History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 145

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 145

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Lieutenant-Governor Neptune made the reply, and the public ceremonies were concluded.

The result of the conference was that the Indians re- leased to the Commonwealth all above the territory of

thirty miles on the river before released, excepting the islands in the river and four townships six miles square, two contiguous to that territory and two on each side of the Penobscot River near the mouth of the Matta- wamkeag, which were to remain to the tribe for occupa- tion forever. The consideration for the release was that the Indians should have for a camping ground two acres of land in Brewer, opposite Kenduskeag Point; the em- ployment of a suitable person to teach them husbandry; the repair of their church- at Oldtown; the delivery at that place in October, yearly, of five hundred bushels of corn, fifteen barrels of flour, seven barrels of clear pork, one hogshead of molasses, one hundred yards of broad- cloth-blue and red-fifty blankets, one hundred pounds of gunpowder, four hundred pounds of shot, one hun- dred and fifty pounds of tobacco, six boxes of chocolate, and $50 in silver.

At the time of the execution of the deed, Mr. Rob- bins had some difficulty in getting it acknowledged, owing to the ignorance of the Indians. After they had made their signatures he asked them the usual question, "Do you acknowledge this to be your free act and deed?" They made no reply, but assumed an expression of im- perturbable gravity. He repeated the question, and the expression became intensified. General Blake saw the difficulty at once, and turning to Mr. Robbins, said: "Oh, you don't understand them, let me try." Then taking the deed in his hand and turning to the Governor he said :

"You willing-and all the rest of the Indians willing?" "Oui!" was the prompt and emphatic reply.

The business being happily concluded, the Commis- sioner presented the tribe with a six-pounder cannon, a swivel, a box of pipes, fifty knives, six brass kettles, two hundred yards of calico, two drums, four fifes, and three hundred yards of ribbon. The transaction was ratified by the Government February 20, 1819; and the Gov- ernment appropriated the annual sum of three hundred dollars for a religious teacher.

On St. John's Day Mr. William Thompson, who lived at the head of the tide, had a little surprise for the Free Masons, Commissioners, and the rest. He brought into market green peas from his garden, a gustable rarity that was not in the Boston market until five days afterward. Whether the Free Masons and Commissioners, or other persons, enjoyed them, is not remembered.

Information · reached Bangor that on June 30 the British surrendered Eastport to the United States, and removed their troops to St. Andrews. General Miller, for the United States, and Colonel Sargent, for the State, received possession. The American flag was again hoisted and greeted by a national salute. Lieutenant Merchant, with American troops, took possession of the fort, and Mr. Stephen Thacher, Collector, reopened the Custom-house. There was great rejoicing among the inhabitants. When the British troops embarked they gave three cheers, accompanied by Yankee Doodle.

This year, under a law of the Commonwealth, Messrs. Edward Robbins, of Milton ; Lathrop Lewis, of Gorham; and Joseph Lee, of Bucksport, were appointed "Com-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

missioners of the Land Office." The Commissioners had the oversight and management of the State's lands in Maine, and made arrangements for the laying out and making roads, quieting settlers, and for exploring and sur- veying. They met at Bangor and adopted measures to be carried out under their commission, and employed General Irish, who commenced on June 27 to survey the front lots of the lands purchased of the Indians, on the east side of the river. They looked out a line for a road from Eddington to the mouth of the Passadumkeag, to connect with a road which was commenced there the year previous, directed towards the northeast boundary. They employed Andrew Strong to survey Townships One and Four into hundred-acre lots; and taking with them Joseph Treat as surveyor, Messrs. Lewis and Lee went up the river for the purpose of locating the four town- ships reserved by the Indians and of exploring the West Branch to its source.

These Commissioners were men who had held offices of trust and had the confidence of the people. Mr. Robbins had been Speaker ten years and Lieutenant- Governor five years, and at this time was Judge of Pro- bate of the county of Norfolk ; Colonel Lewis had been a member of the Senate, and was now Surveyor-General of the public lands, and Colonel Lee had been for sev- eral years a member of the House.

The surveyor, Mr. Strong, was a great wag, and many anecdotes are related of him. In the fall of 1826, one of his neighbors, an independent farmer, raised the frame of a large barn. Being economical as well as independent, he braved the sentiment of the barn-raisers of that day, who were accustomed to New England rum, and raised the frame on home-brewed beer, under the pretense that his temperance principles would not permit him to offer anything stronger. His neighbors were satisfied that niggardliness rather than temperance controlled his action, and they fixed on Strong, who entertained the same belief, to christen the frame, as the custom was. He did not decline, but taking the bottle and mounting the ridge-pole, he dashed off these words, and wound up with dashing the bottle:

Here is a fine frame raised on a knoll, Put up by a poor, stingy old soul. The work is good, the frame complete, Raised without Rum, good men to cheat. The Scripture says-pray think of that- The liberal soul shall be made fat, But deacon's souls are always lean As soles of Stag, and twice as mean. I don't much like this pious shaving, Where pious self gets all the saving. It seems so odd and devilish queer To raise a barn on sloppy beer; And such mean conduct can't be right,- Therefore we'll call it Hell's Delight !

Once an old friend, whom he had not seen for years, arrived at his house after the supper hour. Finding that he had not been to supper Mr. Strong had some provided, and sat down with him at the table. The quantity of butter not being up to his ideas of hospitality, he in- quired of Mrs. Strong (who did the marketing) what price she sold her butter for when in Bangor. She re- plied at fourteen cents a pound. Taking some pennies

from his pocket and handing them to her, he said, "Mrs. Strong, we will have two cents' worth more of your butter, if you please !"

He became blind in his old age, and called in Dr. McKeese, in whom he had great confidence, for his opinion. After a thorough examination the doctor was obliged to tell him that he could give him no encourage- ment that he would ever recover his sight. He in- stantly replied: "I am glad of that-I have seen as much as I want to of this world."

An effort was made to erect a building for the Young Ladies' Academy. Mr. Williamson had interested him- self much in this institution, which had recently been in- corporated, and as Secretary called a meeting of the Trustees, to be held on August 2 1st, to determine in re- gard to raising funds and erecting a building. The Trus- tees were Messrs. Loomis (who was President), Dutton, Williams, Perham, McGaw, Carr, Barker, Bent, Patten, Williamson, Leavitt, and Dr. Dickinson. It was con- cluded to go on with the project, and Mr. Leavitt dug. the clay for the purpose of manufacturing one hundred thousand bricks for the purpose. The school was com- menced in the hall of Mr. Leavitt's brick building on the "Point." It was afterward removed to a one-story frame building that stood on Columbia street, seventy or eighty feet from Hammond street. It was a valuable school, and continued in operation for several years. The preceptors were Willard, Baldwin, Brewer, Coburn, Quimby, all learned and able teachers. Mr. Willard afterward became Judge Willard, of Troy, New York. Mr. Brewer was afterward a missionary among the In- dians at Oldtown, and then in Beirout, Syria. He returned and afterward resided in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, un- til his death in November, 1872, at the age of seventy- eight. He was a man of great kindness of heart, and lived to do good. Mr. Quimby devoted much time to chemistry and natural philosophy. After leaving the Academy he taught one or more of the public schools in Bangor. He then went to New York, where he devoted himself to perfecting and manufacturing the lightning- rod. His business was quite extensive. During the first years of the existence of the school much interest was manifested in it, but after the decease of Mr. Loomis it began to flag, and somewhere about 1830 the Bangor Young Ladies' Academy was a thing of the past. There are many men and women of high position in society now living, who look back upon the days they spent in that school with great satisfaction.

There had been much military ardor among ambitious patriots in Bangor even after the Revolution; but the rank and file, who got neither honor nor profit from carrying a gun and marching after a drum and fife all day, took no especial pains to recollect the manual ex- ercise from one training to another-there being for the militia usually two trainings in a year. The young men, however, were quite ready to turn out to musters in the autumn, when all the men, women, and children of the country came for miles to see the show, to eat ginger- bread and pumpkin pie, and peradventure to dance a little to the tune of some old fiddler or fifer. They

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

were willing to endure all the fatigue for the fun they were sure to get out of the thing.

Such occasions were the delight of the officers. They imagined, perhaps, that they were doing much for the country, that its future salvation would be due to their skill and to their labors in imparting military knowledge, courage, and patriotism to men who cared nothing about it. The display of these qualities by the warriors at Hampden, in the unfortunate affair there, was not calcu- lated to encourage them that military training like that of the past would be of essential service, and when the smoke of it had cleared away and they had fully con- sidered the matter, they felt that the military education of the people must be entered upon with new zeal, and stringent laws, thorough organization, drill, and disci- pline, under their own efficient supervision, would render them competent to repel the most determined invad- ers, if any should dare to make another attempt against the Republic. Then they had an opportunity to show their epaulettes !

The "Hampden Battle" was referred to by the officers in their address at regimental musters, to stir up the patriotism of the soldiers. At one of these musters Col- onel Traftonadverted to it, and, after tendering his acknowl- edgments to his men for their good conduct during the day, he recommended to them to carry to their several homes the idea that "on them rested the responsibility of raising the Penobscot militia from its present unfortu- nate degradation."

General Blake had been appointed Major-General of the Tenth Division of Massachusetts Militia, but in 1818 he had resigned, and General Jedidiah Herrick, of Hampden, had been appointed Major-General. Colonel Trafton had been appointed Brigadier-General; Col- onet Isaac Hodsdon, of Corinth, and Major Joseph Treat, of Bangor, were active officers.

It was announced in August that the Commander- in-chief, Governor John Brooks, would review the troops of this Division, and the military enthusiasm of the officers was thoroughly awakened. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Regiments of the First Brigade were ordered to meet at Bangor for review and inspection on the 21st of September. Brigadier Gen- eral Trafton being absent, the command devolved on Colonel Isaac Hodsdon, as the senior Colonel. The enthusiasm with which this officer entered upon his duties, communicated itself to the people throughout the limits of the Division, and all made preparations to witness the great military exhibition. The information was pro- mulgated by him that in this parade there would be "thirty companies and one hundred and twenty com- missioned officers under arms." And then he said the motives which would " operate to bring these troops and a vast many spectators together " were: "The military ardor of our militia in this section of the Commonwealth. Our commissioned officers are generally young, but anx- ious to excel, respectful in appearance, and meritorious in character. Our soldiers are freemen of the Republic, the yeomanry and mechanics of our country-men of sober lives and correct habits, and emphatically the sons

of enterprise." He referred to the patriotism and valor of "our fathers" between 1660 and 1760, their vast and repeated sacrifices of life and sub- stance in resistance of savage inroads and invasions, and to what they had done in repelling the at- tacks of the mother country, and then came this appeal: "No one of their worthy descendants can prob- ably be found who would utter an excuse for non-attend- ance because of cost or toil. The voice of your fathers' example forbids; the glowing feelings of patriotism for- bid-nay, military ardor exclaims, 'let no excuse be named.' Come, show your Captain-General that some scenes and events in this quarter during the late war are a sheer libel on the Penobscot name, and on the military and public spirit of our citizens."

Then to meet the Commander-in-chief was urged as richly worthy the attention of all, more especially the soldiery. It was a very favorable time for the interview. It was a popular affair. Every one who was exempt from bearing arms expressed a determination to attend; and finally, such an occasion "seldom happens ; it may never occur again during our lives." These arguments elabor- ated were sent through the country until it was thorough- ly aroused to the importance of seeing the General, the gaily dressed officers, the crowds of soldiery and citizens, and of hearing the noise of drums and guns and the up- roar of an excited crowd.

The day fixed for the great occasion was Monday. The Governor, with Adjutant-General Sumner and Colo- nel Swett, were met at Dixmont at 1 o'clock on Saturday, the 19th, by the High Sheriff and county officers of Pe- nobscot, and escorted to Township No. 2, where a num- ber of gentlemen from Hampden joined the escort and conducted them to that place. There a dinner was pro- vided and partaken of at the house of David Vose. At 5 o'clock a committee of arrangements and gentlemen from Bangor escorted his Excellency to that town. His arrival was announced by a salute from Captain Fitts's artillery, and in the evening many officers and gentlemen paid their respects to him. On Sunday his Excellency attended Mr. Loomis's meeting. Mr. Leavitt has this minute in his journal : "Went to meeting. Of my fam- ily, all my children, viz : seven sons and two daughters - their mother, being sick, did not attend. The Gov- ernor sat in my pew!"

It may be supposed that, with the expectation of such an unusual military display on Monday, there could not be much quiet on Sunday. Tythingmen were impotent on that day, for unavoidably the clans must be gathering.

On Monday morning a scene such as was never before upon the banks of the Penobscot, was witnessed in Ban- gor. In the extensive field formerly of Thomas How- ard, stretching from the road to the wood, were the long columns of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Regiments. The people had gathered and were gathering from all quarters. Drums were beating, horses were prancing, banners were waving, and the tumult and excitement of the crowd were immense.

The troops were facing the east, and conspicuous on the right were Captain Fitts's Artillery, of Bangor, and

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Captain William H. Reed's Light Infantry, of Hampden, in their gay uniforms. Then there were Captains Ste- phen Ide and Elijah P. Pike, of Frankfort ; Alden Nick- erson, of Orrington ; Joshua Howes, of Bucksport ; Allen Rogers, of Hampden ; Ezra Thistle, of Monroe ; Row- land Tyler, of Dixmont ; Jeremiah Simpson, of Hamp- den ; Jacob Cowan, of Hermon ; and Samuel Homer, with their companies, and twenty-two subalterns, all of the Third Regiment, and under Colonel Rufus Gilmore, of Newburg ; Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Butman, of Dixmont ; Major John Emery, Jr., and Adjutant Daniel Emery, of Hampden.

Next were Captains Andrew Hasey, of Bangor; Jacob Holyoke, William Copeland, Brewer; John Frees, Orono; Wright Stockwell, Eddington; John Butterfield, Sunk- haze, with their companies, all under Colonel Solomon Blake, of Brewer; Lieutenant-Colonel Lynde Valentine, Bangor; Major Eben Webster, Orono; Adjutant Thomas Treadwell, Brewer; Quartermaster Robert Harvey, Bangor; Chaplain Rev. Thomas Williams, Brewer; Surgeon Dr. Hosea Rich, Bangor.

Next were Captains Samuel Chamberlain, Foxcroft; David Laken, Stetson; Philip Greely, Garland; Levi Bradley, New Charleston; Ira Sheperdson, Exeter; Rob- ert Carlton, Sangerville; William Stevens, Guilford; Luther Turner, No. 2; Isaac Smith, Dexter; John Shaw; Sebec; John Hunting, Corinth, with their companies, and twenty-two subalterns.

With the artillery were Captain Roswell Fitts, of Ed- dington; First Lieutenant George W. Brown, of Bangor; Second Lieutenant John Williams, of Bangor- all under Major David J. Bent, Adjutant Levi Crane, and Quarter- master Timothy Crosby, of Bangor.

With a .company of cavalry were Captain Elisha Grant, of Hampden; First Lieutenant John Reynolds and Second Lieutenant Simon B. Harriman, of Bangor; and Cornet Lewis Barker-all under Major Jonathan Haskins, Adjutant Robert Haskins, and Quartermaster Joshua Lane, of Hampden. This company performed escort duty, and when it appeared, all eyes were strained to catch a glimpse of the distinguished visitor.

Captain Fitts's artillery announced, when . he had reached the field, the arrival of his Excellency, John Brooks, Captain-General, and his suite: Major-General Jedidiah Herrick; Major William R. Ware, his aid-de- camp; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Blake, Division Quar- termaster; Acting Brigadier-General Isaac Hodsdon, Colonel Commanding; Captain Joshua Wingate Carr, Aid (to Brigadier-General Trafton, absent); Brigade Ma- jor Joseph Treat; Major Royal Clark, Brigade Quarter- master.

The Captain-General immediately proceeded to re- view the troops. After the review a hollow square was formed, and the chaplain (Williams) prayed.

When the officers had been presented to the Captain- General, a line was formed, and, under Colonel Hods- don, the troops performed various evolutions very satis- factorily. After witnessing them and listening to the en- thusiastic drumming and fifing, and bugle-playing of the musicians, the volleys of musketry, the booming of can-

non, and the shouts of the excited multitude, his Excel- lency, having been "pleased to express his highest ap- probation," retired. No review of this 'brigade ever equalled this in splendor or in the good conduct of the troops.

After the review, the Governor, with the General and aids, the brigade staff, and fifty or sixty gentlemen of "the first respectability," were entertained by a feast at Mrs. Hatch's Inn.

In the afternoon the Governor, with aids, crossed the river. On landing he was addressed by Mr. Leonard, Chairman of the Selectmen of Brewer, and replied. He then proceeded to Bucksport and Castine, reviewed the First Regiment of Infantry, and, accompanied by Gen- eral Herrick and aids, visited the fort, partook of a dinner at Lukemer's, by invitation of Messrs. Abbot, Hook, Little, and Adams, then embarked for Belfast, where he reviewed the Second Regiment, after which, and the customary feast, he went to Thomaston and re- viewed a regiment in Major-General King's division.

The Hancock and Penobscot Bible Society met on the 24th October, and after a sermon by Rev. Jona. Fisher, of Bluehill, took up a contribution. Much inter- est was felt in the distribution of the Bible. William Abbot, of Castine, was made President ; Samuel E. Dutton, of Bangor, Vice-President; Rev. Mighill Blood, of Bucksport, Corresponding Secretary; Daniel Pike, of Bangor, Recording Secretary; Josiah Hook, Jr., Castine, Treasurer. A Board of fourteen Trustees was established, and eighteen agents were appointed in the counties. Felicity Lodge of Free Masons, in Bucksport, appropri- ated one-fifth of their fees for aiding the translating the Bible in the Asiatic languages !

The Lieutenant-Governor, two colonels, ten captains, and seven men of no rank, of the Penobscot tribe of In- dians, declared that all future contracts made by any member of the tribe for the sale of timber would be void, and contracts made by John Blake, agent of the tribe, only would be respected.

A schism occurred in the Republican (Democratic) party in this Congressional District in regard to a mem- ber of Congress. Colonel Gabriel Jehonnot,* of Hamp-

*This man, although a Republican, was an aristocrat in his feelings and manners. It is said that he lost his French wife, by whom he had an only son and child, in Boston, who went to the West Indies as a companion of John Quincy Adams ; that he married a second wife in Boston, and lived in such style that his fortune vanished, and that one morning after he had given a great entertainment the night before he removed to Hampden, where he took a little cottage which he occupied until he died. The farmers in his neighborhood at Hampden he con- sidered and treated rather as serfs than as fellow-citizens, and was hated by them. - When his wife called upon her friends her maid followed her at a respectful distance, after the fashion with ladies of quality in France. This maid was called by the people "Polly Johnno." The Colonel was a Free Mason, and was instrumental in establishing the " Rising Virtue Lodge," the first Masonic lodge in Bangor. His handwriting was very beautiful. 'Specimens of it may be seen in the records of that lodge. He became very much pinched in his means, and being an infidel, did not hesitate to express his sentiments in blasphemous terms if vexed. On one occasion his hay was frequently wet by showers in the making, and his neighbors would render him no assistance. In his extremity he sent to Simeon Stetson, Esq., for his team and help to get in his hay. They came, and while he was for the last time cocking the hay, which had been cocked and spread and wet much to its injury before, a shower

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. HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

den, President of a convention held at Bucksport, Sep- tember 30th, published a circular saying that Hon. Martin Kinsley was nominated by a large majority as a candidate for Representative to Congress. "One of the Minority" published a circular declaring that that nomination would not have been made had there been a full representation of the Republicans of that district, that Leonard Jarvis, who at the first ballot had fifteen votes to Kinsley's ten, would doubtless have been their choice; that the District, though decidedly Republican, was represented by John Wilson, a Federalist, therefore it was impolitic to nomi- nate a candidate whom the people would not support.

Much controversy grew out of this nomination. Jar- vis was a young man; had just arrived from France; was scarcely known in the district; had been little or none in the employment of the public; was ambitious and very per- sistent, and had an influential family connection. On the other hand, Kinsley was a "good, respectable citizen," a firm Republican, and faithful to his country and con- stituents, and always a candidate for some office. The vote by which he was nominated was 23 to 1 1 for Jarvis. Mr. Jarvis, however, would not stand aside. It is alleged that he was brought forward by his brother, and his brother, who was as remarkable for persistency as himself, saw to it that he received a large portion of the votes of Hancock county, and that Mr. Kinsley was defeated. The East- ern Argus advocated the election of Mr. Jarvis and was thought to intermeddle with matters out of its province by the friends of Kinsley, and by the Federalists in Mr.

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Kinsley's district also. The votes of the district were : for Kinsley 616, for Wilson 411, for Jarvis 340, scatter- ing 57. The first Monday in April was designated for another balloting. A committee of Republicans, con- sisting of Benjamin Butman, Benjamin Nourse, Daniel Greely, Isaac Hodsdon, and Ezekiel Chase, appointed by the General Convention, reported that Mr. Kinsley lacked but ninety-seven votes of an election, and suggested that scattering votes would be worse than thrown away; that Mr. Jarvis was a stranger-had resided many years in France and other parts of Europe, and had but recently taken up his residence in the district; and that they had long known Judge Kinsley as "a respectable merchant and agriculturist, and also as a member of the various

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 145

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