Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 6

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648

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In the winter Captain Hilton with a force of two hundred and sev- enty men was sent against Norridgewock ; but the Indians had notice of their coming and abandoned their village. Some other hostilities occurred during the winter, but rather to the advantage of the English ; and in the following summer an expedition consisting of a thousand men under Colonel March was sent against Acadia. It was unsuccess- ful; and the French rallied the Indians, and caused Maine to suffer in consequence. During the next two years hostilities continued, but without much damage to the English, other than keeping them from cultivating their lands.

In the spring of 1710, a fleet with a regiment of marines arrived to assist in the conquest of Acadia. This was joined by one or more regiments from New England, and the whole force under General Nicholson soon had full possession of Acadia. Many of the chiefs now desired peace, but such was the vindictive feelings of the Indians, that they persisted in treacherous attacks upon the settlements. In 1713, the treaty of Utrecht closed the war between France and England, and peace with the savages soon followed.

THE STATE OF MAINE.

This was the second French and Indian war, called also Queen Anne's war. As soon as it was over there was a great rush of settlers to Maine, and many mills were built and thriving villages sprang up. The people were aware of the great influence exerted upon the natives by the French through the priests,-one of whom was now resident at each of the principal Indian villages. To offset this influence, the authorities of Massachusetts now sought to extend the Indian missions to Maine ; and in 1717 and later, ministers were provided for this pur- pose at Fort George, in Brunswick, at Fort Halifax, on the Kennebec, at St. George's Fort, on the St. Georges River, and at Penobscot. In 1718 Governor Shute with his council met the tribes at Arrowsic ; and the latter promised to inquire into the injuries committed by their members upon the English settlers. Four young Indians were placed in the governor's hands as hostages, and by him taken to Boston and educated.

Three years later 90 canoes of Indians bearing the French flag and accompanied by several Frenchmen, came to Sagadahoc, warning the settlers there that if they did not remove in three weeks, they and their property would be destroyed. In December a force under Colonel Westbrook was sent to Norridgewock to capture Rasle, who, it was found, had incited this demand. They reached the village, but before they could surround it Rasle had escaped to the woods. The warriors were mostly away on their winter hunt, but the English injured no one. In the spring the government sent gifts and peaceful messages to the tribes ; yet in June, 1722, they commenced hostilities by destroying the settlement on Merrymeeting Bay, killing and making prisoners of nine families. At this time and in July, they also attacked the fort at St. Georges, but were repulsed. Their warriors now carried their hostilities over the entire settled portion of Maine, with varying fort- tunes. In September 400 or 500 warriors, chiefly from St. Francis, in Canada, and Micmacs from Nova Scotia, made a sudden descent upon Arrowsic, destroying the houses and cattle, but failing to overcome the garrison.

In September of the following year a force under Colonel West- brook was sent against the Penobscot Indians ; but this, also, found their villages deserted.

The next season there were no large movements on either side, the savages carrying on their warfare in a predatory manner. In the winter a third expedition under Captain Moulton was sent to Norridge- wock for the capture of Rasle, but returned unsuccessful. On the St. Georges River, in May, 1724, a party of 16 men in two whale-boats under Captain Winslow was surprised by 90 savages, and all were killed.

In the summer another and final expedition was sent against Nor- ridgewock. It was led by Captain Moulton, and consisted of two hun- dred and eight men. This time the surprise of the Indians was com- plete. After firing two or more volleys the Indians fled, and a large proportion of the warriors were shot as they attempted to escape. The French Missionary, Rasle, was also killed. After the English had set out on their return, a Mohawk, who had accompanied the English, turned back and set the village on fire. In the autumn following, Colonel Westbrook and Captain Heath were sent against the Indians east- ward of the Kennebec ; but neither met with them or destroyed any of their villages. In April of the next year Captain Lovewell, with

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

forty-six volunteers, set out from Dunstable, in Massachusetts, to attack the Pequakets in their haunts about the head waters of the Saco River. At the margin of the beautiful sheet of water since known as Lov- ell's Pond, they met a band of over a hundred warriors ; upon which there ensued one of the most sanguinary fights on record. The contest lasted from about ten o'clock in the morning until dark, when the re- maining savages retired, leaving the field to the English. Their loss was ten killed, fourteen wounded and one missing; while that of the Indians is supposed to have been about fifty. Some large pine trees about the margin of the pond had afforded the English much shelter from the bullets of the savages. The Indians were struck with such dread by this fight that they left their ancient location, and retired into some unknown quarter until the war was over. The tribes were now desirous of making peace, and in December following four of the Sag- amores signed a treaty, which was fully ratified the next summer. By this treaty trading houses were to be kept by the English on the princi- pal rivers for the convenience of the Indians, while all the English cap- tives were to be returned without ransom. This war is known as " Lovewell's War," or the " Three Years War." The number killed and carried into captivity during its progress, including soldiers and seamen, was about two hundred.

Soon after the close of this war the General Court laid out a tier of back towns, dividing them into lots ; and on these then settled many of the soldiers who had traversed the region during the wars. In these townships generally about sixty lots, of one hundred acres each, were surveyed, and were offered to as many actual settlers, on condi- tion that actual possession should be taken within three years, to clear from five to eight acres fit for mowing and tillage; also to build a dwelling house at least eighteen feet square, and with seven feet posts. The settlers were also required collectively, within five or six years to build a meeting house, settle a good Protestant minister, and provide for his support. In these allotments there were usually reserved three lots for public uses, namely : the schools, the ministry, and one as a gift for the first settled minister.

In the grants of the territory of Maine and Sagadahoc all trees on crown lands of two feet in diameter at twelve inches from the ground were reserved for the use of the royal navy ; and any person felling trees of that size without license incurred a penalty of one hundred pounds. During the term of Governor Phips it was found that these trees were being appropriated by those who had no right to them; and in 1699 John Bridges was appointed surveyor. His jurisdiction em- braced the whole of New England, and he was assisted by four depu- ties. So far as they could they went through the woods bordering on the sea coast and rivers and marked the best trees with the royal arrow. Yet the owners of mills in many cases did not hesitate to cut up even the trees thus marked, though the boards and planks generally showed the transgression by their width ; and there were many violent contests between the lumbermen and the King's Surveyors upon this matter. In 1729 Colonel David Dunbar was appointed as Keeper or Surveyor, and received also a grant of the territories between the Pen- obscot and Kennebec under the name of the Province of Sagadahoc, the King reserving to himself within it three hundred thousand acres of the best pine and oak. The conditions of the grant were that Dun-

THE STATE OF MAINE.

bar should settle the province with good, industrious Protestants. He did the country service in bringing many settlers of the Scotch-Irish into his territory ; while others of the same excellent people settled about Merrymeeting Bay, at Bath, and in the towns about l'ortland.

By former patents, however, a large part of this territory belonged to other parties ; and after three years it was restored to the lawful owners. Samuel Waldo, who was one of these, had, soon after Lovewell's War, built mills, brought in a considerable number of Scotch-Irish, and about 1753, he sought and obtained a large number of Lutherans from Germany as settlers.

George Whitefield, the Evangelist, first preached in Maine in 1741, and again visited the south-western part of the State in 1745. Rev. Samuel Moody, the most noted minister of his time in Maine, was settled over the church in York in 1700, remaining there until his death in 1747.

In 1744 Spain joined with France in war against England, and as soon as the news reached America the French and Indians began to plot destruction for the English settlements again. The colonies had now greatly increased in strength, and early in the spring of 1745 an expe- dition was sent against Louisburg, on Cape Breton ; this, next to Que- bec, being far the strongest fortress in America. The armament con- sisted of four thousand men and thirteen vessels, with transports and store ships, carrying in all about two hundred guns. The commander- in-chief was William Pepperell, of Kittery, and the second in command was Samuel Waldo, of Falmouth. Of the force, also, was Lieutenant- Colonel William Vaughn, of Damariscotta, the originator of the enter- prise ; and the commander of the fleet was Edward Tyng, of Falmouth. Mr. Whitefield gave the motto for the expedition of " Nil Desperan- dum, Christo duce." Near Louisburg they were joined by Commodore Warren with four British war ships; and during the siege six other ships arrived ; so that all told the fleet mounted some six hundred and ninety guns. The fortifications were all of stone, and immensely strong and effective against the small cannon of that period. After a siege of six weeks the fortress surrendered. For the merit of this service the King made Pepperell a baronet and Warren an admiral.

Great efforts were made to keep the Indians from joining in the war, the authorities meeting them frequently, feasting them and making them gifts, even bestowing pensions upon some of the chiefs ; yet from the first there were some petty acts of malignity. The offending parties were supposed to be Androscoggin and Norridgewock Indians, and the Penobscots were solicited to furnish warriors to chas- tise the offending parties, this being a stipulation in the last treaty with the tribes, made by Governor Dummer. Instead of complying, their next action was an attack in July, 1745, on the settlements between the Penobscot and Kennebec by a body of Cape Sable, St. John and St. Francis Indians. The demand was now made of the Penobscots and Norridgewocks that they should deliver up guilty in- dividuals, or furnish thirty fighting men within fourteen days; and they were informed that by failure to comply the treaty would be broken. There was no response, and on the 23d of August the govern- ment declared war against the tribes who had joined in the treaty. In order to ensure the efficiency of the force sent against the savages, bounties were offered for each Indian captured or killed, the proof of

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

the latter being his scalp. Scouting parties of English were now con- stantly out, but met few Indians ; yet unprotected or unwary settlers continued to be killed or captured, and buildings to be burned among all the settlements until winter. The next spring the garrisons of Maine were increased by 500 men, for the country was swarming with savages. This continued until the summer of 1751, when a new treaty was made.

Yet there were soon indications that the peace would not be of long continuance, and in 1754 a fortification named Fort Halifax was built on the east side of the Kennebec, at the junction with the Sebas- ticook, opposite Waterville. Encouraged by this, the proprietors of the Plymouth Patent on the river also built a fort at Cushnoc named Fort Western, and another in Dresden, about a mile above Swan Island, both on the eastern side of the Kennebec. The latter was named Fort Shirley, in honor of the governor. Just as Fort Halifax was at the point of completion an attack was made upon the workmen. The fort was immediately strengthened with guns and a garrison of 100 men, and no further attack was made for some time.

During 1755 an expedition of 2,000 men, part of whom were from Maine, were sent to drive the French from Acadia. The movement was demanded by the English governor, Lawrence, and the force, when it arrived, was placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Monkton, who added to it his own force of about 270 regulars and a small train of artillery. The expedition set out in May, and before the 1st of September every stronghold in Acadia was in possession of the English. There were in the present Nova Scotia and vicinity about 18,000 inhabitants of French extraction, who, though by the treaties between France and England considered as neutrals, were yet indissolubly attached to the nation from which they sprung. They took no part in the wars, but they secretly afforded aid, harbor and recruits to the enemy; and the resident authorities demanded that those about the Basin of Minas and in Cumberland County adjoin- ing should be removed. Accordingly, nearly 2,000 of them were transported to the western coast, and scattered among the settlements from Maine to Florida. In Cumberland the inhabitants generally dis- obeyed the summons, and evaded the troops,-by whom their houses and crops were burned. The families mostly fled to the St. John's river, where they remained undisturbed until the Revolution ; when, espousing the American side, the advent of a British force caused them to retire up the river to the vicinity known as the " Madawaska Settle- ments."

Meanwhile the Indians were so active in their movements in Maine that there was scarcely a town where houses were not burned, and men, women and children killed, or carried into captivity, though par- ties of the whites were constantly scouting between their settlements and those of the red men. But when the fall of Acadia became known to them, they retired in alarm to the northern wilds. The Tarratines, or Penobscot Indians, however, had remained neutral through the war; yet a party raised by a Captain Cargill, finding no Indians else- where, fired on a group of them near Owl's Head on the Penobscot, without stopping to learn whether they were neutrals or hostiles. For this offense Cargill was arrested and kept in prison two years, when, as no Indian appeared against him, he was released. The authorities did

THE STATE OF MAINE.

what they could to make amends to the tribe by messages of regret and gifts to the relatives of the slain Indians.

Depredations by members of other tribes still continued, but the . Penobscots still refused to take up arms against these, and government therefore, in November, 1755, declared war against them. Three hun- dred men were raised in the following March to act as scouting parties, and during the season the garrisons were strengthened. The savages were on the war-path by the last of March, and from that time to the close of the season they ranged destructively through all the settled portions of the State, being rarely met by the scouts; and many of the new plantations were abandoned. The limits of the settlements which maintained themselves through this war are marked by New Gloucester on the north-west, Fort Halifax on the north, and Thomaston on the north-east. The following year was a repetition of the last, with but little variation. So many men were required in Acadia and at Louis- burg, and in the operations against the French and Indians about Lake Champlain and on the Ohio, that no large number could be put in the field in Maine.

In 1758, the capture of Louisburg from the French a second time, and the fall of Fort Du Quesne, at Pittsburg, on the Ohio, revived the spirits of the people. Six hundred soldiers from Maine took honorable part in the capture of Louisburg, while 300 had been raised for the defence of the settlements at home. In August, the fort at St. George's was attacked by 400 French and Indians. A timely rein- forcement secured their repulse, and they turned southward and attacked the fort at Meduncook, now Friendship. Here they killed or captured eight men, but failed to take the fort. It was the last notable attack of the Indians upon the English settlements, and with this sea- son the outrages and massacres by the tribes of Maine forever ceased.

In 1759, Governor Thomas Pownall, who had succeeded Shirley, constructed a fort on the Penobscot, on the Western side of the river in what is now the town of Prospect. While the siege of Quebec was in progress, Colonel Rogers with two hundred rangers was sent from Ticonderoga to destroy the Indian villages about the St. Francis river, just northwest of Maine ; and his mission was successfully performed. In September, Quebec surrendered to the English, and the next year the dominion of the French in the north was finally overthrown.

The population of Maine in 1742, was twelve thousand, and the towns and plantations were about twenty-five. In 1760, Lincoln and Cumberland counties were formed,-the former then including all the country northward of the Androscoggin and eastward to the St. Croix. The first English settlements east of the Penobscot were made shortly before 1762. In this year twelve townships lying eastward of that river were granted to several hundred petitioners, a few of whom had already settled there. One lot in each township was reserved for a church, another for the first minister settled, a third for Harvard College, and a fourth for the use of schools. About this time the British government began to bear more heavily upon the resources of the colonies, in the attempt to gain a revenue from America. Not content with enriching her merchants and manufacturers by the "Acts of Trade," by which various manufactures, including those of iron and steel, were prohibited in the colonies, they increased the import tax on molasses and sugar. Then in 1765 the Stamp Act was devised,

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

by which all papers for ships, transfers of property, college diplomas, marriage licenses, and newspapers must be made on stamped paper, which was supplied at a high price by the government. Failing to execute this act, it was repealed in the following year ; but only to be succeeded by another act equally obnoxious and subversive of the charter rights of the colonists, and of their rights as Englishmen. The new act laid an import tax greatly larger than was necessary to pay the expenses of the customs service on all paper, glass, colors and teas brought into the country. This tax was opposed by non-consumption and non-importation agreements; and as the English merchants at length found their business falling off on this account, they strenuously petitioned Parliament for the repeal of the law. In 1768, seven hun- dred British soldiers had arrived in Boston to enforce the iniquitous law, and between these and the citizens a feeling of hostility grew up until it culminated in the Boston massacre in March, 1770. It was no doubt partly the alarm caused by this occurrence that influenced the repeal; which was done in 1770, with the exception of the tax on tea. Yet this very repeal, though it lessened the sum of the tax, re-asserted the principle that Parliament had a right to tax the American Colonies without their having a representation in that body. Meanwhile by means of newspapers, orations and pamphlets, patriots like Samuel and John Adams, with Otis and Mayhew, in Boston, Livingston, in New York, and Gadsden, in South Carolina, instructed the people in their rights and stimulated the spirit of liberty. The first act of resistance in Maine connected with the Revolution arose from the seizure of the schooner of Mr. Tyng by the comptroller of customs for a breach of the revenue laws. The crew opposed the King's officers, and the citizens quickly gathered, when the officers were handled pretty roughly, and the vessel set free. In December, 1773, the Bostonians poured into their harbor the tea which was being forced upon them. The consequence of this act was the passing by Parliament of the " Boston Port Bill," which closed that port to all commerce from the first of June, 1774. In sympathy with the afflicted city, the bells of Portland (then Falmouth) tolled all that day. On the 17th General Gage dis- solved the General Court, but they had already chosen delegates to a Congress of the colonies of Philadelphia. The people of Massachusetts and Maine soon after chose representatives who met at Salem in Oc- tober, and formed themselves into a Provincial Congress. In this Congress, as in the General Court, Maine had three representatives. This body elected a committee of safety, a committee of supplies, chose five delegates to represent Maine and Massachusetts in the new Con- tinental Congress, and made laws for the formation and drill of military companies in every town.

In March, 1775, the British sloop-of-war, Canseau, Captain Mowatt, came to Portland to aid in enforcing the several laws. Mowatt soon after sailed for Penobscot, where he removed the guns and ammunition. The next month occurred the battles of Lexington and Concord. The next day after the news arrived at York a company was formed, and by night it had reached New Hampshire, on the way to Boston. Three days later, Faimouth sent a company ; and shortly after Colonel Scammon, of Saco, reached Cambridge with a regiment. New Glou- cester sent twenty men, paying their wages and supporting their families during their absence. The inhabitants eastward were too re-

THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON, APRIL 19, 1775.

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

mote and scattered to furnish any more soldiers than were necessary to protect their own exposed borders.

When the news of the Lexington fight reached Bath, the citizens immediately seized the King's dock and the naval agent in that place. A few days later, Lieutenant Colonel Thompson of Brunswick learned that the Causeau was again at Portland ; and raising a company of volunteers he crossed the bay and seized Captain Mowatt as he walked out after dinner. His lieutenant then threatened to bombard the town unless the captain was released ; and on Mowatt's promising to come on shore the next morning, he was permitted to go on board his vessel. Instead of returning, however, he sailed away to other parts. On the 17th of June the battle of Bunker Hill was fought. in which participated Colonel Scammon's regiment, and some others from Maine.

The news of the battle of Lexington reached Machias early in May. The inhabitants soon set up a tall Liberty pole in the village. About this time the British armed sloop, Margaretta, came into port as convoy to a sloop which was to take a cargo of lumber for the use of the army in Boston. Her commander, Lieutenant Moore, ordered the Liberty pole to be taken down, threatening bombardment if the order was not complied with. The citizens held a meeting and voted not to take down the pole. The meeting was held on Saturday, and on Sunday an attempt was made to seize Lieutenant Moore while at church, but he escaped to his vessel. Early the next morning a party of men armed with guns, pitchforks and axes took possession of two wood sloops lying at the wharf and set out in pursuit of the Margaretta, which had fallen down river. In a few hours, after a sanguinary engage- ment, the Margaretta was captured. This was the first vessel captured in the Revolution ; and the affair has been generally designated as the "Lexington of the Sea."

Captain Mowatt, who had broken his parole at Portland, leaving his sureties to make good his defection, came again in October, -- the Canseau being accompanied by three other armed vessels. He soon made known that his errand and purpose was to bombard and destroy the city, giving the inhabitants only two hours to escape. On being expostulated with by leading citizens, he agreed to postpone the bombardment until morning, in return for the surrender of eight stands of muskets. He further proposed that if they would deliver him these and four pieces of cannon, with what ammunition they had, he would delav the bombardment until he could hear from the admiral at Boston. The delay until morning appeared a necessity ; and the eight stands of small arms were delivered; but they declined to give up the cannon. All the teams which could be procured were at once set at work removing the goods of the inhabitants into the country ; but quantities remamed unmoved, so brief was the time. At the solicitation of the citizens' committee he postponed the bombardment thirty minutes only. Promptly when the time was up, the guns began to play upon the village ; and at length, under cover of the fire, armed parties came from the ships and applied the torch to the buildings. Some citizens with devoted courage followed them, extinguishing the fires at the risk of their lives. When the assault ceased, there remained of the largest village in Maine only about 100 houses scattered over the peninsula.

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 6

Author: Varney, George J Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Boston Russell Number of Pages: 648

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648