USA > Maine > A brief history of Maine > Part 14
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1775
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HISTORY OF MAINE.
drawn ashore and carried a mile and a quarter to reach the navigable water above. It was found that the boats were leaky, and that a great part of the provis- ion was spoiled or damaged ; and seven days elapsed before repairs were completed and they again em- barked on the river.
After passing Carratunk Falls the stream grew so rapid that the men were obliged to wade and push the boats more than half the way to the Great Carry- ing Place, twelve miles below the Forks. The carry was fourteen miles long; but three little ponds on the way afforded them as many rests, and a plenty of de- licious trout. Then they met Dead River flowing calmly through grand old forests resplendent with all the brilliant hues of autumn. Passing falls and rapids, they at length beheld rising above the woods a lofty mountain already white with snow. Here Arnold eu- camped for three days, displaying from a tall staff over his tent the Continental flag; while Major Bigelow ascended the mountain in the vain hope of seeing the spires of Quebec. The township in which the camps were pitched is now called Flagstaff Plantation, and the mountain bears the name of Bigelow, in commem- oration of these events.
3. Soon after leaving this point a heavy rain storm set in. The water rushed in torrents down the hills, the river channel filled with drift wood, and the water burst into the valley where the soldiers were encamped with such suddenness that they had scarcely time to retreat to the bateaux before the whole plain was cov- ered with water. Worse than all, seven boats were upset, and the stores lost ; leaving them only twelve days provisions, with thirty miles more of hills, woods and marshes between them and the head waters of the Chaudiere. Many had become sick from toil and ex- posure, and were sent back to the division of Colonel Enos, who was now ordered to send the invalids to the settlements, and come on as fast as possible with his
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best men, and provisions for fifteen days. He had only three days provisions; and, at a council of his officers, it was decided that the whole division must return or perish.
The rain had changed to snow, and the ponds, marshes and streams became covered with ice; yet the men were often obliged to wade and push the bateaux. Many of the boats were abandoned, for the oxen had been killed for food; and everything had to be carried by the men. On the 27th of October the boats were lifted for the last time from the waters of Maine, and a portage of four miles brought them to a small stream down which they urged the remaining bateaux to Lake Megantic, the chief source of the Chaudiere.
4. The next morning a party of fifty-five men was sent forward through the woods to the French settle- ments, still seventy miles further, for provisions, while Arnold with thirteen men set off in five bateaux and a canoe. They were without a guide; and no sooner had they left the lake and entered the river than they were obliged to lash their freight to the boats lest it should be thrown overboard by the turbulent current. The roar of the stream increased. Three boats were dashed in pieces upon the rocks, their contents lost, and their crews left struggling in the water.
The main body of the troops followed on as rap- idly as they could. In a few days nothing was left except a little flour, which was eaten with water with- out salt. On coming near the sandy beach of the river some keen-eyed soldier would be seen to dart from the ranks down to the water's edge, closely followed by half a dozen more. They had caught sight of some water plant, supposed to be eatable, and the foremost man dug it up with his fingers and instantly devoured it without washing. A little lean dog belonging to one of the officers disappeared one night, and the next day a few of the soldiers had some thin, greenish fluid which they called bear's broth, though no one had
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heard that a bear had been killed. Old moose hide breeches were boiled and then broiled on the coals, and eaten. Many men died with bunger and fatigue, frequently four or five minutes after making their last effort and sitting down.
5. Friday, November 3d, was a memorable day to the little army. Weary, despairing, starving, few could have kept on much longer, when they were met by some cattle sent back by the advanced party with Arnold. They were saved from starvation ; but most of them lived for a bloodier death. After many un- necessary delays Arnold led them against the strong city of Quebec, but the golden moment had passed. The garrison had been reinforced, and hundreds of these brave men, who, for the sake of gaining this import- ant post, had endured the toil and famine of the wil- derness, lay down before the fatal hail of the artillery, making the blood-stained snow their winding sheet. The brave Montgomery and his victorious little army, fresh from the capture of Montreal, shared their fate. More than four hundred Americans fell in this attack, while four hundred more were taken captive, and suf- fered many months of severe imprisonment.
6. By the elose of the year 1775, the Continental Congress was fully entered upon its labors of law-mak- ing. Post offices were established and put in operation from Maine to Georgia ; and during the winter the militia was arranged anew. Massachusetts was formed into four military divisions,-Maine being one by itself. The militia of each county constituted a brigade, which was again sub-divided into regiments and companies. John Frost, of Kittery, was Brigadier General of York county, Samnel Thompson, of Brunswick, com- manded the Cumberland militia, and the officer for Lincoln county was Charles Cushing of Pownalborough.
The British cruisers were on our coast, and the militia was at once put in condition to meet the red- coats wherever they might set foot on our shores.
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Falmouth was partially rebuilt, having fortifications mounting six cannon, and she now felt herself com- petent with the aid of the militia to beat back any force the British might send against her. But General Washington had driven the British army out of Boston and early in the summer their vessels mostly went southward.
On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress declared the thirteen United Colonies to be Free and Independ- ent. In Maine the ministers read the Declaration to their people, and the town clerks entered it at full length in their records. We had a country, now, and were no longer rebellious subjects of a foreign power, but citizens and sovereigns of Independent States. The question was no longer whether we would be able to obtain our rights of Great Britain, but whether we would be a Nation or a subjugated people. Tories were no longer a political party, but enemies, spies and traitors, and to be treated as such, or in pity allowed to depart from the country. This Independence in- fused spirit into the people; and thecitizens of Maine wanted to be doing something by which it might be secured forever.
7. Therefore in September of this year an expe- dition set out from Machias to capture Fort Cumber- land on Chignecto Bay in Nova Scotia. The force consisted only of a schooner and a few whale boats, carrying seventy men ... The commander was John- athan Eddy, who had formerly lived in the neighbor- hood of the fort, but had been driven away by the authorities because he wished that province to join the other colonies. At Chepody Hill, not far from the fort, Colonel Eddy's men captured fifteen soldiers with their captain. Two or three days later a vessel came into the harbor with supplies for the garrison, and Colonel Eddy with twenty-five men sallied out afoot over the flats during a fog, and made her a prize. Many of Eddy's old neighbors joined him, so that he soon had a force of one hundred and fifty men.
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At length on a cloudy night the attack was made on the fort. Its embankments were very high, and along the top were placed heavy logs, ready to roll down upon any assailants. The garrison had been reinforced and was expecting the assault ; and Colonel Eddy was repulsed with much loss. The result of this expedition was very painful. The enemy pursued the little band, destroyed their camp, and capturedtheir vessels, forcing them to make their retreat through the wilderness. After twenty-five days of toil and suffer- ing the straggling remnant arrived at Machias, hungry and gannt, with clothing half stripped from their bodies. The houses of such as lived at Chignecto were burned by troops from the fort, and their families left home- less and destitute until the next spring, when, after ex- treme sufferings, they were brought away by a vessel under a flag of trucc.
S. Another patriotic refugee from Nova Scotia, John Allan, had been a member of the General Assem- bly of the province, but sympathized so openly in the American cause that he was obliged to fly for his life, and had not even time to bring away his family. the failure of the attack on Fort Cumberland his house was plundered and burned with the rest, and his wife thrown into prison. Congress made him its agent to keep the Indians from joining the British, who were using every means to win them. If they had succeed- cd, all of Maine east of the Penobscot would probably have now been a part of the British dominions. Col- onel Allan spent most of his time with the Passama- quoddy Indians, keeping a government store for the benefit of this and other tribes.
After the Indians had joined with the Americans in the repulse of the vessels at Machias, they were in much dread of the British, and relied greatly on Col- onel Allan for counsel and aid in case of an attack upon them. They were also very much attached to him; yet, as he was obliged to leave them frequently
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for other duties, they feared he might forsake them entirely ; and at last they refused to permit his depar- ture unless he left his two boys as security for his return. These boys remained with the tribe two years; and though they must have found much to enjoy, they were many times obliged to live on fish, parched corn, and seal's flesh, and were often ragged, hungry and miserable. Their father did the best he could to keep up their courage and character under these difficult conditions ; often writing them such letters as the fol- lowing :
9. "Be very kind to the Indians, and take particu- lar notice of Nicholas, Francis, Joseph and old Cou- cou-guash. I send you books, paper, pens and ink, wafers, and some other little things ; shall send more in two or three days. Let me entreat you, my dear children, to be careful of your company and manners, be moral, sober and discreet. Duly observe your duty to the Almighty, morning and night. Mind the Sab- bath day, not to have either work or play, except necessity compels you. I pray God to bless you, my dear boys."
In 1777, Machias was made a national military sta- tion, and supplied with two nine pounders, and garri- soned with three hundred men under Colonel Allan. The British remembered well the previous exploits of the Machiaspeople, and as soon as the admiral heard at New York of this new movement he despatched a naval force to destroy the town and to defend the Nova Scotia coasts against the troublesome people of Maine. In August of this year, and before a garrison was col- lected together, a sloop, two frigates and a brig anchor- ed in Machias River. Having burned a tide mill and taken a coasting sloop, they sent the brig, the sloop, and some bargesladen with soldiers up the west branch to destroy whatever came in their way, They landed at "Indian Brim," where they burned down a few buildings ; then, the wind having died away, they towed
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their brig and sloop up river to a point within a mile and a half from the falls.
10. Bythis time it was latein the afternoon, and th ... people had learned the position of the enemy, a !!! gathered for the attack. The barges had come up 1 , within half a mile of the falls, and here the firing commenced upon them from both banks of the river. Themen were speedily driven from the barges on board the sloop and brig, which drifting down river, made the guns of the British very uncertain in their ain. Soon the brig ran aground, and such a shower of bnl- lets was poured down on the deck from the banks that the men were obliged to go below to save their lives. At length a breeze sprang up in a favorable quarter. and the vessels succeeded in getting off. Every man in town capable of bearing arms had now found his place somewhere along the river, and watched to get a shot at the invaders. Colonel Allan had brought down his Indians who whooped in their peculiar way from their hiding places, and the white people who were scattered through the woods along the river imitated their yells, until the retreating marines thought the forests full of wild warriors. The British were quite discouraged by this experience from attempting any- thing more; and a day or two later the squadron leit the harbor.
The great event of this year was the surrender of the British army under Burgoyne to General Gates at Saratoga; and the news gave a joyful close to the sea- son's campaign in Maine.
What famous expedition passed up the Kennebec in 1775? What noted men were connected with it? What was the result of this expedition ? What was done by Congress at the close of the year ? What effect did the declaration of independence have in Maine? What was the result of Johnathan Eddy's expediin against Fort Cumberland? What valuable service did Col. John Allan render to the American cause ? Describe the action with the British at Machias ? What great victory occurred near the close of the year ?
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EVENTS OF THE REVOLUTION.
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CHAPTER XXV.
1. The Continental currency, which was alnost the only money in circulation, had constantly fallen in value, until at this time it took thirty dollars in bills to equal one in specie. Six dollars in currency was the price of a pair of stockings; seven dollars were paid for a pair of common cowhide shoes,-while beef was five and six dollars a pound. In 1779 corn sold for thirty-five dollars per bushel, wheat meal for about seventy-five dollars, molasses at sixteen dollars a gal- lon, and tea at nineteen dollars a pound. Yet the high price of some of these articles was owing partially to the injury of the crops by drought. Surely these were times when men's courage and strength were tried to the utmost. The pay received by a private soldier was insufficient to keep his family from want; yet the ranks of the army, thinned by battle and disease, must be filled up,-if not by volunteers, then by draft.
2. Early in the year 1778 Hon. John Adams was appointed minister at the French Court. This was an important appointment; for it was hoped that France would be induced to aid us in our arduous struggle. Ilis safe conveyance to that country was entrusted to Commodore Tucker, afterward a citizen of Bremen in this state. He was then in command of the frigate Boston, and in February he sailed for France with Mr. Adams on board. He soon found himself pursued by three British ships, which had been on the watch for the minister's departure. It is diffi- cult to escape from two swift vessels, the fugitive being almost sure to be intercepted on one side or the other; but if there is a third to follow up in a direct line it must ordinarily be impossible to avoid an en- counter. By uncommon skill in maneuvering Tucker
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eluded them for several days. As they entered the Gulf Stream a great storm arose, and the Boston saw its pursuers no more.
3. A few days later they discovered an English: ship ahead; and this both the captain and his nobl .. passenger desired to capture. Mr. Adams, having obtained a musket, placed himself among the marines with the determination of taking a part in the fight. Captain Tucker soon caught sight of the minister; and, stepping up to him, placed a hand upon his shoulder, saying sternly, "Mr. Adams, I am com- manded by the Continental Congress to deliver you safe in France, and you must go below, sir." Mr. Adams smiled and went down to the cabin.
When within range a shot was fired at the Martha, which was the name of the enemy's vessel, to bring her to. She replied by a discharge of three guns. which cut away some of the rigging; and a piece from the mizzen came down upon the captain's head, felling him to the deck. But he was upon his feet the next moment, and soon had his frigate in position for a rak- ing fire upon the enemy. The marines were at their posts, the great guns were shotted, the matchstocks of the gunners were smoking,-still the order to fire was not given. The men grew impatient, and began to mur- mur and swear bitterly that so fine a chance should be allowed to pass,-when the commander shouted in that stentorian voice for which he was famous, "Hold on, my men; I wish to save that egg without breaking the shell." They did not have to wait long; for the enemy overheard the order, and took the hint; and his flag came down immediately.
4. It is said that Tucker captured more guns from the enemy than any other naval commander of the Revolution. By his success he amassed considerab !. property, and resided in a fine mansion on a fashionable street in Boston; but, becoming fatally addicted to strong drink, he lost his standing with government,
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his property slipped from his hands, and he was reduced at length to a farm in Bristol, Maine, where in a rough house of three rooms he and his family lived many years.
The ambassador had been safely landed in France; and in the following June, Count d'Estaing reached our shores with a fleet to aid the American cause. This event, with the success of our arms in the battle of Monmouth, lifted the gloomy clouds and gave assurance that Independence would finally be won.
In 1779 Congress divided the whole country into districts, for the purposes of revenue and better admin- istration of national laws; and thus it was that we became the District of Maine,-still a part of Massa- chusetts, yet having a United States court and the district officers, as we have had ever since.
5. The British commanders now saw that some- thing must be done to check Maine, or she would wrest Nova Scotia from them; so in July, 1779, Gen- cral McLane with a force of seven or eight vessels and nine hundred men, came to Penobscot and took possession of Castine. The place was undefended; and the larger portion of the fleet soon departed, leaving three sloops of war under Mowatt to assist the troops in holding the position. Steps were im- mediately taken to dislodge them; and about the middle of July a flotilla reached Townsend (now Boothbay) Harbor, where the land forces awaited them. The fleet was commanded by Commodore Saltonstall, of Connecticut, and had on board a few companies of marines and a company of ordnance under Col. Paul Revere. Brigadier Generals Frost, Thompson and Cushing, of Maine, were there with their militia, ready to embark on the patriotic enter- prise. The fleet consisted of the flag ship Warren, which was a fine, new Continental frigate of thirty- two guns, together with nine ships, six brigs and three sloops, -- the whole carrying three hundred and forty-
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four guns. General Lovell, of Massachusetts, was commander of the land forces, and his associate was Adjutant General Peleg Wadsworth, afterward a resi- dent of Maine.
The British commander at Castine had heard of the expedition several days before its arrival, and had done his utmost to prepare for the attack. As soon as it appeared in sight he coneluded that defense was impossible, except he was reinforced; and he sent at once to Halifax for aid.
6. Early in the morning of July 28th the vessels were drawn up in a line before the British position on the peninsula, and four hundred men were sent ashore under cover of the fog to commence the attack. The neck had been separated from the mainland by a broad, deep trench, and the sides were so well defended that the troops could only be landed on the northwest, where the shore, at one point, rose precipitously nearly one hundred feet. As they left the boats the cannon balls from the British ships began to whistle over their heads, and a line of soldiers posted along the heights threw down a brisk fire of musketry into their faces. They immediately divided into three parties,- the center remaining to engage the enemy, while the other parties climbed the bank at right and left. On reaching the top they suddenly closed in upon the British line, which hastily retreated, leaving thirty of their number killed, wounded and prisoners. It was a short but sharp encounter, lasting only twenty min- utes; but in that time we lost one hundred men. There was scarcely a more brilliant engagement during the war ; and if the action had been followed up by the fleet the place must in a short time have surren- dered. A council was now held, in which it was proposed that a surrender should be demanded; but Saltonstall opposed, and it was not done.
7. But General Lovell still pressed his advantage on shore, reducing the enemy's outworks and captur-
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ing several field pieces. His troops worked all through the nights constructing their zigzag entrenchments,- which were at length advanced within musket shot of the fort, so that in the daytime a soldier seldom dared to put his head above the walls. Meanwhile all that the ships did with their three hundred and forty guns was to cannonade the enemy at intervals from some safe place beyond the reach of his cannon.
A fortnight had now passed since the siege com- menced, and Generals Lovell and Wadsworth were preparing to take the place by assault,-when, just before they were ready, a British fleet appeared in the bay. Valor had done all it could, and now prudence dictated a retreat. During the following night the Americans embarked in safety, while Saltonstall made preparations to check the approach of the enemy, arraying his fleet in the form of a crescent. The British fleet consisted of a large man-of-war, a frigate, two ships, two brigs and a sloop, under the command of Sir George Collier. It came steadily on, and, get- ting within range, poured a broadside upon Salton- stall's vessels.
8. Immediate confusion followed. Most of the masters of the vessels were also their owners; and, interest prevailing over patriotismn, they fled without waiting for a second broadside, and some of them without firing a gun. Some of the transports ran ashore near Orphan Island, and were set on fire and abandoned, while others escaped up the Penobscot. Few inhabitants then dwelt along the river, and the scattered troops were forced to take their tedious way through the wilderness to the settlements of the Ken- nebee, suffering greatly on the journey for lack of provisions; and some who were infirm actually per- ished in the woods.
A court of inquiry was held at Boston soon after upon the "Penobscot Expedition"; and the General Court adjudged that "Commodore Saltonstall bo
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incompetent ever after to hold a commission in the service of the State, and that Generals Lovell and Wadsworth be honorably acquitted."
9. In August, 1780, two armed vessels of the enemy came up the Kennebec to destroy the shipping, and do whatever other damage they could. On their way they anchored near Bluff Head. During the night they were alarmed by the whistling and crashing of shot over their decks,-the missiles coming from two field pieces on the hill. Though imperfect aim could be taken by the gunners in the darkness, sev- eral of the British were killed, and the vessels con- siderably damaged. As soon as it was light the vessels slipped their cables and went to sea, followed by several boatloads of men from up the river, anxious for battle. This was the enemy's last attempt on the Kennebec.
In the autumn of 1779 Congress had prohibited all exportation from Maine, even to other States ; and no timber, live stock, no wool, flax -- or goods made of them, no skins, leather, shoes, no kind of food, cloth- ing, or material for ships, could be carried from the province on penalty of forfeiture. Some sales could be made to the government, for which payment was made in the depreciated currency; yet the people of Maine lacked greatly for necessary articles of food and clothing not produced within its limits. The pur- pose of this embargo was to prevent stores from fall- ing into the hands of the British, and to secure sup- plies for our own needy forces.
10. The fleet which had driven ours from Castine brought fifteen hundred fresh troops, and the British had now full sway along our entire castern coast; and many were the outrages committed upon the defence- less inhabitants. They carried off cattle, burned mills and dwellings, and personally abused the people; so that numerous residents in that region abandoned their homes and sought safety in the western counties.
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