In a first-hand account of the incident, Joshua Wyeth, a 16-year-old participant in what Americans now refer to as the Boston Tea Party, said:

“To prevent discovery we agreed to wear ragged clothes

and disfigure ourselves, dressing to resemble Indians.”

According to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum in Boston, Massachusetts:

“On the cold evening of December 16, 1773, a large band of patriots, disguised as Mohawk Indians, burst from the South Meeting House with the spirit of freedom burning in their eyes. The patriots headed towards Griffin's Wharf and the three ships. Quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner, the Sons of Liberty boarded each of the tea ships. Once on board, the patriots went to work striking the chests with axes and hatchets. Thousands of spectators watched in silence. Only the sounds of axe blades splitting wood rang out from Boston Harbor. Once the crates were open, the patriots dumped the tea into the sea.”