USA > Maine > Knox County > Warren > Annals of the town of Warren; with the Early History of St. George's, Broad Bay and the Neighboring Settlements on the Waldo patent > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
* Joscelyn's Voyages, p. 200-5.
t Papers on file in Sec. Office, Bost. Com. Rep. p. 117-18 and p.
99. J. Pierce and S. Small's Dep.
24
ANNALS OF WARREN.
against the Mohawks, in which they were pursued by their victorious enemies to the banks of the Penobscot and many of their villages destroyed by fire, were still a powerful tribe. Their present chief, Madockawando, whose influence was great, and whose political relations extended as far as Massa- chusetts and Quebec, was averse to a war with the English ; and the influence of his son-in-law, the Baron de Castine, then engaged in a successful trade at the place which now bears his name, and unwilling to have it interrupted, was exerted on the side of peace. This nobleman, a man of taste and education, who had been a colonel in the French army at Quebec, when discharged from that service had united himself with the Indians, adopted their manners, and for 30 years carried on a profitable traffic in which he amassed the sum of 300,000 crowns. By the arms, ammu- nition and other articles, with which he supplied the natives, and his fascinating address, he acquired an unbounded influ- ence over the tribe ; and his counsels, together with those of the Sachem his father-in-law, prevailed in favor of a pacific policy. A similar course having been pursued by the Canabas, or Kennebec Indians, no outrages were for a time committed east of the Kennebec ; but the inhabitants were forbidden by Massachusetts to sell any munitions of war except to those Indians whose friendship was fully ascertained ; and meas- ures were taken to require the tribes along the coast to de- liver their arms into the hands of the English. This demand being complied with at Sheepscot and Kennebec, nothing but prudence on the part of the settlers seemed requisite to secure them from molestation. But in consequence of attacks made at New Meadows, Saco, Scarboro', and other places, many minds became excited against Indians in general ; and the people of Monhegan offered a bounty of £5 for every In- dian's head that should be brought them. An agent, sent up the Kennebec to invite the natives to deliver up their arms, exceeded his instructions, and by threatening language so terrified them, that they left their residence, repaired to Pe- nobscot and called a council at the house of Castine. But by the exertions of Abraham Shurte of Pemaquid, a sensible man, well acquainted with the Indian character, who left no efforts untried, the disaffected chiefs were persuaded to hold a parley at that place, and finally agreed to desist from hos- tilities.
In December, the snow, four feet on a level, prevented the English on the one hand, from attacking the Indians, and the Indians on the other, from procuring their wonted supplies by
25
ANNALS OF WARREN.
hunting. An armistice was in consequence entered into with the Saco and other neighboring tribes. But during the win- ter, the eastern traders were accused of supplying them with arms and ammunition ; rumors were in circulation that a conspiracy was formed for exterminating the settlers ; and this was so fully believed that general warrants were issued for seizing every Indian " known to be a manslayer, traitor, or conspirator." Some of these warrants got into the hands of unprincipled men, who used them for sinister purposes. One of these with his vessel lurked about Pemaquid and in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Shurte, who also warned the Indians of their danger, succeeded in kidnapping several, carried them into foreign parts and sold them for slaves. Great complaints were made by the natives, and great fears were entertained of their hostile intentions. The downfall and death of Philip, the following year, 1676, com- pelled many of his adherents to take refuge among the east- ern tribes, whose vengeful feelings they soon were able to arouse. Besides outrages farther west, a successful and mur- derous attack was made upon the trading house at Woolwich and the fort at Arrowsick, and, after much suffering farther east, and the burning of Pemaquid, New Harbor, Corban's Sound and Damariscove, the inhabitants fled, first to Monhe- gan and other islands, and then to Piscataqua, Boston and other western places. This bloody and destructive war was terminated April 12, 1678, by a treaty concluded at Casco, in which it was stipulated that the Indians should restore their captives, and the English pay them an annual quit-rent of one peck of corn for every English family, except Major Phillips of Saco who was to pay one bushel .*
* Holmes's American Ann. p. 403-7. Hub. Ind. Wars.
Sulli- van and Williamson.
3
26
ANNALS OF WARREN.
CHAPTER III.
FROM 1688 TO THE CLOSE OF THE FOURTH INDIAN WAR IN 1726.
1688. After this pacification till the abdication of James II. the arbitrary conduct of the agents sent by his deputy at New York for the management of affairs here, gave little encouragement for the re-settlement of the country ; but many Dutch families were induced to settle at Pemaquid and on the west bank of the Damariscotta, who, especially at the latter place, then called New Dartmouth, now Newcastle, entered upon the business of agriculture with such spirit and success as to gain for the settlement the name of " the garden of the east."* In 1688 Sir Edmund Andros made two expeditions to this quarter, in the first of which he at- tempted to take possession of the country east of Penobscot, but contented himself with plundering the Baron de Castine of his goods, furniture, and ammunition. This affair irritat- ing the Baron, led the tribe, over which his influence ex- tended, to unite with the Abenaques in a second Indian war, which in August, of that year, was begun by an attack on N. Yarmouth. In September, New Dartmouth was burnt, and the inhabitants, with the exception of two families taken prisoners, saved themselves only by taking refuge in the fort. At the same time the fort and buildings at Sheepscot were also destroyed and the settlements entirely broken up. The Dutch settlers, discouraged, left the country ; and both places, so lately and so long inhabited and flourishing, lay waste about thirty years.t
1689. In consequence of the revolution in England and the accession of William and Mary to the throne in 1688, war was, in May, 1689, declared between England and France ; and the dread of the latter power added to that of the Indians, excited the most gloomy apprehensions in the colonies.
This war, commonly called " King William's war," though conducted with spirit and interesting in its details, was mostly carried on in places too remote to come within the scope of this work. In August, 1689, the fort at Pemaquid was taken by assault and most of the inhabitants killed or
* 2 Math. Mag. p. 507-9.
+ Sullivan, p. 165. 1 Will. His. p. 587, 609.
27
ANNALS OF WARREN
carried into captivity. Discouraged by this and fresh depre- dations upon the Kennebec, the inhabitants eastward of Fal- mouth withdrew to that town, or removed to other places of more security. Madockawando, though he entered into this war with reluctance, and in 1693 and 4 was frequently in ne- gotiation with the English for a temporary truce and the ex- change of prisoners, was yet actively engaged in it and made his prowess felt as far west as Dover, N. H. The Wawe- nocks were chiefly withdrawn to other tribes ; and Jack Pud- ding, or Sheepscot John, was the only chief of that tribe now remaining .*
1691. The arbitrary measures of James in New Eng- land being ended with his reign, and the grants of territory made to him in America having been declared vacant, a new charter was granted by William and Mary, Oct. 7, 1691, embracing the former colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Maine, Sagadahoc, and Acadia including Nova Scotia. The last of these provinces was, a few years after, relinquished to the crown, and the " Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay" terminated eastward at the St. Croix. The territory from the Piscataqua to the Kennebec, which Massachusetts previously claimed by purchase from the heirs of Gorges, continued to be known as the province of Maine, and that from the latter river to the St. Croix as the colony of Saga- dahoc. Sir William Phips was the first royal Governor under the new charter.
Phips was born in Woolwich, upon the Sheepscot, Feb. 2, 1650 ; one of the youngest of his mother's twenty-six children, twenty-one being sons. Bereaved of his father when a child, he passed his boyhood with his mother till he was 18; after- wards learning the trade of a ship carpenter, and acquiring some education. About the time of Philip's war, he built a ship in Sheepscot river ; and, being driven away by the Indians, he became a seafaring adventurer. In some of his voyages he heard that a Spanish ship laden with silver, had been wrecked and sunk, half a century before, not far from the Bahama islands. He told the interesting story to the Duke of Albemarle, and, entering into an agreement with him, sailed twice under his auspices from England into those waters, in search of the wreck. During the second voyage, in 1687, after indefatigable efforts, he found it, between forty and fifty feet under water; and took from it the immense treasure of thirty-four tons of silver, besides gold, pearls and
* Sullivan, p. 147 & 8. 1 Will. His. p. 606.
28
ANNALS OF WARREN.
jewels - equivalent in value to $1,350,000. Of this treas- ure, his part exceeded $70,000, besides a golden cup, worth $4,000, presented to his wife by his noble patron. For his enterprise, success, and honesty, King James conferred upon him the order of knighthood, and appointed him High Sheriff of New England. This was during the administration of Andros, with whom he differed so widely in politics that he declined the office. In 1690 he was appointed to the com- mand of an expedition which sailed from Boston, April 28th, and in the space of ten days captured Port Royal and the other French ports in Acadia.
He was less successful in an expedition against Quebec in the autumn, which failed and was attended with such loss, that, to defray the expenses, paper money was for the first time issued by Massachusetts. His administration continued till his death in Feb. 1695 .*
1692-99. In 1692 the celebrated stronghold, Fort Wm. Henry, was built of stone by Gov. Phips on the site of the old stockade at Pemaquid. This in 1696 was disgracefully surrendered by its commander, Capt. Chubb. Several expe- ditions into the castern country were made by Captains Church, Converse and March, the last of whom, landing his men, Sept. 9, 1697, at Damariscotta, was attacked by the sav- ages ere well ashore, and, though he gallantly charged and repulsed them, had twelve or thirteen of his men killed and as many more wounded. The same year peace between the French and English was concluded at Ryswick ; but the war lingered among the savages through the following year. In Oct. 1698 a conference was held at Penobscot with the Indians, then in mourning for Madockawando and several other Sachems of the east, who had lately fallen victims to a grievous unknown disease raging among them. They were anxious to terminate the war; and June 7, 1699 a final treaty of peace was signed and ratified at Brunswick.t
During the whole of this war, little is said of the territory at St. George's ; the proprietors having kept up no establish- ment there. In May, 1694, Gov. Phips, apparently without any knowledge of the Muscongus patent, obtained of Ma- dockawando, at Pemaquid, a deed of the lands on St. Geor- ge's river as far up as the lower falls, or head of tide waters .¿ But Acadia having, on the conclusion of peace, returned to
* Holmes' American Ann. p. 474, 8. 1 Will. His. 596, 8.
+ 2 Math. Mag. p. 553. C. Southac's Dep. - Sec. Office.
# Whipple's Acadie, p. 71.
29
ANNALS OF WARREN.
France without any definite limits, and the territory between the Kennebec and St. Croix being again in dispute between the two countries, no attempt was made to occupy, either under the title of Phips or that of the patentees.
1700. The year 1700 was distinguished by the suppres- sion of pirates or buccaneers, who had for thirty years infested the American coast, and, since the late war, become very troublesome to the eastern coasting and fishing vessels. Their leaders, Kidd and Bradish, were sent to England and executed .* But the stories of hidden treasures guarded by the ghosts of murdered slaves, which imagination and credulity have assigned to almost every island and headland along the coast, long continued to haunt the minds of the simple and try their courage and perseverance in fruitless attempts to disinter them. Even at the present day, excited by some idle dreamer, or designing wag, a party is occasion- ally seen in solitary places near our river's mouth or on the neighboring islands, armed with charm of mystic power dig- ging by the dim lantern's light for that treasure, which, from some supposed omission of the rites required, still eludes their grasp and disappears.
1702. On the death of King William, March 8, 1702, Anne, the sister of the late queen, ascended the throne of England ; upon which, war was declared by the King of France who supported the claims of her excluded catholic brother. As the English had now no settlements east of Fal- mouth, few of the events of this, the third Indian war, fall within the limits of this work. The remains of the Wawe- nocks and the other tribes west of the Penobscot, were soon after induced by the French to remove to the river St. Fran- cois, there forming a settlement and tribe often denominated " the St. Francois Indians." Castine had now returned to France with his wealth ; but his son, generally called Castine the younger, born of a Tarratine woman, continued at Big- ayduce. He was a person of an excellent character and amiable disposition, inheriting neither the bigotry of the French nor the ferocity of the savages. Seeing the wasting effect of war upon the Indians, he lost no opportunity in promoting a friendly intercourse with the English ; yet a small party of the latter, actuated we know not by what motives of wickedness or folly, visited his house under the mask of friendship and plundered it of " great spoil." This act was deeply regretted by government and ample indemnity
* 2 Will. His. p. 31.
3*
30
ANNALS OF WARREN.
promised ; the English being desirous of giving the natives no provocation for engaging in the present war. They were however not to be detached from their French allies, and soon made fresh inroads upon all the frontier settlements .*
1710-1716. By the surrender of Port Royal to Gen. Nicholson, Oct. 2, 1710, Acadia again fell into the hands of the English ; and by the treaty of Utrecht, March 30, 1713, that province was made over to the crown of Great Britain forever. The peace in Europe was soon followed by a treaty with the Indians, which was signed at Portsmouth, July 13, 1713, by eight Sagamores in behalf of all the eastern Indians and afterwards more extensively ratified at Falmouth. The English, notwithstanding, were cautious in renewing their deserted settlements ; but license was granted for the re-settlement of Saco, Scarboro', Falmouth and Arrowsick, on condition that the houses should be placed so compactly on small lots near the sea as to be easily defended, with suffi- cient outlots for cultivation. In 1715 Fort George was erect- ed at the lower falls of the Androscoggin, and the following year a town of twenty-six families incorporated at the mouth of the Kennebec, and named Georgetown in honor of George I. crowned in 1714. Encouraged by this, the proprietors of the Plymouth patent on the Kennebec, erected a stone fort at the head of tide waters on that river. Saw-mills were also built there, and large quantities of lumber manufactured and exported. Dr. Noyes, one of these proprietors, engaged in the sturgeon fishery, which he carried on in the Kennebec and its branches for several years, sometimes employing no less than twenty vessels in taking and transporting these fish to London where they were highly esteemed. The county of Yorkshire, which had hitherto embraced only the late province of Maine, was now extended to the St. Croix; and York established as its only shire town.f The fort at Pem- aquid was also ordered to be repaired and garrisoned. But these forts, and especially the mills, were viewed with much jealousy and repugnance by the savages ; and dread of their opposition and the rumor of an approaching rupture with France, deterred the former settlers from returning. Efforts were made, however, which for the present proved success- ful, to pacify the Indians and deter them from any hostile movement.
1717. As a means of conciliating the Indians and coun- teracting the influence of the Jesuits, the General Court in
* 2 Will. His. p. 40, 42.
+ 2 Will. His. p. 88, 91.
31
ANNALS OF WARREN.
1717, and again in 1720, offered a salary of £150 a year to any minister who would reside at Fort George, acquire the language of the natives and instruct them in religion. In con- sequence of this offer Rev. Joseph Baxter of Medfield made two visits to this region, one in 1717 and 18, the other in 1721. His coming was viewed with jealousy by the Jesuit Ràle, a French missionary at Norridgewock, whose influence, deservedly great, was exerted to prevent the Indians from attending his instructions .*
On the 9th of August, 1717, a conference was held at Georgetown between Lieut. Gov. Dummer, attended by sev- eral members of the Council and other gentlemen, with eight principal chiefs of the Indian tribes ; in which he endeavored to impress upon their minds the power and importance of the king, the common sovereign of both the Indians and English, and the superiority of the protestant religion, offering them a Bible and presenting them Mr. Baxter as a missionary to re- side there for their instruction, with the promise of a school- master to teach their children to read. He told them that these eastern forts and settlements were undertaken partly
for their accommodation in the way of trade, partly for mutual protection ; and, being on land which the English had pur- chased, must not be molested. After making some com- plaints of Indian aggressions, he invited them freely to com- municate any thing they had to suggest or complain of. Con- sulting over night, they returned an answer remarkable for its wariness and the struggle going on in their minds between necessity and inclination. " We shall be," said they, " very obedient to King George if we like the offers made us, and if we are not molested in the improvement of our lands. We embrace the English that have settled among us in our bosom, but desire there be no further settlements made - we cannot hold them all in our bosom." As to the missionary, " it would be strange if they should not love one that came from God ;" but as to the Bible they begged to be excused, as they had teaching already, and, if they should go from that, should displease God. They expressed great uneasi- ness about the forts and mills; and said they " should be pleased with King George if there was never a fort in the eastern parts." After being repeatedly and sharply inter- rupted by the Governor, who insisted on the rights of the English to what they had purchased, and of the king to build forts in his own dominions, they abruptly departed, leav-
* Baxter's MS. Journal, as quoted in Francis's Life of Rale.
32
ANNALS OF WARREN.
ing behind the British flag which they had carried when they came. Being refused an audience under the French colors, and a letter from Rale rejected as unworthy of regard, they, all but one, returned the next day with an apology for their impoliteness, and finally consented to confirm existing treaties and allow the English to settle where they had done before .*
1719-20. In 1719 some steps were taken towards the re-settlement of places farther east. Fearful of losing their possessions by the statute of limitation, many of the former settlers seriously made preparations for returning. In this and the following summer, Michael Thomas, as tenant for Rev. Christopher Tappan of Newbury, who claimed under deed from Walter Phillips, settled with his family and two or three workmen on the western side of Damariscotta at the lower falls, there being then no other inhabitants there except Indians. Wm. Hilton, Richard Pierce, and John Brown, Jr. had returned, and resided at Broad Cove, Muscongus, and New Harbor. Hilton was one of the heirs of Sander Gould.t
John Leverett, who since the death of his father had be- come the proprietor of the Muscongus patent, also seriously contemplated the re-occupation and settlement of that grant. But considering the enterprise too formidable for a single individual, he, Aug. 14, 1719, associated others with him and divided the grant into ten shares; one of which was given to Spencer Phips, adopted son and heir of Governor Phips, in exchange for the Indian title from Madockawando. It was subsequently divided into 30 shares, and others, called the 20 associates, admitted into the company as tenants in common, under mutual obligations for procuring settlers and making preparations for their accommodation. For this pur- pose, in 1719 and 20 they erected two strong blockhouses on the eastern edge of St. George's River, with a covered way to the water side and a large area between them enclosed by palisades. This was situated in front of the mansion of the late Gen. Knox in the present town of Thomaston. The
Indians " daily resorted there in great numbers and oft-times threatened those employed in building and clearing the land, who used several stratagems to get them from off those lands." The company also built a double saw-mill, probably on what has since been called Mill Creek or River ; bought a sloop, and employed other vessels and a number of men in the undertaking ; erected near 30 " frames for houses ;" and were engaging persons to begin the settlement. In con-
* Ind. Conference of 1717.
t Com. Rep. p. 95, 6, 111, 127.
33
ANNALS OF WARREN.
sequence of the jealousy and hostile disposition of the In- dians, a garrison of 20 men was maintained, provided with cannon, small arms, and other means of defence. These were put under the command of Capt. Thomas Westbrook, one of the " 20 associates."*
1721. Instigated by the French Jesuits, the Indians in 1721 began to make aggressions in various places, killing cattle and insulting and threatening the inhabitants. Meas- ures were taken by the English to counteract this French in- fluence ; the Rev. Mr. Baxter, missionary, spent a portion of this year at St. George's, and efforts were made to conciliate the tribe at Penobscot, who had not yet committed them- selves. The more aged chiefs of that, as well as other tribes, were inclined to peace ; but, by the redoubled efforts of the French, the tribes were divided in opinion and outrages fre- quently committed. On the arrival at Arrowsic of 200 or more, accompanied by Ràle and Castine, threatening to de- stroy the inhabitants unless they immediately removed, the Indians were directed to deliver up Ràle and every Jesuit priest, on pain of being treated as rebels and traitors, and an order issued for seizing and sending to Boston any Indian seen in arms. Under this order Castine was seized at his residence and transported to Boston. But, as it was difficult to define his offence, and he gave a satisfactory account of his conduct, he was discharged after a confinement of five months.t
1722. In 1722 a farther attempt was made to reconcile the natives and attach them to the English interest; but many things combined to frustrate and render hopeless all farther efforts of the kind. The fourth Indian war, called " the three years, or Lovewell's war," was commenced June 13, 1722, and carried on by the savages alone, unaided, openly, by their former allies. The first attack was made at Merry-meet- ing, where nine families were taken captive. At Damaris- cove a party of six took a fishing vessel, pinioned and beat the master and crew, who at length getting loose, fell sud- denly upon their assailants, mortally wounding two and throwing one overboard. About this time some persons at Pemaquid, and Wm. Hilton at Broad Cove, were killed ; and the family of Mr. Pierce at Muscongus removed for safety. It was probably about this time, also, that Mrs. Gray and her
* Report of Committee, General Court, 1731. Waldo's petition to Gov. Belcher, Mass. MS. papers, vol. 114, p. 116, 152.
+ 2 Will. His. p. 106, 8, &c.
34
ANNALS OF WARREN.
six children were massacred at Damariscotta on the place subsequently purchased by Hon. John Farley .*
The next attack was at St. George's. On the 15th of June a body of 200 Indians surprised and burnt the proprietor's sloop, killed one and took six men prisoners, burnt the saw- mill, some houses and frames, and made a vigorous attack upon the blockhouses, which with difficulty were saved by the bravery of the garrison.t
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.