209 



mation of a very interesting character, derived -largely 

 from original sources. He gave a brief but comprehen- 

 sive review of the causes which led to the transaction 

 commemorated, with graphic details of the proceedings 

 and personal sketches of some of the actors. Among 

 these was Mr. Kimball's grandfather, William Eussell, 

 the father of our well remembered citizen, Col. John 

 Russell, and the grandfather of Prof. John Lewis Russell, 

 recently deceased. William was very active among the 

 Sons of Liberty and participated in the destruction of 

 the tea. He was intimate with Edes & Gill, the printers 

 of the Boston Gazette, and with the leading patriots, and 

 wrote patriotic articles for the paper. He was a teacher 

 on the site of the Mayhew school, which is probably the 

 legitimate successor of that taught by Russell. He was 

 a participant in the revolutionary struggle, and was an 

 inmate of the notorious Mill Prison and the Jersey Prison 

 Ship, where he suffered many privations and contracted 

 the disease which occasioned his death not long after the 

 declaration of peace. While a prisoner he wrote the fol- 

 lowing lines, which were read as illustrative of the feel- 

 ings engendered by the events of the times : 



[crew ! 



Great Mars, with me, come now and view, this more than Hellish 

 Great Vulcan, send your thunder forth, and all their fields bestrew; 

 Rain on their heads perpetual fire, in one eternal flame ; 

 Let black destruction be their doom, dishonored be their name ; 

 Send mighty bolts to strike the traitors North and Mansfield dead, 

 And liquid fire to scald the Crown from Royal George's head ; 

 Strike all their young posterity with one Eternal curse, 

 Nor pity them, no more than they have ever pitied us. 



Mill Prison (Plymouth), England, Nov. 29th, 3 P. M., 1781. 



WILLIAM RUSSELL. 



When this was written Mr. Russell had been confined 

 in prison nearly two years, on a charge of piracy, treason, 



