the English!) Those two persons who after the war gave statements oly were able to give what their memory was at the late time they wrote.  Those two were:

    Ephrim Bowen

    John Mawney

The English participants, of course, were the Gaspee officers and crew.  The known officers and members of the Gaspee crew were as follows.

Dudingston, William,  Lt., the captain of the ship. Lt. Dudingston gave several statements of what happened.  The first statement is before he would have had time to fully develop this thoughts on what would be of most advantage for him to say.  On the other hand, this man was an intelligent and experienced English navy officer, and he obviously needed to say the things which would help him in the court martial which normally followed in the English navy of the time when a ship captain lost his ship.

Dickinson, William, Midshipman.

Earl, Patrick, Boatswain's Mate, and sentry on duty at the time of the raid.

Caple, William J., crew member

Johnson, John, crew member

May, Peter,

Cheever, Bartholomew,

Parr, Thomas,

Pullibeck, Edward

Bowman, Joseph,

Whaler, Patrick

Reyumonlds, Patrick.

References in brackets [ ] or {} on any page in this website are to books, or other materials, listed in the Joseph Bucklin Society Library Catalog.]