The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 333
tant places. Some of it found its way into this
town, and caused no little trouble. The following account is from the Essex Gazette of January
4th, 1774. "Whereas it was reported that one
Withington, of Dorchester, had taken up and partly
disposed of a chest of the East India Company's tea,
a number of the Cape or Narraganset Indians went
to the house of Capt. Ebenezer Withington, and his
brother Philip Withington (both living on the lower
road from Boston to Milton), last Friday evening,
and with their consent thoroughly searched their
houses, without offering the least offence to any one.
But finding no tea, they proceeded to the house of
old Ebenezer Withington, at a place called Sodom,
below Dorchester Meeting-house, where they found
part of a half chest which had floated, and was cast
upon Dorchester point. This they seized and brought
to Boston Common, where they committed it to the
flames."
March 10, 1775, the town passed a vote requiring
all the inhabitants thereof, liable to do military duty,
to assemble on a certain day, with arms and ammunition, to be reviewed, to see who would enlist, and
who would hold themselves in readiness as minute
men. This was at the time the fortifications on
Dorchester Heights were about being completed.
There were then nine dwelling houses on the Neck,
now South Boston, the location of each of which
may be seen by consulting a map now in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society, drawn
by order of the British General then in Boston; also
the road and principal trees. The occupants of these
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