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 8
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1744. As soon as the news of the declaration of war by France, which took place March 15th, 1744, arrived in this country, the French, who first received the intelligence, in concert with the Indians, commenced the war in Nova Scotia by an attack on Canseau and Annapolis. Immediate measures were adopted for the defence of the eastern coun- try ; and encouragement was given to the inhabitants to remain and defend their possessions. The garrison at St. George's was still farther increased to forty men.
As the St. Johns Indians were concerned in the attack upon Annapolis, it was feared that the other eastern Indians would be disposed also to join their old allies in a new effort against the English ; especially as all the Etechemin tribes, whose country extended from the Penobscot to the St Johns, formed, by their own account, one and the same people. War was therefore declared against all the Indians east of the Passamaquoddy ; and those to the west of that river were forbidden to hold any intercourse with them.
Great precautions were taken to preserve peace with these last mentioned tribest. An Indian having been killed and others wounded by persons unknown, every thing was done to abate the rising indignation of the tribe ; a blanket, other articles, and £40 in money, were given the widow of the deceased ; and the others after having their wounds dressed, were carefully conveyed to Penobscot. To test anew the fidelity and friendship of the tribe, Col. Pepperell came to
* Jour. House of Rep. 1743. Orig. Deed from Waldo to T. Kil- patrick acknowledged by Bradbury as Justice of the Peace, Jan. 31, 1743.
t Rev. T. Smith of Falmouth wrote in his journal, July 12, " Sev- eral gentlemen from the Court with others, with the Mohawks, are now down at George's, treating with the Penobscot Indians about being at peace with us." Satisfactory assurances were given and the fears of the settlers allayed.
6*
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St. George's in November, as a commissioner, and requested of the Sagamores their quota of fighting men, according to the stipulations in Dummer's treaty which had been so often renewed. He told them if they would enter into the public service, they should receive soldiers' pay and rations, and every supply ; but if they failed in this, war would, at the end of forty days, be proclaimed against them. In January they sent, by express, their answer to Boston, stating " that their young men would not comply with the proposal of taking up arms against the St. John's Indians, their brethren."
There were at this time, in the two eastern provinces, Maine and Sagadahoc, 2,855 able bodied or fencible men, who were organized into two regiments, one commanded by Col. Wm. Pepperell of Kittery, and the other by Col. Samuel Waldo of Falmouth. Of these men there were at Broad Bay and St. George's 270. One hundred effective men were enlisted to act as scouts between St. George's and Berwick. Of these 14 were placed at Damariscotta to scout as far as Broad Bay, and 14 at that place to scout as far as St. George's.
1745. In 1745 the celebrated expedition against Louis- burg was undertaken. In planning this enterprise, Gov. Shirley was aided by Wm. Vaughan, Esq. of Damariscotta, a gentleman extensively concerned in the castern fisheries, and son of the Lieut. Governor of New Hampshire. His first plan was to surprise the fort in the dead of winter, mounting the walls on snow shoes over the drifts, or if neces- sary by scaling ladders. Other means were suggested, and when the final plan was matured, Capt. Edward Ting was appointed Commodore of the fleet ; Col. Pepperell, Lieut. General and commander-in-chief of the land forces; and Col. Waldo a Brig. General under him. The two last were merchants extensively engaged in business, and were selected for their popular manners, energetic character, and great moral worth, rather than any skill in military affairs, in which they had had no experience beyond that of Indian skirmishes. But the event proved that indomitable resolution and enthu- siastic confidence can sometimes effect what the most consum- mate skill would shrink from in despair. To Mr. Vaughan was given a Lieut. Colonel's commission, without any partic- ular command, he preferring the trust of such special duties as the Commander-in-chief might consider his adventurous genius best fitted to perform.
Under the auspices of these determined men, enlistments were made, with such vigor especially in this eastern country,
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that with the aid of the other New England colonies, a force was raised, in less than two months, amounting to 4000 men, and a squadron of 13 vessels, carrying about 200 guns. Many of the settlers at St. George's enlisted in this expedi- tion. Several from the upper town, took their families with them, some remaining at Louisburg three years, and others never returning. So great was the gloom that hung over the settlement, that all deserted their farms. Some went into the garrison, doing duty and receiving pay as soldiers ; others removed to Pemaquid, and yet others to Boston and its vicinity. Among those that went to Louisburg, were Walker, Kelloch, and Gregg with their families, also Barnard and Allen, the latter of whom died there. Pebbles died at home after enlisting. Alexander, Starrett, Lushe, Spear, A. Ler- mond, M'Craken and Campbell removed to their friends in Massachusetts. Wm. Lermond died suddenly from heat and exhaustion on a journey to Damariscotta ; and Giffen, North and others, went to Pemaquid. Boggs removed his family to Boston, and resided there during the war .* Most of them previously took the precaution to get their deeds recorded, which was done at York, the shiretown of the county, then including the whole territory now constituting the State of Maine.
At Broad Bay the prospect was still more gloomy. There, no fort or garrison offered its protection to the dismayed in- habitants ; they had no friends on this side of the ocean to flec to ; and being wholly unused to Indian warfare, they all enlisted under Waldo, and, removing their familes to Louis- burg, remained there three years. William Burns, whose brother at that time resided at Broad Bay, and had command of a transport in the expedition to Louisburg, took a commis- sion and raised a company for the defence of that neighbor- hood.+
By a succession of providential events, favorable to the English, and equally adverse to their foes, the fortress at Louisburg, the Gibraltar of America, surrendered on the 16th June, to the great joy of the colonies, and the astonishment of Europe. This event was celebrated, in the principal New England towns, by bonfires, the ringing of bells, and on the 13th of July by a public thanksgiving.
The refusal of the Tarratines to take up arms for the En-
* Tradition, A Kelloch, 1st. Mrs. I. Fuller, &c.
t Jos. Ludwing, Esq. Com. Rep. 1811, p. 162.
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.
glish, the withdrawal of their trade from the truck-houses, and the removal of many of them to Canada, so evidently indicated their hostile disposition, that Capt. Saunders was despatched, in the Province sloop, to communicate the news of the great victory, in hopes of overawing and bringing them into an alliance. The news, however, had a contrary effect. The Indians felt a strong sympathy with their old allies ; and having little to lose themselves, and seeing the frontier exposed by the enlistments into the late expedition, they resolved to be neutral no longer.
The first act of hostility was committed by them, July 19th, at St. George's. Several of the savages from Cape Sable, St. John, and St. Francois, uniting, began by attack- ing the fort ; upon which, however, they could make no im- pression. They then set on fire a garrisoned house and the saw-mill at Mill River; burnt a few dwellinghouses in the vicinity ; killed a great number of the cattle ; and took cap- tive one of the inhabitants .*
Besides the principal fort, block-houses were built near the narrows, and also near the mouth of the river. The com- mand of the latter, at Pleasant Point, was given to 'Thomas Henderson,t who had alienated the two lots, possessed in later times by the Dunbars in Warren, in favor of Boice Cooper, as before related. The Province sloop occasionally visited the river, supplying the garrison with provisions ; and as most, or all, of the inhabitants that remained there, did duty as soldiers, their pay and rations enabled them to support their families.
This sloop was commanded by one Capt. Saunders, and at a later period by his son ; the latter of whom was once taken by a party of French and Indians. Under the guise of a happy and contented appearance, he allayed all their apprehensions of his escape, and at Owl's Head took an opportunity, when they were sound asleep, to abscond with their bag of money amounting to about $200. This he hid under a log and returned to the fort at St. George's. Many years afterwards, returning from Louisburg with Gen. Am- herst on board, he related this adventure to him, and being becalmed off that place, requested him to go on shore and assist in looking for the money. The General, without much confidence in the story, consented ; when, to his great sur-
* 2 Will. His. p. 236.
t Previous to the settlement of St. Georges he had resided at Round Pond, Bristol.
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prisc, Saunders, with equal exultation, laid his hand upon the prize .*
A demand having been made upon the Penobscot and Nor- ridgewock tribes, either to deliver up the Indians who had done the late mischief at St. George's, or furnish thirty fight- ing men, according to Dummer's treaty, and the demand hav- ing been rejected, the Provincial government proclaimed war against all the eastern Indians without exception ; and offered for every Indian captive or scalp, taken westward of Passa- maquoddy, by a soldier in the public service, ££100, - by a person having provisions and not wages, &250,-and by a volunteer, without rations, pay, or ammunition, 400, as bounties.
Within two months after the first blow was struck, every town on the eastern frontier was visited by parties or strag- glers, from some of the savage hordes, thirsting for the set- tlers' blood. In the vicinity of St. George's, one Lieut. Proctor and nineteen militia-men had a skirmish with the enemy, Sept. 5th ; in which they killed two of the savage leaders, Col. Morris and Capt. Sam, and took Col. Job pris- oner. He was afterwards sent to Boston where he died in confinement. To avoid the enmity of his kindred, and the ill-will of his squaw, the government, after peace, made her a valuable present. Sept. 19th was observed as a public fast on account of this war.t
1746. Although the operations of 1746 were chiefly directed against Canada, the garrison at St. George's and other eastern posts were strengthened by an additional num- ber of men. In none of the Indian wars were the savages more subtle and inveterate, but in none less cruel. They de- spaired of laying waste the country and expelling the inhabi- tants. They rather sought to satiate their revenge upon par- ticular individuals, or families ; to take captives and scalps for the sake of the premium paid for them by the French ; and to satisfy their wants by the plunder of houses or slaugh- ter of cattle ; a cow or an ox being frequently killed by them and nothing taken but the tongue.
Outrages were committed at Pemaquid, Sheepscot, and Wiscasset ; and May 21st they fell upon Broad Bay and destroyed what remained of it, burning the houses, killing some of the inhabitants and carrying others into captivity. It subsequently lay waste till the close of the war.
* Wm. Lermond, Mrs. Montgomery, &c.
t Smith's Jour. p. 120.
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The next day 13 men being sent about half a gun-shot from the fort at St. George's "to strip some bark for the preservation of the whale boats," and a part of them having strayed from the rest and carelessly laid down their arms, seven or eight Indians suddenly sprung up from their con- cealment, got between the men and their weapons, which they seized and commenced a brisk fire, killing one man, wounding four, and taking one prisoner. This fire was re- turned by such of our men as retained their arms, and soon after by the whole garrison. The party made good their retreat into the fort, except one man, who, retarded by age and closely pursued by an Indian, suddenly turned and shot him dead whilst in the act of raising his tomahawk to dis- patch him. The fire of the garrison was so sharp as to deter the other Indians from coming up, and the old man stopped long enough to take off the scalp of his victim. Another Indian fell at the first onset and was carried away by his companions ; who, from the traces of blood on their retreat, were supposed to have had others wounded. Eliakim Hunt was the person killed, and Timothy Cummings was the prisoner .*
1747. In 1747, among other measures adopted for the protection of the eastern country, thirty men were assigned to the fort at St. George's, strong bodies of rangers were employed farther west, Gen. Waldo was ordered to detach, for the eastern service, a portion of his regiment which had been designed to act against Crown Point, and the province sloop continued to range the eastern coast. Yet the frontier towns were soon infested with savages; and among others, attacks were made upon Wiscasset, Pemaquid and Damaris- cotta, at the last of which the owner of a house was taken prisoner and his wife and daughter slain.
Early in September, a large party of Indians, mixed with some Frenchmen, after shooting down a party of five men, about break of day made a furious attack upon Fort Frederic and continued the assault for more than two hours. But that fortress being constructed of stone, they were unable to make any impression upon it, and withdrew. This or another mixed party of like character, next besieged the fort at St. George's in a different manner. They made two several
* American Magazine, May and June, 1746. Smith in his Journal says " May 23, 1746. News came from Georges that the Indians had fallen on a company of our men, killed one and wounded a second, and that our people killed an Indian which they scalped, and wound- nd a second, which they hope is dead."
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attempts to open a subterraneous passage from the bank of the river, in order to undermine and blow up the fort. But the design was frustrated by the accidental caving in of the earth in consequence of heavy rains. This was, as tradition relates, after the magazine was introduced, several of the miners being buried and killed by the accident. The enemy then withdrew ; but straggling parties continued to lurk in the woods, watching for every opportunity to annoy the whites .*
David Creighton and some others, going out a little dis- tance from the fort, were fired upon, killed and scalped. Some ventured out to work on their farms under a guard of soldiers. Boice Cooper before mentioned, and Reuben Pitcher, going down the river for rock weed, were beset, taken prisoners, and carried off to Canada. The former continuing his usual contented and jovial manner, and ac- commodating himself to the Indian humour, readily answering their questions respecting the cattle, number of men at the fort, and other matters, received good usage. While in prison in Canada, a fellow prisoner from Ireland died, and bequeath- ed him his violin. Cooper's skill on this instrument, like that of Joseph in the interpretation of dreams, soon made him known to the governor, at whose house he was well enter- tained, till on an exchange of prisoners, he was restored to liberty and returned.+
The winter of this year was, in this eastern country, a season of great distress. But little had been raised from the soil ; little lumber could be got out, on account of the savages ; the depth of snow and severity of the weather proved unusually great ; and, before spring, corn was worth 30s. a bushel, and wheat flour £10 a hundred.
1748. In 1748, numerous attacks were made, as usual, upon the settlements between the Androscoggin and Saco; and these bloody scenes, returning every year, were rendered the present season more dismal by the gloomy and desolate appearance of the fields and gardens, produced by the early and extreme drought. But, on the 2d of July, the joy- ful news arrived at Falmouth that the contending powers had agreed upon the preliminaries of peace ; and though the definitive treaty was not signed, at Aix-la-Chapelle, till the 7th of Oct., we hear of no more ravages by the eastern Indians in this war. Although troops, to the number of 323 men, were continued in service through the winter for the
Will. Hist., A. Kelloch, &c, + Mrs. Montgomery, J. Huse, &c.
*
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defence and safety of the eastern inhabitants ; yet means were used to ascertain the wishes and dispositions of the Indians upon the subject of a treaty. Early in the spring, several chiefs visiting the fort at St. George's, told the com- mander, Capt. Bradbury, that the Indians were tired of the war; and if in Boston, they would agree with the Governor upon terms of peace. Thereupon a passage thither was given them in the Province vessel. Their professions -of peace were favorably received at that place, and on the 16th of Oct. 1749, a treaty was concluded and signed at Falmouth, founded substantially on the provisions of the preceding, or Dummer's treaty.
1749. When peace was restored, the settlers that remained in the garrison, and many that had gone to Massa- chusetts and other places, returned to their farms and began their labors anew. During this war, their houses went to decay, or were destroyed by the Indians; the two mills were burnt ; the cattle mostly killed or driven away; many of the inhabitants were slain or taken prisoners ; and the leaden sashes of the meeting-house were taken out by the Indians for bullets, although the glass was carefully piled up unin- jured. But efforts were now made to repair these losses ; the huts of the settlers rose again on the bank of the river ; which was now as before, their only highway, except a footpath leading through the bushes from house to house .*
Among those that now returned to their farms and formed the second settlement of the upper town, were probably, Thomas, John and Andrew Kilpatrick, John North, Jr. Joseph Giffen, Wm. James, Alexander Lermond, Hugh Scot, Heinbury, Boice Cooper, John Young, Alexander McLean, James and John Howard, Wm. McIntyre, Moses Robinson, Phinley Kelloch, Thomas Gregg, Montford, David Patterson, Thomas and John McCordy, Archibald Gamble, James McCarter, and Samuel and John Boggs. To these was added, about this time Patrick Porterfield on lot No. 48, whilst the young Creightons, Samuel and David, as soon as their age permitted, took possession of the lots of their de- ceased father and brother. Among the absentees were the Alexanders, the Walkers, John Scot, Wm. Lermond, McCra- ken, Henderson, John McLean, Lushe, Campbell, Spear, Allen, Lincoln, Blair, Pebbles, Creighton and Starrett. Sev- eral of these had deceased, as before noted. The Walkers removed to Louisburg and afterwards settled in Worcester,
* A. and W. Lermond, L. Parsons, 1st, &c.
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Massachusetts, where William, the father, died in 1760. Henderson removed to Pleasant Point ; Lushe and Campbell died in Boston ; Spear and Starrett remained in Massachu- setts, the former at Woburn, the latter at Dedham, though a son of each returned at the close of the succeeding war, and occupied the lots of their fathers. Henry Alexander, pro- bably, returned, or died abroad, as a widow of that name was here as late as 1763. In 1780, one half of John Alexander's lot was, by a person of the same name (perhaps a son) of Providence, R. I. conveyed to Eliphalet Healy of Attleboro'; and the other half, by Henry Alexander (probably another son) to Nathaniel Woodcock, both of Attleboro'; from which we infer that a part of the family, at least, settled near those towns. Respecting McCraken, McDowel, and Blair, there is more uncertainty. Lincoln returned to Ireland.
In reorganizing the militia, Thomas Kilpatrick was selected for Captain, who received a commission as such ; and P. Porterfield was a subaltern under him. The settlers continu- ed to get out cordwood and staves during the winter, and gradually extended their clearings, and enlarged their agricul- tural operations. But little was raised, however, except English grain and potatoes. The latter were brought to New England in 1719 from Ireland by the emigrants who settled at Londonderry, N. H., and were first cultivated in the garden of Nathaniel Walker of Andover .* They were originally found growing wild in the central parts of this continent, were carried thence to Ireland by Sir Walter Ra- leigh, who cultivated them in his garden for the beauty of their flowers. The soil of Ireland was so congenial to this root, that the tubers, at first not larger than beans, soon in- creased to such a size as led to a trial of their edible qualities. Proving a valuable article of food, they were diffused through that island, and, about this time, began to extend to the neigh- boring countries. The first settlers here, had either brought a knowledge of them from their native country, or obtained it from their brethren westward. They formed, accordingly, one of the first and principal articles cultivated by them ; though it was not till a much later period that they were raised for feeding cattle. In times of scarcity, when other provisions failed, potatoes and alewives were the general refuge. Mr. Gregg, when making some purchase of a mer- chant in Boston, was once inquired of " how the people down
* Belk. Hist. N. H.
7
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east got along, and what they lived on ?" " Oh," said Gregg,
" we have roast and boiled every day." " Ah!" replied the merchant, " that is better than we fare here, we never think of having both at the same meal. If we can get one, we are very willing to dispense with the other." " But we," said Gregg, " boil potatoes, and roast alewives, at every meal."*
Most of these early settlers were bred to mechanical em- ployments. Lermond was a weaver by trade, but early ac- quired the use of the broad axe, and was much employed in the construction of buildings. When about twelve years of age, he came to this country in the family of his father, who settled in Milton, Mass. Several of the family came to Dam- ariscotta, whence one of them, William, removed and joined his brother in the first settlement of this town, but died as before related. Robinson, who first, a few years before the settlement here, lived in the present Cushing, made some pretensions to skill in medicine, and was the first physician in the settlement. His son, William, succeeded him in the prac- tice of blood-letting and extracting teeth ; and many medici- nal plants long survived upon their farm. North was a sur- veyor, and was considerably employed as such on this river, at Pemaquid, Kennebec, and other places. In 1737, he was engaged with Shem Drown, agent of the proprietors, in run- ning out the Pemaquid patent. In 1753, he surveyed the Kennebec for the Plymouth Co., and, in 1757, was again in the employ of Mr. Drown at Pemaquid.t Others of the set- tlers were occasionally employed as seamen ; and McIntyre was for a time master of a sloop. He was often employed in Boston, where several of his children resided. His son, Neil McIntyre, was established as a tobacconist in that place, and Mary, a daughter, was among the creditors of both William and his son Robert, of this settlement, at their death.} Neil McIntyre had a son of the same name, following the same business, in Portsmouth, N. H. whose children, 23 in number, removed, and carried the name to various parts of the south and west.§ Spear, it is said, came with his parents from Ire-
* L. Parsons. D. Dicke, &c.
t Their descendants ; and Controversy of Pej. Pro. & Ply. Co., published in 1753.
į York Records.
§ Com. of Hon. Rufus MeIntire, Parsonsfield. The York McIntires were of a different family, descending from Micum or Malcolm McIntire who came from the Highlands of Scotland. He is said to have been one of seven brothers taken prisoners, fighting in behalf of King Charles, and transported to different parts of America by order of Cromwell.
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land, intending to join two brothers who had previously settled in Virginia ; but, by some chance, was compelled to land in Boston. His mother, according to tradition, was ten years old at the siege of Londonderry, and remembered the distress and famine of that time, said to be so grievous, that on one occasion a rat's head sold for 13 guineas. He worked in Boston and vicinity several vears, and became owner of 100 acres of land there, near the drawbridge, which he subse- quently sold, and purchased a farm in Woburn. On this, he was now comfortably settled, and did not himself return to St. George's. He lived, and was able to take a part in the battle of Bunker Hill, but died before the close of the revolu- tion. Kelloch, when a minor, came to Portsmouth, N. H. with his father, who there engaged in the oil trade and stur- geon fishery. Incurring a loss by fire, he relinquished that business, and settled on a farm at or near Philadelphia ; but the son came hither with the first settlers. Starrett was a shoemaker, and, with his wife and two children, first landed at Pemaquid or Harrington, and resided there a few years before settling here. T. Kilpatrick, who also resided a time in Harrington, was a tanner; and Pebbles, a tailor. James was a gentleman's son, and brought up to no particular occupation.
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