HISTORICAL SKETCHES. 199 



swine, valued all together £9,319 15s., swelling to an 

 aggregate of over £173,200! 



In April, 1779, about a hundred armed men landed 

 in the town from vessels that were anchored at the bar. 

 They were commanded by one George Leonard, a Tory; 

 and immediately after landing, they commenced rob- 

 bing the stores and committing other depredations. 

 They left the next day, after securing booty to the 

 amount of £10,665 13.s. 4c7. " lawful." 



Soon after this transaction, the town appointed a 

 committee to proceed to Newport and New York and 

 represent to the British commanders u the difficulties 

 under which the people labored on account of the war, 

 and particularly on account of the British armed ves- 

 sels, which had lately committed depredations on the 

 property and inhabitants." 



The committee consisted of Benjamin Tupper, 

 Timothy Folger, Samuel Starbuck, and William Eotch, 

 who proceeded immediately to the points indicated, 

 and returned with assurances from Sir George Collier 

 and Sir Henry Clinton that the depredations should 

 cease, provided the town of Nantucket would preserve 

 strict neutrality. 



Not long after this, a squadron of armed vessels left 

 New York for the purpose of plundering and burning 

 the town. They did not have, however, any authority 

 from the British commander for this act of vandalism. 

 Arriving at the Vineyard, they were detained there 

 several days by an easterly wind. Meanwhile negotia- 

 tions were carried on between the commander of the 

 squadron and the townspeople, the project of burn- 

 ing the town being finally abandoned, the vessels 

 returning to New York. 



