USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 65
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 65
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 65
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At a meeting of the militia and other inhabitants of Harpswell, " Including the Laram List of the first Company in Harpswell, assem- bled According to Order of Court Duly Notified and Met on the first Day of April, 1776," Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Purinton was chosen moderator, and Andrew Dunning, clerk. Mr. Nehemiah Cur- tis was then chosen captain, Benjamin Dunning, first lieutenant, and Michael Curtis, second lieutenant of the militia.
At a meeting of the town of Brunswick, held May 31, it was unani- mously agreed to support Congress should that body make a Declara- tion of Independence.
This year Robert Patten was chosen captain of the Topsham militia. His commission was dated July 1, just three days before the Declara- tion of Independence, and was granted by the " King's Council of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay."
Some time this year a picaroon, commanded by one Hammon, visited an island in Harpswell, which was inhabited by a single family only, and with a crew of seven men rifled them of their effects in the night, intending to rest there until day. Receiving information of this attack, Captain Nehemiah Curtis rallied a party, and before morning captured the boat and crew, and carrying the latter to Portland, lo:lged them in the county jail. Hammon managed, through falsehood, to get at liberty, and immediately went to the same island with a larger vessel and crew. Here Curtis and his volunteers again met him, and in the skirmish that followed, one of the miscreants was wounded and the others hurriedly withdrew.2
[1777.] Twenty-two men went to Boston from Brunswick in 1777, for service in the continental army. The town of Brunswick voted this year to make provision for the families of those men who were in the continental service.
[1778.] In April of this year John Dunning, Ephraim Graffam, Michael Growse, William Spear, Jr., and William Skolfield, of Bruns- wick, went into the continental service, and were sent to Peekskill. Harpswell also furnished five men, and Topsham four, at this time.3
1 Rec. of General Court, Vol. 35, p. 71.
2 Williamson, 2, p. 429.
8 McKeen, MS. Lecture.
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
Not far from this time, probably, an American sloop of war came into Harpswell for recruits. Quite a number of young men enlisted, among them Marlboro' Sylvester, David Johnson, and Abner Bishop. Sylvester enlisted as a clerk. Each received a pension after the war.
Some time this year the privateer Sea Flower, Captain Tracy, sailed from Newburyport and was never heard from. She had among her complement of men. John Skolfield, Captain John Campbell, Eben Stanwood, William Stanwood, David Stanwood, John Black, William Reed, William Hunt, David Stanwood, Jr., and James Dunning, all from this vicinity.
The privateer Sturdy Beggar sailed about the same time with John Reed, Thomas Wier, and perhaps others from this vicinity, whose fate was never ascertained.1
[1779.] Four prisoners - when and where taken is unknown - were quartered upon the town some time in 1779, and Captains Dun- lap and Thompson, Lieutenant Berry, and Mr. John Dunning were paid for the care of them.
This year the Penobscot or " Bagaduce " expedition was begun. On July 3, 1779, the following order 2 was issued : -
". MAJOR LARRABEE,
" Sir : I have orders to rase a Regement out of my Brigade to go to penobscot in order to Dislodge the Enemy there, I do therefore appoint you Second major of Said Regement and expect you will hold yourself In Readyness to march at the shortest notice.
Samuel Thomson Right
" TO MAJOR NATHL. LARRABEE."
In addition to Larrabee's company, Captain Actor Patten's com- pany from Topsham were in this expedition and engaged in the first fight. Captain Nehemiah Curtis also headed a company of men from Brunswick and Harpswell, and went to Portland and were placed under the command of Colonel Mitchell. Some of the men never received any pay.3 Captain Hinkley also had a company in this expedition. He was killed while standing upon a large rock cheering on his men,4 and the command devolved upon James Potter, 2d.
[1780.] The General Court in 1780 called for a supply of beef
1 Pejepscot Papers
a MeKeen, MS. Lecture.
2 From the original order.
A History of Castine, p. 41, note.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF THE THREE TOWNS.
for the needs of the army, and a committee was chosen by the town of Brunswick to obtain the amount required to be furnished by that town. As there was great difficulty in obtaining the requisite quan- tity of beef in this vicinity, the selectmen were authorized by the town to give money in lieu of what they might be unable to obtain, provided it was equally acceptable to the General Court. This year, by a resolve passed December 2, the General Court made a requisition on the town of Brunswick for its quota of men for the army.
[1781.] On the ninth of January, 1781, the town of Brunswick elected a committee to divide the town into classes or divisions in order to procure the men called for by a resolve of the General Court of December 2, 1780. At a meeting of the town held three days later, this vote was reconsidered, and a committee was chosen to procure the men called for as best they could. The action of this meeting appears, however, not to have been satisfactory, for at a subsequent meeting, held January 15. the method of classifying the town was again adopted, and it was voted " to choose a committee of one man out of each class to join in the whole as a committee, to pro- cure a man for the deficient class or classes ; that is to say, those that have not procured by the 19th inst. said deficient classes, to apply to said committee by said 19th day, and the cost of procuring the whole number of men to be averaged on the whole town, as also all defi- ciencies or penalties accruing thereon ; that if any class being deficient shall neglect to apply to said committee by said 19th day, such class shall bear the penalty of the law." The town was divided into ten classes, and one member of the committee was chosen from each class. The committee were directed to meet immediately and adopt such measures as they should think best. The selectmen were also directed ·· to consider such as have done service for the town this present war and report at the next March meeting."
[1782.] About the year 1782, though probably somewhat earlier, 1 but still towards the close of the war, a daring and succesful exploit was performed by the patriotic inhabitants of Great Sebascodigan Island. For some years previously, several small schooners, acting as " tenders" to the English war vessels, had infested the waters of Casco Bay, landing at defenceless places and robbing the farmers and preying upon the fishermen. The inhabitants at last, incensed by these marandings, resolved to retaliate. Knowing that the crew of one of these vessels often came to Condy's to trade and to have a
1 McKeen dates the occurrence in 1776. M.S. Lecture; also Pejepscot Papers.
688
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
carousal at a store kept by a Mrs. Eastman (a noted Tory), they decided to capture the vessel and crew.
Accordingly, not many weeks elapsed before one day, late in the evening, notice was passed around that the Picaroon, commanded by one Linnacum, a Scotchman, was at Condy's, and for all who were willing to engage in the enterprise to meet at the house of Colonel Nathaniel Purinton, at ten o'clock, P. M., to organize for an attack. Thirty men responded to the notice, armed with such weapons as they could command, and made choice of Colonel Purinton as their com- mander. Upon arriving at Condy's Harbor, they found the enemy had departed. Though disappointed, they did not give up, but deter- mined to follow in pursuit.
A few of the men now left, but the others at once went on board a fishing-vessel called the Sharingmill, owned by Isaac Snow, Esquire. It was an open boat of about eight tons, fitted with sails and oars. Esquire Snow consented to the use of his boat and volunteered to go with them. At two o'clock in the morning they started in pursuit, having a light easterly wind and being obliged to use the oars. When off Small Point they exchanged the Shavingmill for the schooner America, of about fourteen tons, and partly decked over. They left two of the crew, who showed symptoms of cowardice, to take charge of the small boat, and again put to sea with eighteen men ..
At sunrise they sighted the Picaroon in the offing near Seguin Island, chasing a coaster laden with lime in the hold and cordwood on deck, which was bound from Thomaston to Portland. The Picaroon captured and transferred her guns, two " three-pounder " swivels, with her other effects, to this coaster, and mounted the guns on the onter tier of wood and threw the middle tier overboard, thus leaving a good breastwork.
During the time of these preparations the America was fast coming up, and when about three miles distant the English began to fire at her with their swivels. Colonel Purinton ordered his men to keep out of sight and not to fire a gun without orders. When within pistol- shot he ordered them to rise and fire by sections as quickly as possible. He instructed the sailing-master to strike the coaster on the quarter and at once make fast the two vessels.
These orders were faithfully carried out, and abont three o'clock the privateers boarded the enemy's vessel and found only two men on deck, one of whom was dead and the other shot through the knee. The others, seven in number, had gone below and were calling for quarter.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF THE THREE TOWNS.
Shepherd, the man who was killed, a few moments before he was shot, was warned not to expose himself to the fire of the Yankees, but replied, "I'll be damned if I'll dodge at the flash of a Yankee gun ! " He fell, shot through the heart. He was at the helm at the time. He was from Halifax, and was buried on a point of land at Condy's Har- bor, which is now known as Shepherd's Point.
Colonel Purinton started for Condy's Harbor with his two prizes, eight prisoners, two swivels, and some ammunition, and arrived there at eleven o'clock in the evening, having been absent twenty hours.
The prisoners, who were mostly Tories, were sent to Portland under guard. Those engaged in this expedition were, Colonel Nathaniel Purinton, commander ; Josiah Totman, sailing master ; Isaac Snow, second officer ; and Henry Merritt, Elisha Snow, John Snow, Stephen Purinton, Elisha Hopkins, Peter Birthright, Nathaniel Hall, Joseph Hall, Abraham Toothaker, a Mr. Dolf, with four others, whose names are unknown. Stephen Purinton was then only about nineteen years of age. His share of the prize money was twenty dollars.
Of the two swivels, one was given to the Parsonfield Academy, about 1837, and the other was burst while firing a salute, July 4, 1869.1
[1783.] During the year 1783 a letter was received in Brunswick from the Committee of Correspondence at Boston, desiring to know the feeling of the town in regard to allowing the return to their homes of refugees and conspirators. The subject was discussed at town- meeting, and it was unanimously voted " That they ought never to be suffered to return, but to be excluded from having lot or portion in any of the United States of America." This is the last recorded action of either of the towns having immediate reference to the period of the Revolution.
MILITIA COMPANIES.
The exact time of the formation of any of the militia companies, subsequent to the Revolution, is not known. In 1788 the First Regi- ment of the First Brigade and Fourth Division of the Massachusetts Militia mustered for the first time where the Bath Hotel, in Batlı, now stands. John Lemont, of Bath, was colonel, and John Reed, of Tops- ham, lieutenant-colonel of this regiment.
On the twenty-ninth of July, 1794, the town of Brunswick voted to give each man that should enlist and equip himself as instructed by
1 The foregoing account is that given by Stephen Purinton, a participant in the affair, to his son Stephen, and furnished us by the latter.
44
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
the commander-in-chief, " so much as will make up, with what the United States give, ten dollars per month from the time he marches till he shall be discharged." It was also voted to pay each man that passed muster four dollars as a bounty. This call for troops was occasioned by Indian hostilities in the West.
TOPSHAM MILITIA COMPANIES.
The first Topsham militia company was formed, probably, prior to 1753. The earliest date given in the records of the company is November, 1795, but the traditionary account is that it was organized earlier than this.
The roster of its officers in 1795 was as follows : -
Captain, Alexander Rogers ; first lieutenant, Steele Foster; en- sign, David Patten ; sergeants, William Graves, James Fulton, Thomas Hunter, Daniel Graves ; corporals, John Jameson, Richard Knowles, John Ripley, Robert Malcolm ; fifer, David Reed ; drum- mer, Joseph Foster, 2d.
The train band consisted of about fifty members. The first training that is mentioned in the records was had November 16, 1795. In 1805 the company numbered fifty-eight, rank and file.
In 1808 it numbered sixty-one, rank and file.
Nothing of especial interest is recorded concerning this company, except that on June 20, 1814, an alarm was given, and the company marched to Bath and remained there two days.
Inspections and reviews probably occurred each year, though they were not always made matters of record. It is said that this company was a very large one, and became disorganized at one time by elect- ing, in sport, unfit men for officers. At length the commanding gen- eral had to appoint competent officers, and Captain John Wilson, being placed in command, brought the company up to a proper standard.
THE TOPSHAM ARTILLERY COMPANY was formed in May, 1804, although no records of an earlier date than 1818 have been found. A muster-roll of the company has been preserved bearing date September 29, 1814. At that time it belonged to the First Brigade and Eleventh Division of the Militia of Massachusetts, and was called into service and stationed at Bath. The company was commanded at the time by Captain Nathaniel Walker, numbered thirty-four, all told, and was in service from September 10 to 29, with the exception of three unfit for duty, four not notified, and ten on detached duty in forts, etc. According to traditionary accounts, Daniel Holden was the first cap-
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MILITARY HISTORY OF THE THREE TOWNS.
tain, Stephen Bradford the lieutenant, and John Holland the first ensign. The by-laws of the company were adopted May, 1818. These by-laws required an annual meeting of the company on the first Tuesday of May. The uniform was a blue coat, white ker- seymere vest and pantaloons, black sword-belt, half-gaiters, neck- cloth faced, bound, and welted with red, Bonaparte hat, black cockade, and red plume.
The orderly sergeant was required to have one gun fired and the colors hoisted at sunrise on all days of public parade, and to marshal the music at least one hour previous to the roll-call, and to march with it through the several streets of the village to the gun-house.
On the decease of any member the company were required to attend the funeral under arms. To these by-laws some penal laws were annexed.
By a brigade order, not dated, but probably of date 1819, the uni- form of non-commissioned officers and privates was to be " a short blue coat, trimmed with red worsted cord, gilt buttons, short buttons, small round hats or caps with a front piece ornamented with a gilt eagle. black plumes. tipped with red, red waist-belts." The hostlers were to wear " gray coats trimmed with red worsted cord, and white vests" ; the rest of their uniform to be the same as that of the privates.
In 1823 the company voted that the alteration in their uniform " should consist of red morocco belts or leather painted red, to go over the shoulders and round the waist, a new round felt hat with small rim, large new frontispiece, and round cockade."
In 1824, Joseph Swett was appointed adjutant, and David Scribner, both of Topsham, quartermaster of the battalion.
In 1831 the company voted, " That the officers should be ex- cused from furnishing any ardent spirit, on any occasion, for the company, and that the officers should pay four dollars to the benefit of said company, annually, for being thus excused." The last entry in the records was made May 2, 1846, and the disbandment of the company occurred May 19, 1851.
The arms of the company were two brass four-pounders. Until the gun-house was built they were kept in Mr. James Wilson's barn. After the disbandment of the company they were sent to the Portland arsenal, and the gun-house was sold.
In 1836 the selectmen, in accordance with a law passed a short time previously, defined the limits of the two companies of infantry. The dividing line was Main Street and its continuance over Cathance River to Bowdoin. All west of this line was to be the limits of the
692
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
company commanded by Lieutenant Alvah Jameson, and all cast to be the limits of the company commanded by Captain Holman Staples.
BRUNSWICK MILITIA COMPANIES.
THE BRUNSWICK LIGHT INFANTRY was organized in May, 1804. Its officers were Thomas S. Estabrook, captain ; Caleb Cushing, first lieutenant ; and Robert D. Dunning, second lieutenant. The records of the company have not been found, and consequently but little is known of their doings. In 1825, Saturday, June 25, LaFayette made his visit to Portland, and this company, under the command of Cap- tain John A. Dunning, attended to assist in escort duty, and were received by the Portland Rifle Company. They celebrated their thirty-eighth anniversary on the seventeenth of June, 1842. Shortly after this time this company became disorganized, but on July 21, 1854, it was reorganized under the title of " D Company Light In- fantry," and the following officers were chosen at that time: John A. Cleaveland, captain ; Andrew T. Campbell, first lieutenant ; Charles Pettingill, second lieutenant ; John H. Humphreys, third, and John P. Owen, fourth lieutenant. This company turned out June 27, 1855, for target practice, and William R. Field, Jr., got the prize for being the best marksman. The prize was a silver cup. The company had its first annual parade and inspection on the thirtieth of May preceding. On September of the next year, 1856, the company attended muster in Bath, and about August 7. 1857, it disbanded.
THE BRUNSWICK AND TOPSHAM RIFLE COMPANY was organized in 1821. No records have been preserved of this company, and nothing is known of its doings. A. B. Thompson was the first captain.
In 1806 and 1807 three other infantry companies and an artillery company were formed. One of these infantry companies was com- manded by Captain Joseph Dusten, and had its headquarters at Ma- quoit. The village company was under command of Captain Richard T. Dunlap. The New Meadows company was commanded by Captain Peter Jordan, who died in May, 1876, the last surviving member of the company. Early in 1807, Samuel Page and others petitioned the proper authorities for the organization of an ARTILLERY COMPANY. In compliance with the wish expressed in this petition, a brigade order was issued, directing the proper steps to be taken for the accomplish- ment of this object, and Mr. Lemuel Swift was directed " to raise a com- pany of artillery out of the foot companies of the town of Brunswick, by voluntary enlistment." The company was at once organized, and Peter O. Alden was chosen as its first captain. He is said to have pro-
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MILITARY HISTORY OF THE THREE TOWNS.
cured the first bass drum ever brought to town. This company had two six-pounder brass guns in its gun-house on Centre Street.
In addition to the above companies there was a cavalry company, of which a few members belonged in Brunswick and Topsham, and others in Lisbon and Durham. Captain Jack, of Litchfield, was the com- manding officer, and a Mr. Baker of Topsham was the lieutenant.
HARPSWELL MILITIA COMPANIES.
There were, about 1812, two infantry companies in Harpswell, which were organized about 1776. The Harpswell Neck company was commanded, in 1812, by Captain David Johnson, and Peleg Cur- tis was the lieutenant. The Harpswell Island company was com- manded by Captain Stephen Snow, and Paul Snow was the lieutenant. In 1832, Isaiah S. Trufant was chosen captain of the island company, in place of John M. Purinton, and Humphrey Snow ensign, in place of Eli Hodgdon.1
In 1835 the selectmen defined the limits of the companies of militia as follows : The limits of Captain Hudson Merryman's company were all that part of Great Island northwest of a line drawn from Long Reach to Strawberry Creek, together with Orr's, Bailey's. Haskell's. Flag, Whaleboat, and Birch Islands, and the Neck. The limits of Captain John M. Purinton's company were all that part of Great Island southeast of a line drawn from Long Reach to Strawberry Creek.
In 1836. Simeon Stover, 2d, commanded the first-mentioned, and Isaiah Trufant the last-named company.
THE WAR OF 1812, AND ANTECEDENT PREPARATIONS.
As early as 1804 a feeling of hostility against Great Britain was engendered in this vicinity by the impressment of sailors, and was displayed by the formation of military companies and other military preparations.
All of the Brunswick companies went to Bath during the war of 1812, and served for a short period. There were one or two British vessels there, and the soldiers from them used occasionally to land and commit depredations, until General King called out the militia. There were in all three hundred and twenty men from Brunswick on duty at Batlı.
One of the regiments on service in this war, in the division of Gen-
1 Harpswell Banner, 1832.
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
eral King, was commanded by Colonel Abel Merrill, of Topsham, an efficient and accomplished officer.
In Harpswell, at this time, a fort was built commanding the entrance of New Meadows River. A few soldiers were stationed in it to inter- cept the boats carrying supplies to the English vessels outside. Orders were given to have every boat or vessel report at the fort in passing in or out, and to sink every boat neglecting to report after the usual warning. Some of the fishermen thought these orders were too strict, and said they would not report to the guard if he sunk their boats. One of these men, named Dingley, being bound out on a short fishing cruise, attempted to pass the guard when ordered to report. but was fired at, and his boat hit. It began to fill, and he barely made out to reach the shore with it. This put a stop to the boats running that fort. The guard's name was Seth Wilson.
On one occasion during the war, James Sinnett, of Bailey's Island, then a young man twenty-three years of age, with two brothers younger than himself, went out fishing. While engaged in this pur- suit they saw a large vessel approaching which they thought to be American. When she came within hailing distance, they asked her name, and were told she was the Essex, an American man-of-war. Young Sinnett and his brothers then came alongside, and, by invita- tion, went aboard. . When they reached the deck they were asked to go into the cabin and see the captain. They did so, and were informed by him that they were aboard the English man-of-war The Rattler, and that they were his prisoners ! He however assured them that he should do them no harm, and should hold them captive only for a few weeks. He said his object in making them prisoners was to obtain the use of their fishing craft to reconnoitre the coast without suspicion. Accordingly he put twenty of his men aboard Sinnett's boat with instructions to cruise about the bays and rivers in the vicinity, and to report to him any discoveries which they made. At the end of a week they returned, and Sinnett and his brothers were discharged. During their captivity they were kindly treated and well fed.
At the time the British men-of-war were in the Kennebec River, and the division of militia were ordered out by General King, Captain Johnson, of the Harpswell company, notified his men to prepare quickly to march to Bath. After consultation, however, with some of the residents of Bailey's Island, Captain Johnson decided to leave on that island, as a guard, all the able-bodied men of his command who resided there. This was done on account of this island being particularly exposed to the danger of attacks from the enemy's cruis-
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MILITARY HISTORY OF THE THREE TOWNS.
ers, which were hovering about the coast all the time. Accordingly, while Captain Johnson and the rest of his company went to Bath, the Bailey's Island men, under command of Captain James Sinnett, kept guard night and day on their own ground.
Before Captain Johnson's return, Captain Sinnett noticed a small coaster standing in by Small Point, closely pursued by a schooner. The coaster came in between Pond and Ram Islands, and the schooner, not daring to follow, manned a barge to continue the pur- suit. They both came into Water Cove, and the crew of the barge were about to board the coaster, when Captain Sinnett sent a man - John Ham, of Bowdoin, who was stopping temporarily on the island - to hail the barge. Ham did hail, and asked the commander what he wanted. The reply was, "The coasting sloop." "You can't have her," answered Ham, "and we will give you a reasonable time to leave, or we will sink your barge." Upon this the commander of the barge quietly drew off. Mr. Jonathan Johnson was very anxious to fire upon the intruders, but was prevented from doing so by his officers.1
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