USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Bath > History of Bath and environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine. 1607-1894 > Part 6
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Peleg Tallman was a sailor of the Revolution, having served in several privateers, and was first taken prisoner by the British at the age of 11 years, from the second vessel in which he served. Capt. Tallman afterward lost an arm at the shoulder in the action between the privateer Trumbull and the English letter-of-marque Watt. Later he was captured again by the British and confined about two years in English prisons, until peace was declared, when he made his way to the United States where he accumulated a com- fortable fortune, serving meanwhile in the Legislatures of Massachu- setts and Maine, and Representative to Congress. He died at Bath, March 8, 1841, at the age of 77.
Privateers cruising along our coasts during the war of the Rev- olution entered harbors, rivers, and even coves, committing all kinds of depredations on the land, burning vessels found in port, and out to sea capturing coasters as prizes. In these expeditions they were often aided by tories on shore. The most annoying of these pri- vateers were the Nova Scotia craft, termed shaving mills, having open decks, with sails and sweeps, and manned by six or eight armed
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men. With their light draught they could easily dodge in and out of a creek or river, capture coasters and fishing craft. They were difficult to provide against or capture.
Incidents of the War. - In 1775 there lived in Wiscasset a radical tory, also an officer of the British army under the patronage of this tory; both very arrogant and obnoxious to "Young America." The young men of Bath and Wiscasset joined forces to humiliate these individuals by giving the officer a coat of "tar and feathers " and a night airing on a rail through the streets of Wiscasset. The Bath boys took advantage of the excitement and were active in confiscating a quantity of the lead pumps and hawse-pipes that had been brought from England for a ship of the aforesaid tory, and before daylight they had seen the result of their work under the brush and bushes at the head of Philbrook's Cove. This lead was contributed to every new recruit for the army, a pound and a half to each man. This supposed 700 pounds of lead was an item for the good cause, as lead was scarce and high. Many a hugh pewter platter on which baked beans and brown bread were served had been melted and cast into balls for the use of the army in defend- ing the country.
In August 1770, two British private armed vessels came up the Kennebec as far as Jones Eddy, in pursuit of an American schooner that they had chased into the river, and outsailing the privates passed up to Bath. They anchored in the Eddy at night, and the alarm was immediately given. A detachment from Long Reach companies, under command of Capt. Nathaniel Springer, took post on Bluff Head, and with two field pieces, one of which was com- manded by Sergt. Edward H. Page, cannonaded and severely annoyed the enemy during the night. Several on board the ship were killed, and at daylight the next morning they slipped their cables and went to sea. On their way down the river they were pursued by the Americans in boats, in one of which was Capt. Springer. On the point at Butlers Cove, some of the Georgetown soldiers, supposing the pursuers to be a part of the enemy, fired on them, and killed Capt. Springer.
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Arnold in the Kennebec. - In September, 1775, when Gen. Arnold with 1100 men passed up the Kennebec on their expedition to Canada, his flotilla came to anchor at Parkers Flats. It was told by the deacon himself that Parson Emerson with Deacon Parker went on board Arnold's vessel and the parson prayed one hour and three-quarters for the success of the expedition. Parker was a captain during the Revolutionary war; a lion to the enemies of liberty, a lamb in the church. The deacon gave a particular description of Colonel Daniel Morgan, with whom at that time he had some conversation. He said that he was a giant in size and of great physical strength. He had the motto on his cocked hat in large letters, "Liberty or Death."
John Parker. - During the war of the Revolution, British men of war often came into the Kennebec and anchored at Parkers Flats opposite Captain John Parker's farm, and would send boats ashore and carry off cattle and sheep. They would also obtain supplies of dairy products from the house, promising to pay for them, which they usually did do. It is related that, on one occasion, sailors from one of these ships having made some purchases of the kind went away without paying, but promising to return in the morning and make payment. But the next morning the old gentleman dis- covered the ship getting " under weigh " to go to sea. He imme- diately proceeded to the shore, mounted a high ledge, and angrily hailed the ship, loudly calling out, "You Englishmen, you ! You Englishmen, you ! Come ashore and pay what you owe me. The man of war replied by sending a cannon ball at the enraged man. It struck a smooth, perpendicular ledge immediately below where he was standing, and the round print of the ball remains in the rock to this day. The ball was afterwards picked up on the flats at low tide, and was kept in the old timber house of John Parker until it was taken down and the ball lost. In his youthful days this author often saw this ball in this house and the indenture in the ledge.
Philbrook. - In May, 1766, Job Philbrook and an Irishman by the name of Maloon were at work plowing where John Shaw's
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garden afterwards was, and both were captured by Indians and marched off towards Canada, leaving their yoke of oxen hitched to the plow. As they moved away and had crossed Whizgig and were hurried on by the Indians, Maloon exclaimed to Philbrook, "And who do you think will take care of the oxen to-night ?" The owner of the oxen was so incensed at the Irishman's levity that he was about to strike him, when Pat quickly added, " Never mind, I'll soon do it myself," which was nearly verified. Reaching the St. Lawrence, Maloon was sold to a gentleman just embarking for Europe, and when near the mouth of that river the ship was cap- tured and taken to Boston, where Maloon was released, and returned to Bath after an absence of six weeks. In October following Phil- brook was exchanged and returned home.
Organization of the Town of Bath.
Petition to the General Court.
TO THE HONORABLE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN GENERAL COURT ASSEMBLED.
The petition of the second parish of Georgetown, in the County of Lincoln, by their committee duly appointed for the purpose here- after mentioned, humbly showeth that the second parish is situated on the western side of the Kennebec River, a place called Long Reach, and forms the upper division of said town of Georgetown, and is bounded as follows, viz. : Northwesterly by New Meadows River, so called; northerly and easterly by Merrymeeting Bay; southerly by Kennebec River; and southerly and westerly by a large creek called Winnegance; and by said creek by an old Indian camping place in the line which separates the second parish.
The committee flatter themselves that your honors will easily per- ceive its detached situation from the lower division of said town, which, together with the badness of traveling in this part of the
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country, and the great distance the said parish is from the center of said town, where public town meetings are usually held, conspire to prevent the inhabitants from attending said meetings, however nec- essary or important the occasion may be, unless with the greatest difficulty, fatigue, and loss of time, the consequence of which is that a large portion of said inhabitants, discouraged by such com- plicated difficulties, seldom give their attendance at all, and town meetings are frequently held and affairs of the greatest public importance usually transacted and decided upon without the said inhabitants having any voice in the matter; and the people of the lower part of the town, sensible of the peculiar hardships which the inhabitants of said second parish labor under on other accounts, at a meeting of said town, legally held on the 23d day of May last, a unanimous vote of the said town was passed, signifying its consent that the said second parish might be incorporated into a separate town by itself. A copy of which vote the committee beg leave to lay before your honors.
The said inhabitants, influenced by motives of public utility and an ardent wish to be supported in the enjoyment of those privileges which every freeman ought to hold sacred, the privilege of having a vote in all matters which concern themselves or the communities of which they are a part, humbly pray ( by the communities aforesaid ) that your honors will be pleased to take the case into consideration and grant that the said second parish may be set off into a separate town by the name of Bath, with all the powers, privileges, and im munities of incorporated towns, and your petitioners will ever pray.
DUMMER SEWALL,. BENJ. LEMONT, JNO. WOOD.
GEORGETOWN, 29th October, 1780.
At this date there were forty families in the parish.
The Act of Incorporation. - An act for incorporating the second parish in Georgetown, in the County of Lincoln, into a separate town by the name of Bath.
WHEREAS, The inhabitants of the second parish of Georgetown, in the County of Lincoln, have petitioned the legislature of this
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commonwealth, setting forth that great inconvenience accrues to them by their being continued a part of said town, on account of the detached situation of the said second parish from the lower division of said town; and whereas it appears that the representa- tion of the said inhabitants as stated in their petition is founded on facts; Therefore,
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the said second parish be, and it hereby is, incorporated into a separate town by the name of Bath, with all the powers, privileges, and immunities of incorporated towns.
SECTION 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that the bounds of the said town of Bath be, and they are hereby, as follows, viz .: Northwardly and westwardly by New Meadows River, so called; northwardly and eastwardly by Merrymeeting Bay; southwardly by Kennebec River; southwardly and westwardly by Winnegance Creek, so called; and from said ereek by a path, which was formerly an Indian carrying place, as said path runs to the nearest part of Casco Bay.
Provided, notwithstanding, that the said inhabitants be held to pay their proportion of the public tax, which is now assessed on said Georgetown and remaining unpaid; and also that they be held to comply with all other requisitions of government on the said town of Georgetown prior to this act, as though the same had never been made.
SECTION 3. And be it further enacted, that Samuel Harnden, Esq., be, and he is hereby, empowered and directed to issue his warrant to some principal inhabitant of said town, requiring him to warn the inhabitants thereof to meet at such time and place as he shall therein set forth, to choose all such officers as towns are by law required and empowered to choose in the month of March annually; at which meeting all the then present male inhabitants upwards of twenty-one years of age shall be admitted to vote.
This act was passed February 17, 1781.
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The people petitioned to have the town named Reach; but it was finally decided to adopt the name of Bath.
March 19, 1781, Samuel Harnden of Woolwich called the first town meeting, at which he presided, in the old meeting-house. John Wood was chosen town clerk; William Swanton, Benjamin Lemont, and Joseph Berry, selectmen. Ten thousand dollars were raised to pay for the enlistment of soldiers for the Continental army. This being in the depreciated Continental paper money, it would be only equal to five hundred dollars of coin. For current expenses of the town, the sum of four thousand dollars was voted. William Lith- gow was chosen representative to General Court, and his pay was two shillings and sixpence a day, sterling money.
Bath was the first town incorporated under the constitution of the State of Maine after the organization of its government in 1820.
Town Clerks. - 1781, John Wood; 1782, Dummer Sewall was chosen and held the office until 1793; when Francis Winter was chosen and served until Christopher Cushing was elected in 1801; and the next year Francis Winter was again elected; Major David Shaw was elected in 1803 and was continued in the office forty years.
Upon the organization of the town no representative was sent to the General Court for the first three years. Francis Winter was elected to the office in 1784, and re-elected until 1799, when David Shaw was chosen by a majority of two votes over James Davidson. The town voted not to send in 1800. Joshua Shaw was elected for 1801 and 1802; Samuel Davis for 1803; William King for 1804 and 1805; William King and Peleg Tallman for 1806, the representation having been increased to two members from Bath (vide Joseph Sewall ).
In 1787, Bath sent Dummer Sewall a delegate to the convention held at Boston to act upon the constitution submitted to the states for ratification, and the delegate voted for its acceptance.
In 1792 and 1793 small pox raged in Bath to the extent that a special hospital was built at Donnell's Pond in which to place vic- tims to its ravages.
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In the earliest days of its business career Bath had a formidable rival as a mart of trade and commerce for the Kennebec in a point farther down the river.
Jones Eddy. - About four miles below Bath Bluff Head juts out as the south point of the narrows on the east side of the river, where the waters suddenly expand, forming a wide cove. With either the flood or ebb tide there is always slack water for a consid- erable distance. The early settlers used this cove for booming timber designed for shipment. At the Eddy is good anchoring ground. Trading craft on the river in ancient times often made it their trading point. Before the war of the Revolution, English ships coming into the river to load with timber usually came up as far as the Eddy and remained there to load. It was considered the head of navigation on the river, as the sharp bend of Fiddlers Reach was difficult to navigate. Besides, Bath was then a place of inconsiderable importance; the lower end of Arrowsic was more so.
The Eddy was brought into prominence by Charles Vaughn, of Boston, who was a merchant of wealth and a brother of Dr. Benj. Vaughn, of Hallowell, the founder of the large Vaughn estate there. His attention seems to have been called to the business capabilities of the Kennebec from the circumstance that he had some collateral interest in the famous Kennebec Purchase. In 1793, Bath had not become a commercial center, and Wiscasset was the metropolis for all this section of country. It was the great maratime port. The export and import of merchandise of Bath and the entire river was through Wiscasset. Mr. Vaughn, in connection with some English merchants, undertook to make Hallowell the central point for the Upper Kennebec and Jones Eddy for the Lower Kennebec. The Jones map was prepared at Vaughn's expense and designed for the use of navigators of th. numerous vessels that might frequent the river. Vaughn employed a salaried agent from Boston to conduct the business, built a house, a store, a large wharf, a close dock and booms for masts and spars, with other conveniences for trade. But the ships never came; the enterprise failed and so did Mr. Vaughn. Yet the tide ebbs and flows at Jones Eddy all the same. It had been found that ships could safely sail to Long Reach, that the
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Eddy was on the wrong side of the river for country trade, and that Bath was the natural center for the commercial business of the Kennebec River and Valley. Energetic and able men saw this, settled at Bath, and made it the commercial mart of the river.
This Eddy derived its name from John Jones. From a peculiarity in his complexion he was denominated Mahogany Jones. He made a map of the river in 1793 from Seguin up through Fiddlers Reach. That the map contains a minute description of the Eddy is the possible reason that it took the name of Jones. He did not reside nor have any interest there, but lived at Pownalboro, where he had been in the employ of the Plymouth Company as surveyor, and finally became a resident of Augusta. At the time of the Revolu- tion he was a violent tory, and was one of a small party who seized Brigadier General Cushing in his house at Pownalboro, while in his bed, and delivered him to the British forces at Castine.
Fiddlers Reach is an elbow bend in the Kennebec at the lower extremity of Long Reach, and, according to well-authenticated tradition, derives its name from the drowning of a fiddler from a sloop sailing up the river at an early date. When she was passing through the bend of the river, the people on board of her on coming in view of a reach of water four miles long became greatly elated, and a fiddler who was on board went out on the bowsprit to play a tune, when just at that time the wind slat the jib and knocked him overboard and he was drowned.
The northeastern bend of the two reaches is termed Doubling Point, for the reason that upon entering or leaving the reach this point has to be doubled.
Reminiscences. - The Hon. Jonathan Hyde, who first came to Bath in 1792 as a trader during the summer months, returning to his home in Connecticut in the fall, and permanently located here as a merchant in general trade in 1799, wrote out in 1846, for the use of his children, some of his early experiences in this section, of which the under-written extracts may be of general interest in this volume, as showing the state of society and business and the appearance of the country in its state of nature.
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Ja J. Fatten
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" In 1792, all below Bath on the river and seaboard, the islands, were all covered with trees; Seguin was like a dark forest standing high in the ocean, and as we first approached it from the sea, it being a little hollow in the middle, always appeared like a very great saddle; Wood Island was thickly covered, but there is not a tree remaining on it; and the same of Stag and Pond Islands. There were but few houses; they were scattered along on the banks of the river in little green openings; could see a good many single deck schooners and sloops passing up and down, deeply loaded with lumber, all which, on coming in from sea, had a very romantic appearance. Bath did not appear much like a village; a few stores and a very few houses were near the river, and a few houses were scattered along on the country road which is now High Street; there were no roads, streets, or buildings between that road and the river; it was chiefly pasture where the city now is, considerably covered with trees and bushes.
I was present at a review of a regiment of infantry; two officers were present, I believe as spectators, who had been in the Revolu- tionary service. The colonel who commanded the regiment seemed to be very much vexed at the awkwardness of his men, and the distinguished gentlemen and other spectators were much amused with his awkwardness; he was mounted on 'a black steed that had survived many hard winters; he was in no danger from enemies; the crows would not peck his bones, for he had no flesh on them. The brave colonel had on a black coat made in a peculiar style, an old cocked hat, small clothes coming down to his knees or nearly so, blue yarn stockings, cowhide shoes, and great iron spurs not very bright; had a great broadsword which may have been the one formerly used by Goliath; if it was so, its age will account for its being very rusty. He would frequently get very angry with his soldiers and would attempt to ride in among them to chastise them, but before he could get his nag to move he had to put in his spurs, making his legs and arms go, flourishing his sword, yerking his bridle, using very great words, but before the horse would carry him to where he could cut off heads his wrath would abate and no one was killed. [ Muster at that time was a little south of where is now the Phoenix Hotel.]
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There were a number of log forts on the banks of the river; one on the southern end of Arrowsic Island, and one at the northern end opposite Bath. There were but three wharves at Bath. The meeting-house was one and a half miles back from the river; meet- ings were not very frequent; we sometimes went to Georgetown to hear the Rev. Ezekiel Emerson. I frequently saw old Sabattis, the Indian who piloted Arnold and his men through the wilderness to Quebec; also saw Capt. Coburn, who built the bateaux at Pittston to carry them up the river.
The appearance along on the main river above Bath and also on the Eastern river was quite interesting. A few farms having been cleared, mills and vessels were building; several villages were begin- ning to grow; and then on the eastern bank of the Kennebec was the Pownalboro court house, the seat of justice for this region of country comprising Lincoln county, which was all east of Cumber- land county.
The great store owned by the elder Jonathan Davis (now Levi Houghiton's, 1849,) had been lately built, and a large trade was carried on by him and his sons, Jonathan and Samuel. I occupied a store near there.
The inhabitants at and near Bath were generally industrious, rather rough in their manners, though kind, civil, and hospitable, fond of getting together and having a row; a great proportion would work hard through the day and be drunk at night; a few were reputable, and some were very pious. The females were civil to strangers; were kind and somewhat agreeable; not generally very handsome and not overstocked with neatness; a few were quite accomplished; such were generally from other parts. There were but few schools and little preaching, mostly Methodist."
The Great Embargo. - When the war between Napoleon and England was in progress, it marked an important era in the business interests of Bath. France, England, and the West Indies were more important to us th? all the rest of the world. Pine and hard wood, lumber, provisions, and fish were our staple products. The immediate neighborhood had little agriculture, and the town no
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manufactories. Merchants were largely engaged in the West India trade with brigs and topsail schooners, doing carrying trade for both belligerent nations. Bath had never seen such days of prosperity as those at the opening of this. nineteenth century. Real estate rose in value in all parts of the town. The building of vessels and its collateral industries were in full activity and profit.
In building vessels no ready money was required except to pay for labor. Materials could be had on easy credit. Frequently one voyage of a vessel would pay its entire cost. The bulk of outward cargoes was lumber. This was bought here for $8.00 a thousand and sold in the West Indies for $60.00. The return cargoes would chiefly consist of rum, sugar, and molasses, on which the profits would equal those of the outward cargo. They brought also bags of specie. People grew rich and extravagant.
All at once this prosperity was struck dead by the embargo act. Many merchants, heretofore of high standing, failed. Improve- ments in progress in the town then ceased. The embargo, as will be remembered, was during the Jefferson administration. Napoleon and England were in deadly conflict. The former issued his famous Berlin and Milan decrees, declaring that vessels of neutral nations trading with the ports of Great Britain, or carrying English goods, would be subject to seizure and confiscation. England retaliated with Orders in Council against neutral vessels trading with French ports or loaded with French merchandise. Thus our foreign com- merce was between two fires.
Dec. 22, 1807, authorized by act of Congress, President Jefferson issued an embargo proclamation, shutting up our foreign going shipping in every port in the country. The object of this act was twofold: First, to coerce both of the belligerent powers by retalia- tion; and second, apprehension that the persistency of our vessels in keeping up trade to the interdicted ports would involve this country in war.
Vessels Laid Up - Forthwith in January, 1808, there were hauled up at the wharves in Bath sixteen ships, twenty-seven brigs, of a total of 9,070 tons, besides some fore and aft schooners and
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sloops. There was also prospect of war with either France or England, and commercial affairs presented a gloomy aspect. A meeting of citizens passed spirited resolutions "condemning the insolent manner in which the embargo was enforced." "The reso- lutions were highly applauded in Boston." Thus crushed between foreign and our own government, can it be wondered at that owners of American shipping should feel themselves justified in endeavoring to save themselves from absolute ruin by sending their ships to sea and taking their chances in illegal trade? Consequently it was attempted.
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