History of Paris, Maine, from its settlement to 1880, with a history of the grants of 1736 & 1771, together with personal sketches, a copious genealogical register and an appendix, Part 35

Author: Lapham, William Berry, 1828-1894. dn; Maxim, Silas Packard, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Paris, Me., Printed for the authors
Number of Pages: 922


USA > Maine > Oxford County > Paris > History of Paris, Maine, from its settlement to 1880, with a history of the grants of 1736 & 1771, together with personal sketches, a copious genealogical register and an appendix > Part 35


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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HORACE R. CLARK. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; date of muster, Dec. 31, 1861.


HENRY E. DURELL. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 31, 1861 ; died at Ship Island, Miss., April 26, 1862.


JACOB L. GOULD. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 31, 1861 ; died of disease at Fort McComb, La., March 3, 1863.


THERON F. HATHAWAY. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; enlist- ment Dec. 31, 1861 ; re-enlisted Corporal, Feb. 29, 1864 ; wounded at Battle of Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864.


RICHARD T. LURVEY. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 28, 1861.


GEORGE F. MONROE. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1861.


STEPHEN D. MORGAN. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1861 ; died of disease at Augusta, Me., March 5, 1862.


Bufford Bo :tor


Illiam R Jawan- Capt. 13st Regt Noe. Esta


379


HISTORY OF PARIS.


JOSEPH PENLEY. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1861.


MOSES SWAN. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; date of muster, Dec. 13, 1861 ; re-enlisted, same company, Feb. 29, 1864.


LYMAN B. TWITCHELL. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1861.


JEFFERSON WASHBURN. Private, Co. K. 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1661 ; discharged ; re-enlisted, Co. B, 32d Regiment, March 10, 1864 ; discharged.


CALVIN WASHBURN. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Dec. 13, 1861 ; died of disease at Augusta, Me., March, 1862.


JOSEPH H. SHACKLEY. Private, Co. K, 13th Regiment ; mustered Jan. 2, 1862 ; re-enlisted, Co. K, 13th Regiment, Feb. 29, 1864.


JULIUS A. KING. Private, Co. G, 14th Regiment ; date of mus- ter, Dec. 12, 1861 ; discharged for disability in Louisiana.


FRANCIS D. MIXER. Private, Co. G, 14th Regiment ; enlisted Dec. 12, 1861 ; promoted to Corporal ; re-enlisted. Sergeant, same company, Jan. 1, 1864.


STEPHEN MITCHELL, Artificer, 5th Battery, Dec. 24, 1861.


WILLIAM W. RIPLEY. Private, 5th Battery ; mustered Dec. 4, 1861 ; killed at Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863.


JOSEPH G. COLE. Private, Co. F, 1st Maine Cavalry ; date of enlistment, Oct. 19, 1861.


ORREN F. BROWN. Co. L, 1st Maine Cavalry ; died of disease contracted in Southern prisons, at Paris, Me., June 8, 1865.


FRED A. CUMMINGS. Private, Co. F, 1st Cavalry ; enlisted Oct. 19, 1869 ; re-enlisted, Co. I, Ist Cavalry, Dec. 31, 1863 ; trans- ferred to Invalid Corps.


HENRY A. CHILD. Bugler, Co. G, 1st Maine Cavalry, Oct 31, 1861 ; re-enlisted, same company, Feb. 1, 1864.


JEROME A. GILMAN. Private, Co. C, 20th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862.


FRANK L. BERRY. Sergeant, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18,. 1862.


ZEPHENIAH E. SAWTELLE. Corporal, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862.


EDWIN N. HASKELL. Corporal, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; discharged for disability, Jan. 30, 1863.


JOHN C. MCARDLE. Musician, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862.


L


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HISTORY OF PARIS.


JOHN ALBEE. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; discharged ; died of disease at Paris, Me., Oct., 1863.


HENRY M. BRETT. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; transferred to Invalid Corps ; died at Lincoln Hospital, D. C., Jan. 16, 1864.


LEMUEL B. CARTER. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; promoted to 1st Sergeant.


. GILES K. CLIFFORD. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; died of wounds at Wilderness Hospital, Va., May 19, 1864.


OLIVER G. CURTIS. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; served through the war.


L. MELROSE DEERING. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; died of disease at South Paris, Me., May 19, 1867.


WILLIAM H. DOWNS. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


OTIS DYER. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; promoted to Sergeant.


ALVIN JUDKINS. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug .. ยท 18, 1862 ; discharged for disability, Aug. 19, 1863.


JAMES H. F. KNAPP. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; promoted to Corporal ; wounded Aug. 13, 1863. RICHARD L. LURVEY. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


PELTIAH LEIGHTON. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered. Aug. 18, 1862 ; died of disease at Washington, D. D., Nov., 1862.


MOSES H. MORSE. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; enlisted Aug. 18, 1862 ; wounded at Gettysburg, Va., and died on the way to. Washington, May 27, 1863.


ELIAB W. MURDOCK. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; re-enlisted ; Invalid Corps, Aug. 31, 1864.


EUGENE P. NEWHALL. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment, Aug. 18, 1862 ; died of wounds in Battle of Wilderness, Va., May 7, 1864. ASA D. PACKARD. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; died of disease Jan. 9, 1863.


LEVI A. PRATT. Private, Co F, 17th Regiment ; enlistment, Aug. 18, 1862.


ARTHUR O. ROBINSON. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


ALBERT F. RYERSON. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered


Bufford Boston


H, N.Bolle


11


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HISTORY OF PARIS.


Aug. 18, 1862 ; missing in action in Battle of Spotsylvania, May 12, 1864.


CHARLES H. TWITCHELL. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


ALDEN B. WASHBURN. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; discharged for disability Feb. 7, 1863.


LINUS G. WASHBURN. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


ALMON T. WASHBURN. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; wounded at Gettysburg.


LEVI WHITCOMB. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; killed at Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863.


EDWIN D. JACQUES. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


FRANCIS H. HALE. Private, Co. F, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862.


HORACE N. BOLSTER. Commissioned Captain, Co. F, 23d Regi- ment ; re-enlisted Captain, Co. K, 12th Regiment ; commissioned March 9, 1865 ; resigned Aug. 16, 1865.


SOLOMON A. BOLSTER. Orderly Sergeant, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; promoted 2d Lieutenant.


JAMES H. BARROWS. Sergeant, Co. F. 23d Regiment ; mustered Sept. 29, 1862.


ELLERY F. Goss. Sergeant, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; re-enlisted Sergeant, Co. K, 12th Regiment, March 21. 1865.


JOSEPH P. PACKARD. Sergeant, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; mustered Sept. 29, 1862.


AURESTUS S. PERHAM. Corporal, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; re-en- listed, 7th Maine Battery.


ISAAC R. BESSE. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; died of dis- ease at Camp Grover, Md., Dec. 17, 1862.


Wy. L. GRAY. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; re-enlisted Private, Co. C, 32d Regiment, March 23, 1864.


VICTOR GURNEY. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; afterwards Corporal in U. S. service, and died of disease at Johnsonville, Tenn., Sept. 23, 1864.


SAMUEL C. JACKSON. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; re-enlisted Corporal, Co. K, 12th Regiment.


SILAS F. JONES. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; died at Camp Grover, Md., Nov. 12, 1862.


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HISTORY OF PARIS.


FREELAND YOUNG. Private, Co. F, 23d Regiment ; re-enlisted, 7th Battery, Dec. 30, 1863.


ARIEL G. CARVER. Private, Co. D, 25th Regiment ; re-enlisted as substitute for H. D. Marshall, and went into service July 28, 1863.


The following were mustered into service in Company F, 23d Regiment, September 29, 1862, and served nearly ten months with this organization, viz. : Daniel H. Young, Gilbert E. Shaw, Geo. H. Barrows, Geo. W. Young, John M. Bird, Geo. W. Cole, Isaac D. Cummings, Geo. E. Walker, John C. Cummings, Charles W. Dunham, James P. Dunham, Albert A. Favor, Granville M. Favor, Dexter Giles, Geo. W. Giles, Hiram H. Jackson, Lewis L. Jack- son, Hiram P. Knight, Hudson Knight, John E. Merrill, Milton Morton, Joseph H. Morse, John Porter, Edwin D. Pratt, Henry A. Ryerson, Andrew J. Smith, Chandler Swift, Geo. H. Twitchell, Wm. Woodis.


BENJAMIN F. BUCK. Drafted July, 1863, and entered service, Co. B, 3d Regiment, July 17, 1863 ; died of disease near Freder- icksburg, Va., Jan. 9, 1864.


EMERY E. LOWELL. Drafted July, 1863, and entered service, Co. B, 2d Cavalry.


HENRY F. NOYES. Drafted July, 1863, and entered service, Co. D, 3d Regiment.


NATHANIEL YOUNG. Drafted July, 1863, and entered service, Co. F, 1st Vet. Infantry.


CLINTON S. GRAY. Private, Co. C, 32d Regiment ; mustered March 28, 1864 ; discharged, and died of disease at Paris, Me., June 8, 1865.


CONSIDER COLE. Private, Co. B, 32d Regiment ; died in Vir- ginia, April 7, 1865.


WM. P. DAMMON. Private, Co. B, 32d Regiment ; mustered March 23, 1864.


ALVA DAMMON. Private, Co. A, 8th Regiment Volunteers ; mustered Sept. 2, 1864.


JAMES H. TWITCHELL. Private, Co. - , 1st Cavalry ; mustered Sept. 2, 1864.


LOWELL E. HAMMOND. Private, Co. I, 16th Regiment ; mustered Sept. 7, 1864.


CYRUS W. TWITCHELL. Private, 1st Cavalry ; mustered Sept. 15, 1864.


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HISTORY OF PARIS.


JOSEPH H. DUNHAM. Private, 7th Battery ; mustered Sept. 15, 18.64.


JOHN REED. Private, 7th Battery ; mustered Sept. 13, 1864.


WALTER J. TUCKER. Private, Co. A, 29th Regiment ; mustered Sept. 16, 1864.


ADNA GURNEY. Private, 7th Battery ; mustered Sept. 22, 1864. LAFOREST WARNER. Private, 7th Battery ; mustered Sept. 22, 1864 ; died of disease near Petersburg, Va., Jan. 1, 1865. JAMES E. HOOPER. Private, Co. K, 12th Regiment ; mustered March 21, 1865 ; died of disease at Hilton Head, S. C., July 15, 1865.


The following were mustered into service in Company K, 12th Maine Regiment, and were discharged with the company, viz : A. Mellen Rice, Sergeant ; Geo. H. Twitchell, Charles F. Jackson, John R. Sanborn, Corporals ; Caleb B. Green, Thomas P. Jackson, Andrew J. Jackson, Charles S. Morse, Charles H. Porter.


The following townsmen served on quotas of other towns :


GIDEON B. BOWKER. Private, Co. K, 12th Maine Regiment, on quota of Auburn ; died at Hilton Head, S. C., July 15, 1865.


GEORGE JONES. Mustered on quota of Auburn ; mustered March, 1865 ; discharged at Gallop's Island, Boston Harbor.


AUGUSTUS RYERSON. Mustered on quota of Auburn, March, 1865 ; discharged at Gallop's Island.


The following, who were soldiers, have become citizens of the town since the war :


GUSTAVUS C. PRATT. Enlisted and was mustered into the 17th Me. Regiment, Co. C, July 19, 1862; transferred to Co. B, and commissioned 2d Lieutenant, Nov. 10, 1863 ; promoted to 1st Lieu- tenant ; transferred to Co. D, and commissioned Captain, April 21, 1864.


FRANKLIN MAXIM. In quota of Buckfield; in 5th Battery Mounted Artillery.


ETHAN WILLIS of West Paris, who served through his term of enlistment in a Massachusetts regiment.


ALBERT C. BARROWS. Private, Co. I, 16th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 1, 1863 ; wounded in Battle of Wilderness.


A. F. BARROWS. On quota of Sumner ; Co. F, 9th Regiment.


GEO. A. WILSON. Corporal, Co. B, 21st Regiment ; on quota of Waterville ; in service from Oct. 13, 1862, to Aug. 25, 1863, when


384


HISTORY OF PARIS.


the regiment was mustered out. Was one of the "forlorn hope" of three hundred that volunteered to assault Port Hudson in the early days of the siege. It proved to be a wanton waste of life.


ALBION A. MAXIM. Corporal, Co. G, 12th Regiment ; mustered Nov. 15, 1861, on quota of Buckfield ; discharged for disability Jan. 31, 1863.


CHARLES T. BUCK of Sumner. Co. C, 20th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 29. 1862.


ISAAC ROUNDS, M. D., of Lewiston. Co. D, 17th Regiment ; mustered Aug. 18, 1862 ; wounded-fracture of the skull-at Battle of Wilderness, May 6, 1864, in Hancock's charge, and again April 6, 1865, in following Lee's retreating army, at a place called Jeters- ville. This was a flesh wound in the leg.


JAMES D. WILLIAMS of Houlton. Co. A, 7th Regiment ; mustered Aug., 1861 ; transferred to Co. D ; re-enlisted in 1st Regiment Vet. Infantry.


The following are non-residents who served on the quotas of Paris : Wm. B. Lapham, then of Woodstock, Private, 2d and 1st Lieutenant, Co. F, 23d Infantry, afterward 1st Lieutenant 7th Battery, Captain and Brevet Major; James B. Smith, Geo. J. Demerett, Thomas Finn, John C. Harvey, Charles M. Johnson, Abraham Mansell, John Fitz, John N. Weymouth, Charles Watson, Edward Butler, Patrick H. Canning, Thomas McPherson, Anthony Dowdelle, Geo. Vreeder, James Davis, William Thompson, Joseph Barnes, Henry Bond, William Beers, William P. Cunningham, John Crowly, Alfred Dempsy, Michael Delaney, John Doyle, George Fitz, Henry Gor- don, Wm. Hickley, Chas. M. Hesley, Barney Kelley, Wm. Kelley, Thomas Murray, George Mellen, Robert Miles, Michael Murray, James Mellen, Samuel Potts, Samuel Pettengill, Paul H. Ransh, Peter Ryan, John Rogers, Michael Smith, Edwin Shrown, James Smith, John Williams, Otto Webber, Wm. A. Child, Charles Du- bois, Patrick Kelley, Philip Mack, Wm. Richardson, Warren O. Douglas, Leverett W. Gerrish, Arthur Ulmur, Henry White, Wm. Kelley, James A. Roberts.


The following are the names of the Principals and Substitutes in the draft of 1863.


Ferdinand F. Favor, George W. Locke, John Locke,


George Bryan, John HI. Williams, William Born,


HISTORY OF PARIS.


385


Elijah Berry,


America Andrews,


Veranus Stone, Andrew Hill,


George Morris, Edward Bogue, Marcus M. Stone, John Foley, Ariel Carver,


H. D. Marshall,


L. W. Mason,


Narcissa L. Ware,


James E. Hooper,


George S. Stuart,


Oliver P. Cummings,


Daniel McDonald,


Moses Dow,


Albion P. Cobb,


George K. Jackson,


Donald Morison,


Benjamin K. Dow,


James Hanlahan.


George F. Shedd,


George Martin,


George W. Maxim,


George Hurd,


Horatio R. Pulsifer,


Charles Morris,


S. P. Stearns,


Charles H. Smith,


Hosea R. Bonney,


Welcome Beals,


Alfred W. Stearns,


James Crafts,


Lorenzo D. Bonney.


Freborn G. Bean,


B. F. Morse,


William Riley,


Sewell H. Webber,


John Carter,


George P. Hooper,


Henry Martin,


Josiah S. Hobbs,


John Cochran, Nehemiah C. Richardson, (col.)


John Arkett,


William Russell,


John Ellis,


Peter Neilson.


S. R. Carter.


Rufus Farrar,


Julian E. Maxim, Kendall Swift, Alvin Swift,


25


386


HISTORY OF PARIS.


CHAPTER XLI.


SNOW'S FALLS.


This curious waterfall was seen and spoken of by those who came to lay out the township, and was a subject of much speculation among the early settlers. The tragic scene which occurred in the vicinity and which gave name to the Falls, appears to be as well authenticated as any event connected with the early history of this region ; and yet, strange as it may appear, scarcely anything is known concerning one of the principal actors in the tragedy. His name was Snow, and he was a hunter and trapper, but of his Chris- tian name, his former place of residence and his family, nothing is known in Paris. His companion was a man named Stinchfield, who came early from Windham to New Gloucester and was one of the soldiers who manned the fort at New Gloucester during the last French and Indian war. There were three Stinchfields in the fort : John, James and William-the two latter probably being sons of the former. It is difficult at this day to determine which of these three was Snow's companion, but it was probably James, who is spoken of in Williamson's History of Maine, as "a mighty hunter, and well acquainted with the woods and with the Indian manner of warfarc. He helped build the first fort (in New Gloucester), and was a principal man in the town for some years." Another of the fort defenders was Benjamin Hammond, father of our early settlers of this name. Mr. Hammond and James Stinchfield werc of the party sent to Canada after the breaking out of the war for indepen- dence, to ascertain the bias of the people and the attitude of the Indians. They were made prisoners, but succeeded in making their escape through the aid of a Mrs. Forbes, with whom they had stopped, and who was friendly to the American cause. The tragedy enacted at Snow's Falls was not recorded in contemporancous his- tory, nor has any account of it appeared in any history of the Indian wars. The carly settlers of Paris, some of whom had lived in New Gloucester and probably knew the Stinchfield family, were familiar with the story and transmitted it to posterity through their children. In 1824, the late Honorable Elijah L. Hamlin communi- cated to the first issue of the Oxford Observer, a description of the Falls and an account of the tragedy by which Snow met his death. Some of the very first settlers, including Jolin Daniels and Patience


387


HISTORY OF PARIS.


Willis, were then living, and it is but fair to presume that Mr. Ham- lin conferred with them in the preparation of this sketch, and it is probably as authentic an account of the affair as we shall ever have. It has since been told differently by others, but in all the essential facts there is no great disagreement, except in the instance men- tioned hereafter. Mr. Hamlin's sketch is here given in full :


"Snow's Falls, on the Little Androscoggin River, about four miles north from the Court House in Paris, possess some considerable notoriety, and are well worth a visit from the curious. The country circumjacent to the Falls, is rocky, uneven, and almost mountain- ous. Two hills, one upon either side of the stream, seem hereto- fore to have met and to have inteposed a barrier to a passage of the river through which it finally burst its way, strewing the valley beneath with ruins and fashioning out a multitude of circular cav- ities in the ledge of granite which was now laid bare at the base of these Falls, and over which the water rushed with deafening uproar. There was probably a fissure in this ledge, traversing it in a direc- tion with the river, which, in process of time, has been so deepened and widened that now the whole body of the stream is precipitated through a channel so narrow that one may easily step across it.


Standing upon this smooth and solid bed of granite, you hear the water rushing and roaring beneath you, and sending up spray in its angular passage, to be colored by the golden beams of the sun, and to be drank in by the thirsty verdure on the banks. Looking through this zig-zag channel from either extremity. it presents a profile drawn analogous to artificial fortifications, and the eye hastily searches for the bristling bayonet and the cannon, as it sees the numerous bastions and curtains extending themselves at great length with almost the regular disposition of engineer construction. Above you the river spreads itself out in ample dimensions, and approaches peaceably and silently until it is forced to find vent in this narrow channel, where it lashes itself into fury and pours itself along in a roar that is heard for miles around. Standing in perfect security on the very edge of this chasm, you may look down into it,


'Through which foam globes in eddies ride, Thick as the schemes of human pride, That down life's current drive amain, As frail, as frothy and as vain.'


Below you the country spreads itself out in a rich landscape ; you see the silver stream threading itself along through occasional wood-


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388


HISTORY OF PARIS.


land and opening on both sides of its rich bank, exhibiting the monu- ments of industry and art. At a distance the village spire rises itself up proudly above the buildings that surround it, and divers roads are seen traversing the adjacent country, converging to the village like radii from circumference to center.


These falls take their name from the circumstance of a hunter named Captain Snow being killed there by the Indians as far back as the year 1762. This country was then a wilderness-New Glou- cester, the nearest settlement, was just commencing, and Captain Snow and a Mr. Stinchfield were engaged in hunting and trapping on this stream. Their camp was pitched on the east side of the river, near by the Falls, and tradition points to the very spot. In- dian depredations at that time were very frequent. A party of warriors had descended from Canada, and scattering themselves upon our frontier settlements, were carrying with them devastation and terror .* One party, having laden themselves with booty, in returning discovered these traps of the hunters, and evidently traced them to their camp. Stinchfield, who happened to be on the out- side, discovered them when within a few rods of it; he uttered a scream of terror and conjured Snow, who was within, to surrender, as resistance would be useless. Snow, who was aware of the hor- rible sufferings to which they doomed their prisoners, replied that he never would surrender himself alive ; that it was better to perish


* There is certainly an anachronism in fixing the date of the tragedy at 1762; it is stated that New Gloucester was just commencing, and that the Indians were devastating the frontier settlements. It is a fact that New Gloucester was begun in 1754, and that the set- tlement has been continuous since, although for a portion of the time the people lived in the fort. It is also a well known fact in history, that after the fall of Quebec, which forever put an end to French domination in this country, and the subsequent treaty made with the Indians at Halifax, February 23, 1760, there were no further depredations by the Indians upon the settlements in New England for many years, and none at all, except the small raid upon Bethel and the New Hampshire border, near the close of the Revolu- tionary War. There is one version of this story which differs quite materially from the one here related by Mr. Hamlin, and which, if the true one, would obviate the necessity of looking for a different date when the circumstances took place. The writer of this, when a small boy, heard it from his grandfather, who was an early settler in Paris, and it was as follows : That Snow and Stinehfield were hunting and had their camp near the Falls; that, getting short of provisions, Stinchfield went to New Gloucester for a supply, leaving Snow in charge of the camp; that he was delayed in New Gloucester and did not return until Snow was nearly helpless from starvation ; that he had crawled from the camp to the spring near by for water, and was returning when Stinchfield came in sight, and seeing some one crawling upon the ground, he thought it was an Indian and fired, mortally wounding Snow, who soon after died. This is given here only to show how different versions of the same story sometimes materially differ. It is likely that the fate of Whit- ney, near the pond that bears his name in Hartford, had something to do in perpetuating this version of the Snow tragedy.


389


HISTORY OF PARIS.


there than at the stake. The Indians finding themselves discovered, with a yell precipitated themselves upon the camp. Snow appeared at the door with his musket in his hand and made a demonstration of surrender ; but he only did this to single out his victim. The Indian who covered the file in its approach was of ferocious appear- ance and uncommon stature. His head was adorned with the plum- age of the eagle taken entire, its wings depending over either shoulder, and talons and beak so arranged that it still seemed to have life and conscious of its kingly power. When within a few steps of Snow, and signifying to him good quarter, Snow suddenly elevated the muzzle of his piece, and saying that he neither asked or gave quarter, discharged it into the bosom of the Indian sachem, who rolled upon the ground in the mortal agonies of death. Before Snow could recover the camp or make another movement of offence, he himself was slain and cut in pieces by the whole party, who had flung themselves at once in fury upon him. They then betook them- selves to lamentations and howlings for the loss of their chief, and having performed all the funeral rites due to his rank, and signifi- cant of their consideration of his loss, they sank him in a neigh- boring bog and continued their march northward, taking Stinchfield along with them, calculating to offer him up as a sacrifice for the death of their chief.


On the borders of Lake Umbagog, they were joined by the In- dians who had been spoiling in other directions, and here they feasted several days, holding their orgies both for the success of their campaign and the loss of their sachem. They afterwards went to Canada, and Stinchfield, watching every opportunity to escape, at length ventured, and traveling the wilderness alone, finally reached his friends in safety and informed them of the tragical death of his comrade. The remains of Snow were subsequently interred by a party that went from New Gloucester, and a mound of stones loosely thrown together still marks the spot where sleeps the valiant hunter whose name is perpetuated by identifying it with the name of the Falls.


A curious circular hole has recently been discovered on the west side of the river, about half a mile from the Falls, on the summit of a hill, in a ledge of solid granite. It is between two and three feet in depth and about eighteen inches in diameter, resembling those that are found on the Falls, only vastly more perfect in its construction. There is much speculation as to the cause and man-


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390


HISTORY OF PARIS.


ner of its formation. It seems hardly possible that it could have been formed by a current of water passing over the rocks, as the hill is so high, this being the only cavity and there not existing the least appearance of the smallest rill ever having run in that direc- tion. That it was hollowed out by the Indians, is still more im- probable. It is in a place where they would be the least likely to congregate for any purpose, and, if made by them, must have been done at an immense expense of time and labor, and for ought we see, to no possible advantage, and, in fact, the smooth and rounded appearance of the hole on its outer surface seems rather to indicate water as the agent in its formation. We have examined it a num- ber of times, and can only add with the poet :




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