A large proportion of those who were engaged in the destruction of the tea were disguised, either by a sort of Indian costume or by blacking their faces. Many, however, were fearless of consequences, and boldly employed their hands without concealing their faces from the bright light of the moon. The names of fifty-nine of the participators in the act have been preserved, but only one of the men, so far as is known, is still living. This is DAVID KINNISON, of Chicago, Illinois, whose portrait and sign manual are here given. The engraving is from a Daguerreotype from life, taken in August, 1848, when the veteran was one hundred and eleven years and nine months old. He was alive a few weeks since (January, 1850), in his one hundred and fourteenth year. Through the kindness of a friend at Chicago, I procured the Daguerreotype, and the following sketch of his life from his own lips. The signature was written by the patriot upon the manuscript.

Revolutionary war. He is descended from a long-lived race. His great-grandfather, who came from England at an early day, and settled in Maine, lived to a very advanced age; his grandfather attained the age of one hundred and twelve years and ten days; his father died at the age of one hundred and three years and nine months; his mother died while he was young.

He has had four wives, neither of whom is now living; he had four children by his first wife and eighteen by his second; none by the last two. He was taught to read after he was sixty years of age, by his granddaughter, and learned to sign his name while a soldier of the Revolution, which is all the writing he has ever accomplished.

fight, and did not doubt that an effort would be made for their arrest. "But" (in the language of the old man) "we cared no more for our lives than three straws, and determined to throw the tea overboard. We were all captains, and every one commanded himself." They pledged themselves in no event, while it should be dangerous to do so, to reveal the names of the party – a pledge which was faithfully observed until the war of the Revolution was brought to a successful issue.

war he settled at Danville, Vermont, and engaged in his old occupation of farming. He resided there eight years, and then removed to Wells, in the state of Maine, where he remained until the commencement of the last war with Great Britain. He was in service during the whole of that war, and was in the battles of Sackett’s Harbor and Williamsburg. In the latter conflict he was badly wounded in the hand by a grape-shot, the only injury which he received in all his engagements.

and stove in."

When last he heard of his children there were but seven of the twenty-two living. These were scattered abroad, from Canada to the Rocky Mountains. He has entirely lost all traces of them, and knows not that any are still living.

Nearly five years ago he went to Chicago with the family of William Mack, with whom he is now living. He is reduced to extreme poverty, and depends solely upon his pension of ninety-six dollars per annum for subsistence, most of which he pays for his board. Occasionally he is assisted by private donations. Up to 1848 he has always made something by labor. "The last season," says my informant, "he told me he gathered one hundred bushels of corn, dug potatoes, made hay, and harvested oats. But now he finds himself too infirm to labor, though he thinks he could walk twenty miles in a day by ‘starting early.’ "

He has evidently been a very muscular man. Although not large, his frame is one of great power. He boasts of "the strength of former years." Nine years ago, he says, he lifted a barrel of rum into a wagon with ease. His height is about five feet ten inches, with an expansive chest and broad shoulders. He walks somewhat bent, but with as much vigor as many almost half a century younger. His eye is usually somewhat dim, but, when excited by the recollection of his past eventful life, it twinkles and rolls in its socket with remarkable activity. His memory of recent events is not retentive, while the stirring scenes through which he passed in his youth appear to be mapped out upon his mind in unfading colors. He is fond of martial music. The drum and fife of the recruiting service, he says, "daily put new life into him." "In fact," he says, "it’s the sweetest music in the world. There’s some sense in the drum, and fife, and bugle, but these pianos and other such trash I can’t stand at all."

Many years ago he was troubled with partial deafness; his sight also failed him somewhat, and he was compelled to use glasses. Of late years both hearing and sight have returned to him as perfectly as he ever possessed them. He is playful and cheerful in his disposition. "I have seen him," says my informant, "for hours upon the side-walk with the little children, entering with uncommon zest into their childish pastimes. He relishes a joke, and often indulges in ‘cracking one himself.’ "

At a public meeting, in the summer of 1848, of those opposed to the extension of slavery, Mr. Kinnison took the stand and addressed the audience with marked effect. He declared that he fought for the "freedom of all," that freedom ought to be given to the "black boys," and closed by exhorting his audience to do all in their power to ABOLISH SLAVERY.

Here are some articles on other Family Members

Christopher Keniston

Christopher was in Major Appleton's Company in King Phillips War, June
24, 1676; resided Greenland 1677; shared in the distribution of the
Portsmouth common lands to old settlers in 1711."
--page 10 Genealogical History of William Henry Kinnison 1981
Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire by Sybil Noyes,
Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis--Baltimore Genealogical
Publishing Co., Inc., 1979
KENNISTON(Kenerson, Kynaston..an ancient Shropshire name. The third
generation of this N.H. family should be the subject of further
painstaking research.
1. Christopher(5), Greenland, +46 in 1701, served in Philip's war, m. 4
Dec. 1677 Mary Muchemore (List 335a) who witn. Coffin(sp) deeds
1707-1711. In 1681 he laid the stealing of 2 pigs to his bro. John and
Robt. Braines, but offered to pay Lt. Neale for 3 pigs rather than go to
the law. In 1682 Geo. Huntress asked to be relieved of a trust of
L(pounds)27 for the 2. and ch. of C. K. Lists 52, 62, 33d, 332b, 337,
338a. Taxed as late as 1718. Ch: Alexander, +21 in June 1701, m.
Elisabeth Reed(Thomas). Lists 67, 336b, 338a. Had ch. Nathan, Judith,
Mary, Elizabeth, Elinor(b. Hampton 3 June 1713) bp. in Greenl. In 1713,
Deliverance bp. 1716 and doubtless others. " pg 397

Samuel Kenniston

Samuel Died at the age of 103 years and 9 months."
--The Kinnisons Family History--1969 pg 1
"..was in the 'Troops for Defense' at Greenland in 1722; his name is
KENISLAR in this record; also in Louisburg Expedition, 1746 as a sailor;
Married at Greenland, or more probably at Stratham, N.H. as the marriage
record is in the Straham file.."
--The Genealogical History of William Henry Kinnison--1981 page 13

John Keniston

John was killed and his house was burned by the Indians at Greenland New
Hampshire, April 16, 1677, in The King Phillips War."
--The Kinnisons Family History--1969 Pg 1.
New England Annals(SP) History and Genealogy by L. C. Towle PG 18
endnote:
"In 1677, Symon, with the assistance of another Indian, burnt a house in
Portsmouth and captured two females--one of them having a young child in
her arms. Not being willing to be troubled with the child, they
permitted it to be left with an aged woman, whom Symon spared, because he
said, she had been kind to his grandmother. this is one act of
humanity. on the whole, Symon was as much dreaded as any Indian of his
times. In May, 1676, he killed Thomas Kimbal, of Bradford, Mass. and
carried off his wife and five children. A short time after, he killed
John Keniston, of Greenland, N.H. and burned his house. These and
various other crimes he committed, before he attempted the destruction of
the people of Falmouth. What made his crimes more aggravated, was his
professing to be a Christian indian."
5 John, Dover, 1663, but marked 'gone' in 1664 tax-list, was settled in
Greenl. by 1665. Sued by Capt. Champernowne in 1666, Gr. J. in 1667 and
1668, subscr. toward Porsm. minister in 1671. Lists 326bc, 330a, 331a,
356b. On 16 April 1677 his ho. was burned and he was k. by Ind. His
wid., who had sat in the stocks for railing in 1676 and who was gr. adm.
1 Aug, 1677, was Agnes Magoon in 1681 when she and her son Christopher
conv. land in Greenl. to Geo. Huntress. Ch: William, ordered that he
should continue with his master Walter Abbott, accord to his indetures,
in 1663. Christopher. John, Dover, +40 in 1697, +48 in 1702, living
with Lt. Anthony Nutter. Fined in 1681 fro departing without a licence.
Joseph Hall bondsman. Alexander, drowned crossing above John Pickering's
mill-dam on his horse, inq. 10 July 1671. List 327b. George. James.
--Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire 1979

George Keniston