History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 131

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100

USA > Maine > Penobscot County > History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 131

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On the 14th of August Captain Brewer was greatly surprised by the appearance at his house in the morning of Dr. Downing, Surgeon-in-chief of the American forces, with all the sick and wounded prisoners -- twenty to thirty-and the information that the siege had been raised by the appearance of a British fleet under Sir

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

George Collier, and that our fleet and army were flying before him up the river. After dressing the wounds of those in his charge and giving them refreshments at Captain Brewer's house, by advice of that gentleman he took them to Major Treat's, at the head of the tide and left them in charge of Dr. Herbert, with his medical chest.

In the morning such of the ships as had not been de- stroyed below, came up to Condeskge, and on the next morning were blown up and burnt in the Penobscot River off the mouth of the stream by their crews. These were the ships Monmouth, 24 guns; Sally, 22 guns; Hec- tor, 20 guns; Black Prince, 18 guns; brigs Hazard, 16 guns; Diligeant, 14 guns; Tyrannicide, 14 guns, burnt; sloop Providence, 14 guns, blown up; sloop Spring Bird, 12 guns; total, 154 guns; and three transports. The army made their way through the woods west ward.

Captain Brewer was again called upon by the inhabit- ants to go again to General McLean, accompanied by Captain Ginn, and learn his determination in regard to them. At the Narrows they saw the ship Blonde, Cap- tain Berkley, and, being hailed, went on board and in- formed the Captain of their business. He gave them a pass, and they were not again interrupted on the voyage. When they called upon General McLean he received them very politely, and said :

"Mr. Brewer, you have come to see me again. What is the news up the river, and where are the rebels? Have they dispersed ?"

"They have."

"I believe the commanders were a pack of cowards, or they would have taken me, for I was in no situation to defend myself. I meant to give them only one or two guns that I might not be called a coward, and then strike my colors, as I did not wish to throw away my men's lives for nothing. Now, what is your request?"

"The inhabitants are in distress to know your deter- mination. If it is favorable they will stay at home; if not, they will quit their houses and take to the woods as some have done already."

"Go home and tell them that if they will stay by their houses and live peaceably and mind their own business, they shall not be harmed, but the houses of all who quit them shall be burnt."

Captain Brewer then inquired what would be the dis- position of the sick and wounded men who had been left.

"What is your wish?"

"That they may be conveyed to their friends as soon as convenient."

"Go up the river and get a vessel, if you can ; if not, I will provide you one."

"I have one in view that I can get."

"Then fit her in good order and take all the sick and wounded on board, and come down with them and return me a list of their names, and I will give you a pass as a cartel, to deliver them where it is most convenient for the men."

"But, General, there will be some stores wanting that I cannot get up the river."

"Get what you can, and make out a memorandum of what you want more, and I will supply you here."

Captain Brewer returned, and on his way chartered a schooner and shipped a master and crew, who went with her up the river, where she was fitted up with platforms and bunks.

In a few days Captain Mowatt came up the river in the ship Albany, and anchored abreast of Brewer's Cove just at night, and sent word to. Brewer to call upon him in the morning, which he did. At this visit he informed Mowatt of the orders he had received from the General, and Mowatt desired him to accomplish the business as soon as possible. The intercourse between those two persons, until the schooner was away, was of the most friendly character. Mowatt frequently, as Brewer was passing, called him on board his vessel, made inquiries about the sick and wounded, and took him into his cabin to take a glass of wine or brandy; and when the schooner was about to sail, he gave him a pass to proceed to Gen- eral McLean.

When he reached Marsh Bay, Captain Brewer was' in- formed that Captain George Ross, who had commanded an American ship of twenty guns, had been wounded, and, with his cabin boy, was on shore there. He sent the boat with Dr. Herbert for them, and they came on board. Brewer added this captain's name to his list, "George Ross," he says, "as it was," and when he ar- rived at Bagaduce returned his list to General McLean, with which he was much pleased, and gave Captain Brewer an order on the Commissary to fill the memoran- dum made by the captain for the supplies needed, and "a pass for the schooner as a cartel," to proceed with the men to Boston and the places most convenient for them to get to their homes. Captain Brewer then returned to his home to meet with a reception that he had not con- templated.

After he had left Marsh Bay, on his way down the river, one Ichabod Colson hastened to inform Mowatt that Brewer had taken off Captain Ross, and on the morning of Brewer's return, Mowatt sent for him to come on board his ship. Brewer, being fatigued, excused him- self until afternoon, and as he was leaving his house to comply with the request, he saw Mowatt land upon the point opposite, and went over to him. Captain Brewer thus describes the interview, which continued about half an hour.

"The first compliment I received was :

" 'You damned rebel, I understand that you stopped at Marsh Bay, and took on board Captain Ross, one of the finest captains there was in the Navy. I meant to have kept him and had two of my captains for him, he was such a fine fellow. Did you return him as captain ?'

" 'No, I returned his name George Ross.'

"Then it was D again, and: 'Did you not know that I had not given you any order to take any 'one on board?' " ' Yes.'

"' And how dared you do it?'-with sword flourishing over my head-both of us stepping back and forth pretty lively.

" 'Because I got my orders another way.'

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

"'Which way ?'

"' From General McLean, your master.'

"You must suppose that I was somewhat agitated by my answer to him. On that, he starts back a little, draws his sword out of his scabbard, and says :

"'You damned rebel, I have a good mind to run you through.' I deliberately opened my breast, and told him : ' If you dare do it, here is your mark, for it is in your power to do it.'

"On that he turned on his heel, stepped back a little, then wheeled again, advanced with his flour- ishing sword, with a double D, if it could be ex- pressed, that before sunrise he would lay my buildings in ashes. I told him it was in his power to do it, 'but what do you think I shall be doing all the time?' On that he wheeled again and marched to his boat, and I to mine, and came home."

The repose of Mr. and Mrs. Brewer the succeeding night was not so pleasant as usual, but nothing further oc- curred until about four the next afternoon, when Captain Brewer alarmed his wife by telling her that Captain Mowatt had landed and was approaching the house. He walked very moderately, and when he had nearly reached the door Captain Brewer met him. He politely saluted Captain Brewer, and inquired for the health of his family, and was invited by him into the house. Mrs. Brewer was partially relieved of her panic when introduced to him. He entered into conversation and expressed great commiseration for the distressed condition of the in- habitants, remained two or three hours, inquired into the condition of Captain Brewer's family, and proposed to as- sist him in getting goods from Halifax to the value of £5,000 at prime cost, if he should need assistance. During his stay he was at all times friendly to Mr. Brewer, excepting on the occasion of his display of temper before mentioned; called all hands on deck at one time, and forbade their taking anything from his field or garden under penalty of punishment, and was strictly obeyed. He obtained supplies for his table from Captain Brewer, and paid him generously for them.

Mowatt's barges went to the head of the tide, and his men burnt the houses of some who would not take the oath of allegiance, among them James Nichols's, at Ed- dington Bend, and old Joseph Page's, at Penjejawock. Page's was burnt in his sight, he being on the summit of Mt. Hope at the time watching the proceedings of the British. It is evident that Mowatt was a passionate man, though there were ennobling traits in his character. His conduct towards Brewer shows that he did not retain re- sentment. There is an anecdote of his humanity. One Samuel Kenny, an arrant Tory, who resided on the eastern side of the river, nearly opposite the mouth of the Kenduskeag, had taken a great quantity of pork and beef from the settlers, and deposited it in a house in the neighborhood of Captain Brewer's. Of this he informed Mowatt, who went to see it. He reproved Kenny for taking it, and ordered him to take salt from his tender and salt it all immediately, and give a barrel to each per- son he robbed.

Mowatt was from forty to forty-five years of age ; had

a fresh countenance and good physique. He wore his hair powdered, dressed in a blue coat with facings lighter of the same color. Was of medium size.

In 1775 he had disgraced himself among Americans by burning Portland. In 1783 he was in command of Her Majesty's sloop of war Sophie, with Governor Parr on board, when he visited, gave the name to, and received the hospitalities of the new refugee town of Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Many of the settlers left the Penobscot after the disas- ter to the Penobscot expedition, and of those who re- mained many took the oath of allegiance to the Crown; and some went to Bagaduce to work on the fort in order to get the means to eke out a subsistence. Rations were issued to them, and the carpenters received a dollar a day, and laborers at first a pistareen (twenty cents), afterwards about seventy-five cents. Mr. Crosby and Captain Brewer were among those who left the country for their former home. The occasion of the latter leav- ing is related in his journal.

Before Captain Mowatt went down the river he made an arrangement with Captain Brewer to take down a house on the Point, which was owned by his brother, for $200, and Mowatt was to send a vessel to take it to the fort at Bagaduce. A few days afterwards some person removed the windows and secreted them. This was re- ported to General McLean, and Captain Brewer gives this report of the conversation that followed:

"Well, man, you must get them again."

"I cannot, for I know not where to look for them or whom to suspect."

"Then, man, you must stay here until they are pro- duced."

"That is impossible for me to do without having lib- erty to search for them."

"Well, man, I guess you know where they are as well as anybody, and I will give you a week or fortnight to go home and get them; and if you don't bring them within that time I will put you in confinement."

Captain Brewer went home, but instead of searching for the windows he packed his own and many other goods (excepting his beds and clothing), which he put on board a large scow that Major George Ulmer had come up from Camden for plunder in. Then embarking his family, consisting of nine persons, the scow left in the night. They reached Camden the next day. He re- mained, and taking his yoke of oxen, three cows, and one horse, joined them with the stock of John Crosby and others-making in all about thirty head-and they drove them through the woods to Camden, where they arrived the third or fourth day. From there he went with his family to St. George, where they took passage by water to Boston and did not return until after the peace.

The crews of the vessels which were destroyed at Con- deskge swarmed over the Point, but finding no means of subsistence among the inhabitants they made no tarry, but made their way through the wilderness to the Ken nebec, suffering greatly on their journey, and some starv- ing to death.

Communications by water between the inhabitants of

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Penobscot and other parts of the country being obstruct- ed by the British occupancy of Bagaduce and the river below Bucksport, arrangements were made by which the Indians of Penobscot could be supplied at Kennebec to prevent their falling under the influence of the British, of which there was danger after the destruction of Salton- stall's fleet. Many of them plundered the houses of 'settlers all the way up the river, doubtless supposing that their owners who had left would have no more rights there. Fort Halifax, near Ticonic Falls, on the Kennebec, which had been built about twenty years be- fore, was made a depot for supplies, and the Penobscots made it a resort for obtaining them until the end of the war .*

This was a critical time for their loyalty. One Lunier who kept a trading house at the carrying place between the Penobscot and St. Lawrence waters-Penobscot and Portage Lakest-was constant in his efforts to detach them from the American interest. He had great in- fluence with them. In September, 1779, twenty-six Indians and French, under his direction, arrived at the Indian village on the Penobscot, and finding that all the Indians excepting two had gone to Kennebec, obtained some dispatches sent by Colonel Allan, and learned from them that the Indians were on their march from St. John to join that officer. He was a vigilant, active man, and had under him at this time a number of troops, and caused Allan much anxiety. On reading the dis- patches, he sent the St. John Indians a belt of wampum, inviting them to Canada with flattering promises if they came, and threats if they did not. Their confidence in Allan, however, was so great that he could not influence them.#

Mr. Franklin, of the Governor's Council of Nova Scotia and Superintendent of the Indians, and Major Studholme, commander of a fort on the St. John, left no means unimproved to control them. The Penobscots were at a grand council of the Indians at Passama- quoddy in June, 1780, to consult in regard to proposi- tions of the enemy.

The Penobscots remained true to the Americans until the close of the war. In acknowledgment of their ser- vices, the Government presented some of them with clothing and gave them some privileges that they had not before.§

*Kidder's Eastern Maine, 278-note. +Ibid., 269. #Kidder's Eastern Maine, 268. §Williamson's History of Maine, II., 478.

CHAPTER III.

Poverty of the People before the Revolution-Budge's Saw-mill- Treat's Store-Dennet's Boats-Howard's Barrels-Destitution dur- ing British Occupation-Revival of Business afterward-Budge's Enterprise-Brewer's Trouble About the New Worcester Tract- How it was Settled-Knapp and Associates-Missionaries-Rev. Mr. Little and Rev. Mr. Ruthven (Catholic)-Massachusetts Commis- sioners and Penobscot Indians-Terms of Treaty Agreed to-Mr. Lit- tle's School-Rev. Seth Noble-End of Mr. Little's School Labors- A Tragedy-A Quarrel, and an Indian Killed-Treaty not Ratified Promptly, and. Rejected by the Indians-Rev. Mr. Little as an Ambas- sador-Reception and Conference at Oldtown-Orson Neptune's Speech-Mr. Little's Reply-His Departure-The Chief Orono.

Prior to the occupation of Penobscot by the British, the people on the river lived as they could, from hand to mouth. The soil was not cultivated to any great extent. Fish were abundant. In 1772 James Budge erected a saw-mill on the Mantawassuck Stream, at the bend on the eastern side of the river, and the next year manu- factured boards sufficient to supply the demand. Major Treat shortly afterward built a store near the Penjeja- wock Stream, from which he supplied the people with necessaries in exchange for their fish and furs. Jacob Dennet built boats adapted to the fishing business, and Mr. Howard disposed of barrels and kegs at Bagaduce, which brought some return.

After the river was closed against communication, the few inhabitants who remained suffered the extreme of . destitution. Fish was the chief food. It was some- times boiled with sorrel to give it relish. At Falmouth, in June, 1799, corn was $35 per bushel; wheat meal, $75; molasses, $10 per gallon, and tea, $19 per pound .* The price must have been greater upon the Penobscot.

Their anxiety, their loneliness-hemmed in by a wild and pathless wilderness on three sides, and by the enemy on the fourth -- their hopelessness, must have rendered their feeling of desolation terrible. That they should have thought the end of the world at hand when the 19th of May, 1780, came upon them almost wholly as night, and they were obliged to use lighted candles at noon-time, hardly excites our surprise.

Bangor's second decade commenced in darkness, but light began gradually to dawn. The war could not al- ways continue. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis sur- rendered. . There were those in the British Parliament who would have the war prosecuted further, but March 4, 1782, it was resolved to terminate it, and the treaty of Paris, under which the independence of the United States was admitted and the boundaries of the Republic were determined, was signed September 3, 1783.

The navigation of the Penobscot being again free, the craft of Dennet, in the manufacture of boats and yawls, and of Howard, in that of barrels, was again in requisi- tion. Fish became again an article of export, and traffic showed some signs of returning animation.

In 1783 John Brewer returned with his family to New Worcester and completed his grist-mill, thereby relieving the settlers above him of the great labor of either sending their grain to Wheeler's mill, at Wheelerborough, or pounding it in large wooden mortars, which were used in

* Smith's Journal, 111, 112,

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

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cases of emergency. Soon afterward James Budge re- moved from the Mantawassuck to Condeskge, and pur- chased of Thomas Smart, his wife's brother, the City Point Lot, which he occupied for several years. He was a man of much business ability, and extended his lumber- ing operations. The pines within a few miles of his resi- dence were, many of them, converted by him into masts and floated in rafts to Bagaduce, where he found a market for them.

Mr. Brewer, directly after his return, was too much engaged about his house and family to give his attention to obtaining a title to the territory that was so nearly in his possession at the breaking out of the war, and was chagrined when Barnabas Dodge made his appearance with directions from the Government of Massachusetts to run the lines and make a plan of it, thus anticipating the settlers, who desired to have a survey and make a petition that it be granted to them. After Dodge had made his return, a company consisting of Moses Knapp and twenty-nine others obtained a deed of the tract from the State. This was a great disappointment to the set- tlers; but imagining that something might yet be done to protect them in their rights as pre-occupants, they appointed John Brewer and Simeon Fowler, an intelligent gentleman who had settled on the river south of Mr. Brewer in 1773, their agents to look after their interests.

Accordingly these gentlemen proceeded to investigate the matter and found that, so late as March 22, 1786, no deed of the tract had been recorded, whereupon they made a representation of the case and applied for a grant, which led to a compromise. The deed to Knapp and associates was dated June 29, 1785, and contained 37,307 acres. But it was so arranged that 10,864 acres, bordering on the river, including a gore of 2,500 acres, should be relinquished by them from the grant. The Government gave a deed to Brewer and Fowler that each of the settlers might have a lot of one hundred acres from the tract relinquished, with the reservation of "suitable and convenient landings and roads to the same from the lands purchased by Moses Knapp and associates, and the privilege of taking fish, which were to be held in common between the said Brewer, Fowler, and other settlers and the said Knapp and his associates," the landings, roads and privilege having been reserved in the deed to Knapp and others.

There have probably been no settlements in New England, however remote, to which the religious mission- ary did not early penetrate. There is a record of one Oliver Noble, from Marblehead, preaching a few Sundays at Condeskge, prior to 1786, in which year Rev. Daniel Little returned. This clergyman was settled in the sec- ond parish in Wells, which is that part of the town set off in 1750 as Kennebunk .* He was ordained March 27, 1751. He came east as a missionary before 1774, returned in that year, and came again to the Pen- obscot in 1786. He was a man of considerable en- terprise, and was esteemed for his judgment and pru- dence. In his visit to Penobscot in 1774, he found the fam- ily of Captain Brewer kind and hospitable, and he found

a young preacher at the place, whom they had hired for three months. His name was Knowles; he was "sensible and well disposed," and preached there and at Marsh Bay alternately. When Mr. Little came to Penobscot he found the people alarmed by a report that a large body of southern Indians had held a council and sent a belt of wampum and a hatchet to the Indians at "Passa- dunkee," and a message that if they did not join them they would destroy all the women and children, and that they had assurance of assistance from the Governor of Canada. The report was brought by Aussong Neptune and Peol Sock to Mr. Treat, at Condeskge, witha request for ammunition for defence.

On his way up the river from Baguduce, he was in- formed that a French priest (a Mr. Ruthven) had gone up to Condeskge in a small sloop which he had bought in New York. He followed him, and, through Mr. Treat, obtained an interview with him, and inquired into the cause of the report. He said that in the spring (this was in August) a French colonel, with some southern In- dians, met the Abenakis at Saint Francois, and drinking too much, the Abenakis killed two of the other Indians, whereupon some ill-minded person had spread the re- port above mentioned.

This priest was born in Quebec; had been educated in France; came with Count D'Estaing's fleet to America, from the West Indies, and after arriving at Boston was, by order of court, sent as missionary to Penobscot. In the two first years after the defeat at Bagaduce, he was at Fort Halifax, on the Kennebec. He then took up his residence on White Island, in Penobscot Bay. He was a man of good natural understanding, and conversed in English so as to be understood .. He was white, tall, and of good proportions; "his address was truly French, ex- cept an Indian shrug and toss with his shoulder when he pronounced an emphatical 'No.'" He wore a blue coat with a velvet collar, and was well equipped with pocket instruments. He thought the Indians would not learn English in a school, and ridiculed the idea of the validity of a marriage between two Indians that had re- cently taken place agreeably to State law, and said he would nullify it and make them pay double fees.

The priest's sloop was managed by a boy, as he could not command her. He sold a third of it to the boy, and two-thirds were sold to Mr. Howard for a horse.

Mr. Little was astonished that the priest should come up the river in such haste, and not call at his island on the way. It was a mystery. He found that he was waiting for the Indians to come down, as he intended to go there and tarry with them until they had harvested their corn.

At this time the Government had sent General Ben- jamin Lincoln, General Putnam, and Dr. Thomas Rice, to purchase the title of the Indians to the lands on the Penobscot River. On August 20 they took Mr. Little from Mr. Brewer's and carried him to Condeskeag, where they proposed to confer with the Indians. They had previously sent Mr. John Marsh to Oldtown and Passa- dumkeag to invite them, and on Sunday, the 27th, they arrived. There were twenty-one canoes, containing sixty-

*Sullivan's History of Maine, 235.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

five Indians. The Commissioners notified them that they would meet them the next day at 10 o'clock.

At that hour the Commissioners found them seated upon the ground of "an elegant green near the river," four chieftains-Orono, Orson, Neptune, and Nepton- bovitt-being close together in front, and the others "promiscuously in the rear." There were several specta- tors present.

Through the interpreters, Robert Treat and John Marsh, the conference began. General Lincoln stated the kind intentions of the Government, and that it had appointed him and his two associates to settle the claims to the lands of the Penobscot satisfactorily to both parties. The Indians said that their "hearts were linked with the Americans," and expressed. themselves gratified that the Commissioners had come, and said that they were ready to hear their demands. The Commissioners then wished to know what they claimed. They replied that they claimed "down to a small stream below Oldtown, one mile above Colburn's." The Commissioners re- minded them that they had relinquished their right to that part of the country to Governor Pownall, and what they now held was by virtue of the action of the Provin- cial Congress in 1775. That it was the territory border- ing on the Penobscot River, beginning at the head of the tide, running northerly covering a breadth of six miles on each side; that upon that action they must rest their claims. They then proposed an exchange by which they were to relinquish their claims to this tract for a larger tract farther up the river and two islands in the Bay better adapted to hunting, and urging as a reason for the exchange that when the lands back of this tract were settled they would be of no value for hunting.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 131

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co. Number of Pages: 1100

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100