USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > Chronicles of Casco Bay > Part 2
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1 In 1677, Symon, with the assist- ance of another Indian, burnt a house in Portsmouth and captured two fe- males-one of them having a young child in her arms. Not being willing to be troubled with the child, they per- mitted it to be left with an aged wom- an, whom Symon spared, because, he said, she had been kind to his grand- mother. 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 Kim- bal, 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 at- tempted the destruction of the people of Falmouth. What made his crimes more aggravated, was his professing to be a Christian Indian.
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ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
Brackett, on resisting the savages, was killed on the spot. The following letter, written on the 16th of Au- gust, 1676, is by an eye-witness of the bloody tragedy.
1676.
HONOURED MOTHER,
After my duty and my wife's presented to yourselfe, these may inform you of [ the ] present health of our present being, when other of our friends are by the barbarous heathen cut off from having a being in this world. The Lord, [ of ] late, hath renewed his wit- nesses against vs, and hath dealt very bitterly with vs, in that we are deprived of the sociatie of our nearest friends by the breaking in of the adversarie against vs. On Friday last, in the morning, your own son with your two sons in Law, Anthony & Thomas Brack- et, & their whole families were killed and taken by the Indians, we know not how; tis certainly known by us that Thomas is slain & his wife & children car- ried away captive; & of Anthony & his family we haue no tidings & therefore think that they might be captivated the night before, because of the remoteness of their habitation from [ our ] neighborhood. Gm.1 Corban & all his family, Gm. Lewis & his wife, James Ross and all his family, Gm. Durham, John Munjoy & Daniel Wakely,2 Benjamin Hadwell3 and all his family, are lost, all slain by sun an hour high in the Morning & after; Gm. Wallis, his dwelling house & none besides his, is burnt. There are of men slain 11; of women & children, 23 killed & taken;4 we that are
1 Gm. is a contraction of Good- man. Corban's christian name was Robert.
2 In one account of this Indian war, we have seen the name of Isaac Wakely given, instead of Daniel.
3 This name is sometimes spelt Atwell.
This coincides with Hubbard's statement, that thirty-four persons were killed and carried into captivity.
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ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
1676. aliue are forced upon M'. Andrews his Island,1 to se- cure our own & the lives of our families. We haue but little provision and are so few in number that we are not able to bury the dead till more strength come to vs. The desire of the people to your selfe is, that you would be pleased to speak to M'. Munjoy & Dea- con Philips that they would entreat the Governo"r? that forthwith aid might be sent to vs, either to fight the enemie out of our borders, that our English Corn may be inned in whereby we may comfortably liue, or remoue vs out of danger, that we may provide for our selues elsewhere. Having no more, at present, but desiring your prayers to God for his preservation of vs in these times of danger, I rest,
your dutifull Son,
ffrom Casco-bay.
THADDEUS CLARK.3
16. 6. 76.
Remember my Loue to my Sister, &c.
These
ffor his honoured Mother, Mris. Elizabeth Harvey,4 living in Boston.
1 Bangs's Island is here referred to. It once belonged to James Andrews. 2 George Munjoy was sent to Fal- mouth with fifteen hundred pounds of bread, which was a great relief to the half famished inhabitants.
3 Thaddeus Clark was one of the early settlers of Falmonth. He mar- ried the second daughter of Michael Mitton, and was himself killed by the Indians, with thirteen of the company he commanded, in the year 1690. For this invaluable letter, which has prob- ably not seen the light for more than a century and a half, we are indebted to S. G. Drake, Esq. of Boston, who
has recently come in possession of it. We think Mr. Clark was a native of Boston. He was probably the son of Thomas Clark.
4 Elizabeth Harvey was the mother of Mr. Clark's wife, by a former hus- band, Michael Mitton. Her present husband was, undoubtedly, Thomas Harvey, who was born in Boston, October 18, 1641-who was a son of William and Joane Harvey. William Harvey died August 15, 1658, leaving four sons and one daughter. Abigail, who was born the 25th of February, 1640. Mrs. Harvey died in 1682.
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ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
Anthony Brackett was not killed, but, with his fam- ily, was taken prisoner. The manner of his escape is related by Hubbard.1
The Indians that led them captive, having brought them to the north side of Casco Bay, news was brought to them of the surprisal of Arowsic's house in Kenne- bec, with all the stores therein, which did so rejoice them, that they made all haste to share in the good things there to be had. Thus eager to be gone, they promised Brackett and his wife that they also should have a share therein if they would make haste after them, bringing along a burthen allotted to each of them. The woman having a little before observed an old birch canoe lying by the water side, hoped it was an opportunity Providence offered for their escape ; whereupon she first prudently asked the Indians to let the negro, their own servant, ( at the same time car- ried captive by them,) help them to carry their bur- then, which was granted ; then she begged of them a piece or two of meat, which was not denied them. Thus being furnished with help and provision, the In- dians leaving them behind to come after with their several burthens, and a young child, they could not but look upon it as a nutus Divinus, to bid them shift
1 William Hubbard was a minister of Ipswich, Mass. He was born in the year 1621. and graduated at HIar- vard college, in the first class, in 1642. IIc was ordained about the year 1657, as colleague with Rev. Mr. Cobbet. He wrote a History of New England, for which he received from the State fifty pounds. His other publications were-an clection sermon, entitled "The Happiness of a People in the Wisdom of their Rulers Directing and in the Obedience of their Brethren : "
" The Present State of New England, being a Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians from the first Plant- ing thereof in 1607 to 1677, but chief- ly of the two last years, 1675 and 1676, to which is added a Discourse about the war with the Pequots : " a Fast Sermon : a Funeral Discourse on Gen. Denison : "A Testimony to the Order of the Gospel in the church- es of New England with Mr. Higgin- son." Mr. Hubbard died in the year 1704, at the advanced age of 82.
1676.
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ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
1676. for themselves. The woman also found a needle and thread in the house, with which she mended the canoe, while they tarried on that side of the bay, in which they soon ventured to get away, which prosperously succeeded ; for in that old canoe they crossed a water eight or nine miles broad, and when they came on the south side of the bay, they might have been in as much danger of other Indians, that had lately been about Black Point, and had taken it; but they were newly gone. So things on all sides thus concurring to help forward their deliverance, they came safely to the flat at Black Point, where, also, by special providence, they met with a vessel bound for Piscataqua, that came into that harbor but a few hours before they came thither, by which means they arrived safe in Piscata- qua river soon after.
1689.
Thirteen years afterwards, in 1689, Mr. Brackett was again taken captive and remained among the In- dians about one year. In 1682, he commanded Fort Loyal1 and two military companies. He was also the representative of Falmouth to the General Assembly, under President Danforth's administration. He was shot by the Indians in the year 1689. His descend- ants still reside in Portland.
The next day after the slaughter by the Indians, a man by the name of George Felt,2 as we learn from Hubbard, suspecting the worst, by reason of a smoke he saw on the opposite side of the town, took his wife
1 Fort Loyal was situated at the foot of King, now India street.
2 George Felt became a freeman in Falmouth in 1660. He married the daughter of Jane Macworth. He was
killed by the Indians September 23, on Munjoy's [Peak's] Island. With him fell six or seven persons belong- ing to Casco-but whose names were never handed down.
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ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTHI.
and children into a canoe, to see what the matter was ; but when he came near a point of land, not far off, he found several of his neighbor's goods, which made him conclude that their owners were killed, and which was a sufficient warning to him likewise to fly for his life, which he did to the same island. After a number of them had escaped thither, they recollected that they had left powder behind them in one or two places ; whereupon they determined to venture a party of them in the night, to prevent the Indians from having ad- vantage thereby, and for their own defence, if occasion should require ; accordingly their attempt succeeded well, for they brought away a barrel of powder from the house of one Wells, and likewise a considerable quantity out of a chest in a store-house, where the In- dians had been ransacking, and had taken things out of the other end of the chest, yet overlooked the powder.
After these depredations were committed by the Indians, several families removed to Jewel's Island- hoping there to be more secure ; but in a few weeks the Indians, to a considerable number, finding no re- sistance made, went to the Island with the intention of destroying it. In the mean time the English had re- paired to a fortified house, where they expected to be secure. But when the Indians made an assault upon the garrison, most of the people were absent, except- ing women and children. Richard Potts, with two of his companions, were in a boat, employed in fishing, while his wife was washing clothes near the shore, with her children by her side. Mrs. Potts and the children were taken by the Indians in the presence of her hus-
1676.
24
ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
1676. band and carried away-he being unable to render them any assistance. One child, on seeing its father, made an effort to run to him in the water, but an In- dian seized him and took him away. Mr. Potts at- tempted to fire at the savage, but fearing he might kill his child he forebore. Two or three Indians were killed by shots from the garrison. One lad killed sev- eral. A few of the English, in escaping from the Is- land in a canoe towards Richmond's Island, met a small vessel, and to the men on board, they made known the situation of the people, who immediately went to their assistance and took them off. The In- dians soon after appeared at Spurwink where they killed one man, wounded another and took one captive.
On the 12th of October an assault was made on Black Point, in Scarborough, by Mugg,1 a chief among the Androscoggin Indians, who was assisted with near- ly a hundred warriors. The English, being gathered in one fortified place, might have easily driven off the savages ; but while the captain, Mr. Josselyn, went out to consult with Mugg, the people fled in fear from the garrison and took most of their effects with them. Not being able to make resistance on his return, as he
1 At the close of the war, Mugg was sent by Madokawando, chief of the Penobscot tribe of Indians, to Piseata- qna, to receive proposals from the En- glish, as the latter desired to treat about peace. The Penobscot chief had about sixty English captives at this period. That Mugg might be kindly received, a captive accompanied him, who was to return to his home. Upon Mugg's arrival, he was seized by General Gen- dal, of Massachusetts, forced on board of his vessel and carried to Boston. Madokawando's ambassador was now obliged to treat on such terms as the
English proposed, and it is not singu- lar that when he was released, the In- dians should still continue enemies to the English. About one year from this time, Mugg appeared at Black Point and for three days beseiged the garrison, and killed three men. Mugg was accompanied by Symon, who had previously done so much mischief in Casco and other places. Lientenant Tippin, the commander of the garri- son, made a successful shot and killed an Indian, who it was afterwards as- certained to be the daring Mugg.
25
ATTACK OF THE INDIANS ON FALMOUTH.
had but a servant or two left, Mr. Josselyn was oblig- 1676. ed to surrender. The servants were taken by the In- dians, but were treated kindly by them.
Thomas Cobbet, who resided on Richmond's Island, was taken captive by the savages. He was first wounded by a shot and then his hands were closely tied. In the division of the captives, Cobbet's lot fell to an Indian of the worst character. His duty was to manage a captured ketch, in sailing to Sheepscot and from thence to paddle a canoe with himself and mas- ter to Penobscot, and afterwards to Mount Desert. He suffered severely from famine, cold, and fatigue, and fre- quently the savage would draw his knife, threatening him with instant death, because he could not under- stand his dialect. One day, while hunting, having been exposed to severe cold, he fell senseless to the earth, and would have perished but for the assistance of some humane hunters. His master, at one time, was drunk for five successive days, when he abused him unmercifully. Cobbet was obliged to escape to the woods to save his life. At the expiration of nine weeks he most fortunately escaped and returned to his friends.
1
.
CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED
AND FOUR.
Directors of Portland Bank-Daniel George-a poem-fires-Samuel Free- man-sketch of his life-postmaster-income of the Post-office-Mr. Frce- man's removal from the office-his card-Gideon Granger-town officers- Register of Deeds-Representatives to the General Court-votes for Gov- ernor-fourth of July-oration-toasts-James D. Hopkins-Stephen Longfellow-Joseph Pope-Elizabeth MeLellan-William Gorham-John Frothingham-Henry Wadsworth-his death-Peleg Wadsworth-his re- markable escape-Woobury Storer-Tobias Ham-Rufus King-John Ta- ber & Son-John Howard-mecting previous to clection-names of vigilant committee-merchants in Portland-dwelling houses built-population- marriages-deaths.
1804. Jan.
JANUARY 2. The following stockholders were cho- sen Directors of the Portland Bank, for the ensuing year : Hugh M'Lellan, Matthew Cobb, Woodbury Storer, Daniel Tucker, Arthur M'Lellan, John Mus- sey, Samuel F. Hussey.
JANUARY 10. Joel Somes, of Sheepscot, was drown- ed in the river at Wiscasset, by the upsetting of a canoe.
Feb.
FEBRUARY 4. Mr. Daniel George, aged 45, died sud- denly. He was late publisher of the " Gazette of Maine." Mr. George, although a cripple from his in- fancy, possessed an active and capacious mind. He was distinguished for his proficiency in mathematics. On account of his dwarfish appearance, George was sometimes slighted by the fair sex. One day a gay
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CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN IIUNDRED AND FOUR.
woman made a remark, which he thought reflected up- 1804. on himself, when he immediately replied :
If I had spoke before my birth, I'd please the prettiest lass on earth !
Mr. George was an agreeable companion and an hon- est man.1
FEBRUARY 5. A fire was discovered in the dwelling house of Mr. Michael Duley, which was extinguished without much damage.
FEBRUARY 25. There was an alarm of fire last eve- ning. It originated in Mr. Griffin's shoe store, Jones's Row. The damage was trifling.
FEBRUARY 29. Last evening, at Freeport Landing,
1 Besides his other attainments, Mr. But now my favorite birds are gone, George possessed quite a poetical tal- And I most feelingly bemoan Their fate in pensive strain : To books I fly to scek relief, And ease my heart-corroding grief; But all, alas, in vain ! ent. The following "Elegy on the death of two Favorite Thrushes," was written by him several years before his death :
Begin, my muse, the mournful strain, Nor Milton, Addison, nor Pope, O ! let me not implore in vain, Thy verse inspiring power ; My grief an ample theme affords, But how shall I pronounce the words, My thrushes are no more !
Both, both my darling birds are gone : Had cruel death but spared mne one, I scarcely would repine ; But both are dead ! O! fate unkind ! What pangs of grief distract my mind ! Nor hopes of joy are mine.
How would iny little warblers come, And tamely sit upon my thumb, Well pleased, and sweetly sing: The moments softly rolled away, And gloomy winter seemed like May, The flowery month of Spring.
And when the violin was played, They'd always lend their softer aid, To grace the enchanting sound ; No evil genius could be near, While music charmed the listening car Of every subject round.
Affords one cheering ray of hope, Though I their works explore ; Nor violin's melodious tone, Has power to charm; my birds are gone, And music is no more.
Come, all you little winged loves, That haunt the valleys and the groves, And drop a friendly tear : Ye thrushes-birds of sweetest lays, Robins and sparrows, larks and jays, Attend the solemn bier.
Not one of all your feathered throng, Could, like my thrushes, chant a song, So pleasing to the ear ; Nor could the famed Canary bird, Such sweet variety afford, So musical and clear.
And now, in soft elysian shades, Where no fell accident invades, By mortal eye unseen, They sing in more exalted strains, And freely roam o'er hills and plains, Through groves forever green.
Feh.
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CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FOUR.
1804. a store occupied by Samuel Porter, with its contents, was destroyed by fire. Loss $4,500. A dwelling house belonging to John B. Lane, was also destroyed.
March. MARCH 20. Samuel Freeman, Esq. who was ap- pointed Postmaster of Portland, under Dr. Franklin, was removed to give place to Thomas M. Prentiss. For the first eight years after Mr. Freeman was ap- pointed Postmaster, his income was but little more than six dollars a year. For the second eight years, it had increased to twenty seven dollars a year; and for the third eight years, his income increased to two hundred and forty seven dollars a year. When he left, his income was a thousand dollars a year.
When Mr. F. relinquished his office, he published the following card : "Samuel Freeman hereby gives notice, that, in obedience to a late order of the Post- master General, he shall deliver up his office of Dep- uty Postmaster, to Thomas M. Prentiss, Esq. who is
1 Samuel Freeman was the oldest son of Enoch Freeman, a native of Eastham, Mass. who was born in May, 1706, graduated at Harvard College, in 1729, and established himself in Falmouth, 1742. The same year he married Mary Wright, who died in 1785. Enoch Freeman died Septem- ber 2, 1788, aged 82 years. Samuel was born in Falmouth, June 15, 1743. In early life he was a teacher, a tra- der, and an attorney at law. In 1775, 1776, and 1778, he was a dele- gate to the Provincial Congress. He received from Government the office of Clerk of the Cumberland County Courts, which he held until 1820-a period of forty-six years. In 1776, he was appointed Register of Probate. The same year he received the ap- pointment of Postmaster, which of- fice he retained for twenty-nine years.
In 1773, Mr. Freeman united himself to Mr. Smith's church, where he was afterwards chosen deacon, the duties of which office he continued to dis- charge for more than forty years. Mr. Freeman died June 15th, 1831, aged 86 years. In November, 1777, he married Mary Fowle, of Watertown, who died in January, 1785, leaving three children. His second wife, Mrs. Betsey Jones, he married in 1786. She died in March, 1831, aged 77. By her he had six children-one of whom is Rev. Charles Freeman, for the last thirty years pastor of the Congrega- tional church in Limerick. Samuel Freeman was the author of the fol- lowing works : Town Officer ; Clerk's Magazine ; Probate Directory; Ex- tracts from the Journals kept by the Rev. Thomas Smith.
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CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FOUR.
appointed to succeed him. Although Mr. Granger1 believes ' that the public interest will be promoted by the appointment of a new Postmaster,' he flatters himself that the public will not think that his belief is grounded on evidence of any breach of trust or partiality in the exercise of it towards persons of a different political character. He is not conscious of being culpable in these respects, but is happy in the reflection, that from the time of his first appointment in the year 1775, he has discharged the duties of the office with a due regard to all concerned, and with that care and attention, which they had a right to ex- pect."
When Mr. Freeman received his notice to remove, he addressed a cutting letter to Mr. Granger,-a copy of which is in our possession-in which he desires to know the reasons of his removal. Said he, "I should have been glad if you had informed me what it was that influenced you in your determination to remove me. Was it grounded on the idea that, however faith- ful your deputies are, who were appointed before you came into office, it was necessary their places should be enjoyed by men of your own sect ?- and that be- cause they do not resign or die fast enough, vacancies ought to be created for the purpose ?"
1 Gideon Granger was born at Suf- field, Conn., July 19, 1767, and gradu- ated at Yale College in 1787. In 1801, he was appointed by President Jeffer- son, Postmaster General in place of Joseph Habersham. He held the of- fice until 1814, when he was succeed- ed by Return Jonathan Meigs. He was actively engaged in internal im- provements, and while a member of
the New York Senate in 1819, he gave one thousand acres of land for the Erie Canal. He died December 31, 1822, aged 55. His writings were mostly of a political character, over the signatures of Senectus, Algernon Sidney, and Epaminondas. Mr. Gran- ger married the sister of Mr. Pease, Assistant Posmaster General.
1804. March.
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CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FOUR.
1804. MARCH 26. At the town meeting the following offi- cers were chosen :
March.
Town Clerk. Stephen Patten.
Town Treasurer. Lemuel Weeks.
Collector of Taxes. George Warren.
Selectmen. Samuel Freeman, John Mussey, Joseph Titcomb, Joseph H. Ingraham, Joshua Rogers.
Fire Wards. Ebenezer Mayo, Hugh M'Lellan, Dan- iel Tucker, Nathaniel Fosdic, Woodbury Storer, Robert Boyd, Lemuel Weeks, Joshua Rogers, Thomas Web- ster, John Mussey, James Neal, Richard Hunnewell.
Health Committee. Joshua Rogers, Josiah Tucker, Asa Clapp, Woodbury Storer, Joseph H. Ingraham, Samuel F. Hussey, John Mussey, Matthew Cobb, Da- vid Green.
For the office of Register of Deeds the following gentlemen were candidates: Elias Merrill, Gardner Gould, Isaac Gage, Stephen Waite, Thomas B. Waite, Levi Cutter, Isaac Adams, Ebenezer Mayo, Stephen Patten, Joseph Titcomb, Andrew R. Giddings, George E. Vaughan, Nathaniel Moody, Samuel Stephenson, Joseph C. Boyd, and John Frothingham. Mr. Merrill was finally elected and held the office until his death, which occurred in 1824, when he was 63 years of age.
April.
APRIL 2. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Port- land, at the Court House, for the choice of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Senators, and Counsellors, the result was as follows :
Governor. Caleb Strong had 406 votes ; James Sul- livan, 159 ; William Chadwick, 1; William Hall, 1.
Lieutenant Governor. Edward H. Robbins, 406; William Heath, 156 ; Barnabas Bidwell, 1.
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CHRONICLES OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FOUR.
Senators. John Cushing, 372; Woobury Storer, 342; Daniel Ilsley, 221; Isaac Parsons, 194; Lathrop Lewis, 11; Nathaniel C. Allen, 4 ; Ammi R. Mitchell, 2; Isaac Parker, 1; William Symmes, 1.
Among other subjects brought before this meeting was one relative to public walks. But, to the regret of the present generation, no action was taken upon it.
Died, in Boothbay, Mr. Samuel Barter, aged 105 years.
MAY 14. The following gentlemen were chosen as May. Representatives to the General Court :
Portland. Joseph Titcomb, William Symmes, Dan- iel Tucker, Matthew Cobb.
Falmouth. Archelaus Lewis.
North Yarmouth. Ammi R. Mitchell.
Scarborough. Col. Larrabee.
New Gloucester. Joseph E. Foxcroft.
JULY 4. This day was observed by the usual dem- July. onstrations of joy. A procession was formed, escorted by the Portland Artillery, commanded by James D. Hopkins,1 Esq. which proceeded to the church of the
1 James D. Hopkins was born at Axminister, England, and came to Portland when quite young, with his father. He studied law in the office of Daniel Davis. Being a close student, when admitted to the Cumberland bar, he at once took a high stand. Mr. Hopkins died June 17, 1840, aged 68 years. He was thrice married. His first wife was Mary Bagley, to whom he was married in January, 1802, who died in the March following. To his second wife, Dor- cas Tucker, he was married in Decem- ber, 1804. She died in June, 1816. To his third wife, Louisa H. Crabtree, he was married in 1822. She died in October, 1848. Mr. Hopkins, at the time of his death, had nearly complet-
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