USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 6
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
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122 little River
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References.
1. First mill .
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4. Spring.
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5 . First meeting House.
Phinney
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9. Place of Bryant's death.
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10. Unde Billy'sfight with Indians. 11. 2020 Bryant's House. 12. Jacob Reed's 13. Edward Cloudman's House. 14. Place of Reed's Capture. 15. Hugh Im Mellan's House. 16. Spring.
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18. Spot where ande Billy killed young Indian.
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HamMan Street.
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17. Eliphalet Watson's House.
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7. Capt Phinney's House . 8. Daniel Mother's
PLAN SHOWING LOCATION OF FIRST SETTLERS' HOUSES.
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MILITARY MATTERS.
previous. What worldly goods they possessed were quickly loaded on to the cart, and the family started for the fort under the protection of the company of scouts, who, having had notice that the enemy were hovering around Gorham and Windham, had come up from Fal- mouth, now Portland. A portion of their number had gone to Windham, to assist the settlers there. When the company arrived at Bryant's house they met a party from the fort, who had discovered the scouts and had ventured out to ascertain the extent of the dep- redations committed by the enemy. The dead bodies were carried to the fort and buried with due propriety. It is probable that Mr. Bryant and his four children were the first persons to be buried in the old burying yard at Fort Hill. The family of Reed was immediately removed to the garrison. They did not find Mrs. Bryant and this confirmed them in the belief that she had been taken captive and carried to Canada, which proved to be the fact. Of the son James, nothing could be learned till the next day when he came into the fort ; having run from the Indians, when he discovered them in pursuit of his father, he had secreted himself in the woods, where he remained till he thought the Indians had departed, and the danger had passed.
From accounts which we have, the Indians must have been about in the back-tier of towns from the coast in great numbers, killing many of the settlers and carrying off many prisoners. The Indians, after they had massacred Bryant and his family, and taken Cloutman, Reed and Mrs. Bryant prisoners, made but a short march, not over a mile from the fort, before they made a halt, which, by their not greatly fearing immediate pursuit, clearly shows their confidence and knowledge of the situation in the fort. This stopping place was on the bank of Little River below what is now known as Files's Bridge. Here they rested and spent the night, and in the meantime, they found and killed John Phinney's "little cow," as some of them after- ward boasted, and made a good square meal or two, to strengthen them for their long and tedious march to Canada. This camping place was found a few days afterwards, when the fort had been reenforced by the scouts, showing conclusive signs that the party numbered about sixteen persons.
In the summer of 1747 the Indians were about in considerable numbers, around Gorham, Windham, Saccarappa and Scarborough. There was great fear of them among the settlers ; and much damage was done by them to man, beast and crops. It was at this time that Edmund Phinney was fired upon by the Indians when after his cows. This attack was made in plain sight of the fort. Instantly, after the
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
firing of the gun was heard, all were on the lookout and could see both the Indians and Phinney. Watson, Phinney's brother-in-law, with Harvey and Hodgdon it is said immediately went to the rescue. They met Phinney running for the fort near where the house of Leonard Roberts now stands, and looking across the gulley they saw the Indi- ans on the brink of the hill lately owned by Daniel Billings. The Indians, seeing the rescue, had come to a halt, and both parties thought themselves out of gunshot range. One of the Indians made some insulting demonstrations toward the whites, when one of these brought his gun into range and fired, giving the Indian a mor- tal wound of which he died before he reached his tribe in Canada. All the dressing the Indian had for his wound was to chew to a soft wad leaves and herbs, which he found on the way, and press them into the wound. The report of the Indian's death was brought back by one of the returned captives. The following day, Phinney, with Hugh Mclellan and Eliphalet Watson for a guard, walked to Fal- mouth and had his arm set and wounds dressed by Dr. Coffin. In scouting around, a few days after, the camping place of these Indians was discovered on a little round knoll, not far from what is now known as Stephenson's Bridge, on the land recently owned by Mr. Sturgis, where signs were found showing the band to have been at least a dozen strong, and that they had captives with them, or at least, plunder taken from the whites.
During this war, the Indians made their appearance one spring ; the year we are unable to give. Their presence in town not being known, or even suspected, the inhabitants were planting their crops, taking each farm in succession, the men all going in a company for mutual protection, taking the boys along for lookouts against sur- prise. All had arms. We have heard the names of only four of the boys, Edmund Phinney, William McLellan, Jeremiah Hodgdon and Meserve ; probably there were more. When the day's work was done, which was on one of the farms southerly of the garrison, they all started for the fort. Probably anxiety for their supper carried the boys ahead, when, on or near the hill above them near where Bryant's house stood, they were suddenly fired on by the Indians from an ambush. They gallantly stood their ground, and quickly all that had guns returned the fire with good effect. Several discharges took place before the arrival of the older members of the party, when the Indians made a hasty retreat, leaving five of their number dead on the ground ; thus giving the men no reason to fire. On the distrib- uting of the honors, they were accorded to William ; he being one of
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the best shots, and having a first rate gun, and a flanking position, probably killed three out of the five.
All the inhabitants were gathered into the fort during these Indian troubles, and this place was their home for nearly seven years. Some would go to their houses for that part of the winters, when, from the depth of the snow, little danger was to be apprehended from the enemy, but the fort was never left without some person to take care of it, and guard against a surprise. During this time the early set- tlers had but very limited means of procuring money, or the necessa- ries of life. The provincial government sometimes sent them a very small amount of food in the shape of rations, as soldiers in defence of the fort. The settlers often, in times of scarcity, were compelled to eat up the seed they had laid away for the next year's planting. At one time there was great suffering in the fort from this cause. What was the case with one was also that of all; no food in the fort, and scarcely any to be had in Falmouth, and the procuring of that little was at the risk of life itself, as the woods were full of Indi- ans who were continually on the watch. When the settlers went for supplies, they had to carry them through the woods in the night to evade the enemy. Though game was plentiful, the hunting of it was dangerous in the extreme. Sometimes, some of the females were sent off to Falmouth, in the night on horseback through the nearly trackless forest, to procure a little meal, while the men remained behind to defend the fort. We have one well authenticated case of this at this time, and have reason to believe that it was not the only time the thing occurred.
One of the families was nearly destitute of bread, or the where- with to make it. With children sick, and nothing with which to make them a mouthful of suitable food, something must be done and that quickly. As soon as it became dark the wife mounted her horse, and was quietly let out of the stockade, courageously begin- ning her journey. Through the dark forest she pursued her way toward Falmouth, where she arrived about daylight the next morn- ing, tarrying with her friends (her husband's sister), till afternoon. She purchased half a bushel of Indian corn, expending all the money the family possessed, even to the last penny. With the corn she started homeward ; arriving at the mill at Capisic, she had it ground into meal, and she was often heard to say in praise of the miller that he, knowing the sufferings of the settlers in Gorham, refused to take toll for the grinding. She remained at the mill till dark, and then started again for home, where she arrived before light
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
in the morning. The arrival of a richly laden ship safe in port, could not cause more heartfelt joy than the safe return of one of these, our early mothers.
In addition to these privations, in the fall of 1750 there broke out among the dwellers in the fort an epidemic of putrid sore throat and fever, called also black tongue. Few if any of the settlers escaped its ravages, and it proved quite fatal, especially amongst the children. Nov. 20th, Parson Smith records in his journal "twenty-five persons sick at Gorhamtown garrison, four have died." At one time, notwith- standing they had eleven soldiers furnished by the State, they had not well men enough to stand guard and the women had to lend their aid in doing this necessary duty.
No historian will ever be able to chronicle the many privations and sufferings which this small band of hardy settlers endured. They have all passed from earth, the written records left us are scarce and meagre, and the traditions are nearly lost, yet we know that sickness and death often stared them in the face; hunger and privation were their constant companions, but their hearts and their hands were strong, and with a pious reliance on the goodness of God, they kept a good watch, and persevered in their labors; and who can look over this goodly town and not admire the works of our brave and pious ancestors.
In the early part of the year 1747, provision was made for the protection of the frontier of Maine by companies of men, whose duty it was to scout between the different settlements. Capt. George Berry of Falmouth commanded a company of men, who scouted back from the coast as far as Sebago Pond. They served from May 19, 1746, to Jan. 19, 1747. Among this company of scouts were the following Gorhamtown men :
Benjamin Stevens,
Sergeant.
John Phinney,
William McCollinson [McCorrison], Centinel.
James Irish, 66
John Irish,
George Strout,
Gorham-town division-Sergeant John Phinney in command.
Jacob Hamblen. Jeremiah Hodgdon.
Clement Meserve.
Eliphalet Watson.
Stephen Phinney. John Phinney, Jr.
William McLellan. Edmund Phinney. Hugh McLallan.
Daniel Mosier.
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Wages of Sergeants, £2- 18-3d per month.
" Privates, £1-118-3d "
(Mass. Arch. Vol. 92 ; page 73.)
Capt. Daniel Hill, who was a native of Newbury, Mass., com- manded a company of scouts, who had their headquarters at the fort in New Marblehead, and scouted through the region above there. This company served from March to December, 1748. It contained picked men from New Marblehead, Gorhamtown and Saccarappa ; the men from Gorham were :
John Phinney, Sergeant.
Timothy Collins Cloutman. William McLallin. John Phinney, Jr.
Daniel Mosier. Jeremiah Hodgdon. Clement Meservey.
Clement Meservey, Jr. Edmund Phinney. Hugh McLallin.
Jacob Meservey.
On the 2d of July, 1748, news arrived at Falmouth, that Europe had agreed upon preliminaries of peace, and a cessation of fighting. A treaty of peace, between France, Spain and England, was signed at Aix-la-chapelle in October of the same year, by the terms of which each country relinquished to their former possessor all prisoners and conquered territory. By the stipulations of this treaty, Louisburg and the Island of Cape Breton reverted to the French. Notwith- standing the nominal peace, however, the settlements continued to be harrassed by the Indians, who were secretly aided and encouraged by the French in Canada.
Some time in the autumn of the year 1750, a large body of Indians made their appearance in and about what is now the County of Cumberland. Some of these committed depredations in the town of Windham, and a party of them came to Gorhamtown. The only mischief the latter succeeded in accomplishing was the capture of Bartholomew Thorn. Fortunately for him, his captors were Canadian Indians, who knew but little of the merits of their prize. As we have elsewhere said, he was a noted hunter and a desperate Indian fighter, much feared by the Indians who knew him. Remarkable for his strength, courage, tact and cunning in warfare, he was taken by surprise, and unarmed, having been to meeting. He was carried to Canada and kept a captive for some time, and was very roughly handled by his captors, but made his escape, and came home through the woods. From what we have been able to learn, he was a remark- able man in his way. He had but little intercourse with the whites, and kept no faith with the Indians, of whom he was the sworn enemy.
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
He was of a medium stature, quick in his movements, and always on the alert, constantly looking to the right and left at the least noise, as if he expected some one was after him; with a quick, roving eye, which it was said never slept.
The settlers in Gorham at this time had all their families in the fort for the greater security against the Indians. The inhabitants were not aware that the enemy were in their immediate vicinity. As it was about harvest time, all the men and boys were in the fields at work, and if they did not work with their guns in their hands they had them near by, and usually kept one of the small boys standing on a stump to look out for Indians and keep watch over the arms. For greater safety and to guard against surprise, it was customary for them in times of danger to work together in a body from field to field till all the work was completed.
It is not known how many of the enemy were concerned in this visit to Gorham. The men and boys, as we have said, were all in the field. As no Indians had been seen, no danger was apprehended. The number in the fort, at that time, is not now known, but there were the women and children of probably some ten families. The McLel- lan family had an old dog, who, when the men were away, usually staid about the fort. This, his mistress had taught him to do, and as far as she was able, had instructed him to keep no peace with any Indian. The women were busy about their work, when the dog came bounding into the fort, showing indications of great anger, and of being much disturbed. When his mistress saw him, she said to the other women, " There are Indians about," and at once closed the gate of the stockade notwithstanding that the others thought her fears unnecessary. The moment that the dog saw the door closed and secured, he became quiet; then Mrs. McLellan said that she was certain sure, for Bose knew an Indian. She immediately took a gun and went into the watch-box with Mrs. Watson, who, notwithstanding old Bose's intelligence, was rather incredulous. After looking in all directions for some time, they began to think that perhaps the old dog had raised a false alarm ; but Mrs. McLellan was unwilling to doubt his sagacity, and still lingered at the loophole. As at last she was about leaving, she thought she saw a small bush move. As it was a warm day and no air stirring, she at once became interested in the movements of the bush, and was sure that either man or beast had something to do with it. She put the gun out of the loophole, to be in readiness for what might turn up. The two women had not remained long in suspense, before there appeared plainly in sight,
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rising cautiously behind the bush, the head of an Indian, who, after looking warily about, stepped out from his cover in order to more clearly view the fort. Little did he think that admiring eyes were watching his beautiful person, and graceful movements. Probably he was not so cautious as he would have been but for the fact that he and his companions had been to the borders of the field, and care- fully counted all the men and boys at work there, and thus knew that there was not a man or boy in the fort. All the Indian parties usually had with them some of the Indians who had resided, or hunted, in the region which they intended to visit. Thus these knew that there were none but women and children in the garrison, and supposed that there was no danger to be apprehended; and as they thought that the women would be about their work, and the door probably not secured, they expected at one blow to capture the fort and make prisoners of every woman and child in the settlement. This was the plan they laid, after having counted the men in the field. The Indians, after the war, told that they knew that all the men were in the field, and Phinney on the stump. This was probably John Phinney, Jr. After their plans were made, with true Indian character they went about their execution cautiously, but through Divine Providence, this very caution was probably what saved the infant plantation, and its early settlers.
While they were moving stealthily toward the fort, not knowing that the old dog had discovered them, and having arrived within gun- shot, and, as they thought, near enough to make a rush should all things be right, it was necessary to reconnoitre, and the Indian who made his appearance from behind the bush was there to make a more close and minute survey of the fort. When he showed himself, Mrs. Mclellan pointed the gun directly at him, but still was unwilling to fire, notwithstanding that she thought she could hit him. In a moment, he moved a step clear of the bush, thus giving her all the chance she could desire, and she was not slow in improving it. The gun was discharged ; the Indian gave a leap into the air, and fell on his face where he lay a minute, pawing the earth with his hands, as if trying to draw himself behind the bushes. His movings were watched by the two women with intense anxiety. The other inmates of the fort had put no confidence in the news brought by the dog, and rather ridiculed the idea of Bose's being able to tell when Indians were about ; nor were they aware of the movements which had been watched by the two women in the lookout, and when the gun was fired they came running to know how many Indians were killed.
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
When told how things were, they looked out, but no dead or living Indian was to be seen, for his companions, who were near him, had extended an arm, caught hold of his body, and drawn him behind the bushes, and immediately made off with him through the woods ; well knowing that the firing of the gun was a sure signal that would in a few minutes bring a dozen stout men upon them, whom they did not think it prudent to face.
As expected, the men came in haste to the fort to learn what was the matter. When told that Mrs. McLellan had killed an Indian, most of them partook somewhat of the incredulity of the women, but Mrs. McLellan and her companion insisted that she had either killed or desperately wounded one. Mrs. McLellan, who was chief gunner, would not give it up, and insisted on an examination of the spot where she declared the enemy fell. Even this movement required caution, if it was true that the enemy were about - not knowing their number. After making proper arrangements for defence and against surprise, the spot was examined and proof was evident that either death or a desperate wound had been the result of the shot. A large pool of blood was on the ground, and a trail of blood was seen running some distance through the woods, where the living had carried the dead or wounded body of their companion.
This unexpected repulse the Indians could not account for, know- ing, as they supposed they did, that every man and boy, capable of bearing arms, was in the field at work. The result of their delibera- tions, and their conclusions as to the affair, became known some time afterwards, from escaped prisoners belonging to some of the neigh- boring towns. The wounded Indian died of his wound before they had carried him far into the woods, and when they had reached a place fitting for that purpose, his companions held a consultation on what was best to be done. They were anxious to strike a blow in Gorham, and how they had been discovered, and who it was who had fired upon them from the fort, was more than they could divine ; never once supposing that a woman could fire a gun, and kill a war- rior. They knew that all the men were in the field, and they could account for what had taken place, in no other way than that a reën- forcement of soldiers had been sent to the fort to enable the men the . more readily to gather their crops; and their final conclusion was, that if soldiers had been sent to the fort, (and certainly that must be the case, for no one but a soldier could fire so far, and kill a brave,) they could not expect to take the fort with their present force ; consequently they moved off to do their deviltry where there was less danger.
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Mrs. McLellan lived to a good old age, and would never give up that she did not either kill or desperately wound an Indian and save all in the fort. During. her entire life she held an unconquerable antipathy against Indians ; still she treated them kindly. In passing through the town they always made her a call, and she never let one go away hungry, and made her conduct invariably kind to them. From policy she did not let them know her feelings. An Indian was never known to treat her otherwise than with kindness and respect, and she enjoined on every member of her family to treat the Indians kindly, for she knew the talk among the settlers was that the barbar- ities exercised toward the Bryants were heightened by a trifling insult received previous to the war, by a young Indian, from one of the females of the family. And as peace with the Indians was precarious, she kept an eye to the main chance.
The continued aggressions of the French and Indians finally brought about another war between England and France, which com- menced on this continent in 1754. This war, which is known as the " old French war," was not formally declared until the middle of 1756, when the king of Great Britain published a declaration of war against France.
During the year 1757 Lord Loudoun attempted the reduction of Louisburg with a force of Regulars and Provincials, but when, on his arrival at Halifax, he learned that the place was defended by a stronger force than he had anticipated, he deferred the enterprise and returned to New York, where the Provincial troops were dismissed.
Capt. Joseph Woodman of Buxton commanded a company in his Majesty's forces at this time. This company served from May 2nd to Nov. 14th, 1757. In this company were the following men from Gorham :
Wentworth Stuart, Lieut.
Austin Alden,
Sergt.
Hart Williams, Corp.
Privates.
Solomon Lombard, Jr. Samuel Staples. Moses Rolfe.
Joseph Hatch. John McDaniel. Joseph Pilkinton.
Jonathan Sawyer. David Sawyer. George Tinney.
John Harding.
William Mclellan.
Benjamin Frost.
On the first of August, the Marquis de Montcalm, with a force of six thousand French and Canadians, and about seventeen hundred Indians, attacked Fort William Henry, at the head of Lake George.
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
The fort was defended most stubbornly and with the greatest bravery by Lt. Col. Monro of the 35th regiment with less than five hundred men ; while seventeen hundred lay, useless, intrenched near by. At last, when nearly half his guns were burst and his ammunition nearly expended, the gallant Colonel was obliged to surrender his command. By the terms of capitulation the garrison were to be allowed the hon- ors of war, and furthermore were to be protected from the Indians. The latter becoming intoxicated, the French were powerless to restrain them, and when the English, on the morning of the roth, having laid down their arms, marched out of the fort, the savages, falling upon them, murdered, in spite of the frantic and desperate efforts of the French officers, men, women and children with all sorts of cruelties. The Indians pursued the fugitives into the forests and defiles of the mountains, killing, scalping or taking prisoner, all whom they could lay their hands upon. Only a comparatively small remnant reached Fort Edward, whither the French had promised them a safe conduct. Two Gorham men, William Files and Zepha- niah Harding, were in Col. Monro's regiment. They escaped the massacre, and made their way home through the woods. (See article on Files.)
The following year, 1758, three expeditions against the French were undertaken ; one against Louisburg, another against Ticonder- oga and Crown Point, and the third against Fort du Quesne, which latter place Gen. Forbes captured and called Pittsburg.
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