USA > Maine > Washington County > Machias > Memorial of the centennial anniversary of the settlement of Machias > Part 3
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Amos Boynton,
Westbrook Berry,
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they build a suitable meeting-house for the public worship of God, and settle a learned protestant minister and make provision for his comfortable and honorable support." And each proprietor was required to give a bond to the Treas- urer of the Province in the sum of £50 for the faithful per- formance of these conditions. The Petitioners were further required to obtain His Majesty's confirmation within eighteen months.
And the last condition is, that "as the township is remote from the centre of the Province, and at a great distance from His Majesty's surveyor of woods and timber, the Petitioners were required to take especial care not to destroy or cutany of His Majesty's timber on or about said township."
The conditions of this Grant, were the same, or nearly so, under which most of the Grants for forty years previous, had been made.
The provision, restricting the cutting of His Majesty's timber on the township, refers to a condition in the Provin- cial charter that all trees of the diameter of 21 inches, up- wards of 12 inches from the ground, were to be reserved for masts for the Royal Navy-and a fine of £100 was incurred for every such tree cut down without a license first had and obtained of the King's surveyor.
By this grant the Petitioners became proprietors or own- ers in fee of the soil within the limits of the township-and they held their first Proprietary meeting on the eleventh of September of this year (1770.) Stephen Jones was chosen Clerk of the Proprietors, Jonathan Longfellow, Moderator ; Benjamin Foster, Samuel Scott, and Sylvanus Scott were chosen a Committee to call future meetings : Ephraim An- drews, Collector ; Sylvanus Scott, Treasurer ; twenty shil- lings, lawful money, was raised on each original right in the township to defray the expenses of running out the township, and pay Capt. Ichabod Jones for his expenses and trouble
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in obtaining a grant of the same, from the "great and gener- al court," and the Collector was allowed 1-6 in the £ for col- lecting.
The most important vote of this meeting was the following, confirming, as it did, the title to lands, etc., held previously by possession, each man in the township having located his farm or made his improvements wherever his fancy dictated :
"Voted,-that the first sixteen settlers or builders of the first saw-mill unmolested enjoy their lots called mill lots, each lot containing seven rods front and extending to the marsh back not exceeding half a mile, together with the mill privilege ;- that each proprietor be quieted in the improve- ments they have made and settled upon, and possess one hun- dred rods wide, marsh excluded, if it is to be had without dispossessing one another in the improvements they have made, together with the mill privileges they now enjoy ;- said lots to extend back so far as to contain the quantity of two hundred and fifty acres to each first division lot."
A committee was appointed (Japhet Hill, Isaiah Foster, and Samuel Scott,) to lay out to each Proprietor 250 acres according to the vote of the Proprietors-to lay out proper roads and landings-and divide the marsh equally to each Proprietor.
In November of the same year, a meeting was called to see if the Proprietors would agree to send home to His sacred majesty, King George the third, the Grant they had received from the General Court, for his confirmation-and it was voted accordingly to send home to his "sacred Majesty !"
For this purpose they raised twenty shillings on each right which they directed the Treasurer to pay Mr. John Bernard, merchant, of Boston, if he would obtain a confirmation-and if Mr. Bernard would not undertake it, they requested their agent in Boston to employ some one else who would be like- ly to accomplish the desired object.
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A double saw-mill was built, this year, by Ichabod Jones, Jonathan Longfellow, and David Gardner, a Quaker from Nantucket, near the outlet of Gardner's lake on Gardner's stream.
Seven years had now elapsed since the commencement of the enterprise to establish a permanent settlement at this place. From the little band which had embarked on board of Capt. Buck's vessel, in May, 1763, their number had in- creased beyond the most sanguine expectations. More than half of the eighty persons who had obtained the grant of the township, were heads of families. Some were located on each side of the river at Machiasport,-some on the northern side of Middle River,-some on East Machias riv- er,-some at the outlet of Gardner's lake, and a larger village had grown up here. Three double saw-mills had been built on the "Kwapskitchwock" Falls,-a single saw-mill at Mid- dle River,-a double saw-mill at East Falls and another doub- le mill at Gardner's Lake. The inhabitants had obtained, af- ter much trouble and perplexity, a grant of the township, which secured to them their territorial rights ; and nothing now remained but to pursue the even tenor of their way, with every promise of success and prosperity.
In July of the next year (1771) the Proprietors voted to hire a minister to "preach the Gospel in this place," and raised the sum of twenty shillings on each right in the towhship for the support "of a Gospel minister" for so long a time as one can be hired for that sum. The whole amount raised was £84. Joseph Sevey, Enoch Sanborn and Stephen Jones were ap- pointed a committee for this purpose ; and Mr. Jones, being in Boston in August, met with Rev. James Lyon, who had just left Onslow, N. S., where he had been preaching, but where the people were so poor as to be unable to support him.
Mr. Lyon was a native of Princeton, N. J.,-educated at
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the College there, and had received a Presbyterian ordina- tion. On the encouragements held out to him by Mr. Jones, he concluded to go to Machias with his wife and children, and preach on trial. The next spring, the people liking him, they invited him to remain, offering him £84 as a salary, £100 as a settlement, together with a right or share in the Township. This offer he accepted, and continued to preach here until he died, in 1794.
Mr. Lyon had a fine musical taste, as well as voice, and published a work on music. He had a singular defect of vision, in being unable to distinguish between the colors of black and red, and once purchased a piece of scar- let cloth for the purpose of making himself a coat, thinking it to be black, until apprised by his wife that it would be much more suitable as a uniform for a British officer, than a dress coat for a clergyman. He never was regularly in- stalled as Pastor of the Church which he formed.
At the first meeting of the Proprietors, the committee of Lot Layers were directed to lay out the Marsh, and divide it equally, in quantity and quality, among the eighty pro- prietors. In pursuance of their duty, in this respect, they, this year, met with some resistance on the part of some of the proprietors.
What was the original cause of this particular difficulty, does not appear. But a meeting was called at short notice, and held at 9 o'clock, A. M., at Judge Jones' barn, which stood where the old Court House stands. The report of the Lot Layers, as recorded on the Proprietors' books, is in words following :
"Messrs. Benjamin Foster and Samuel Scott, two of the Lot Layers report, that they have gone so far in the division of the Marsh, as to lay out the lots on the plan, and should have proceeded so far as to have staked out the lots, had they not been threatened by Japhet Hill, (one of the sworn
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Lot Layers)-Samuel Hill, and some others, who swore that they would knock the first man down that entered upon the Marsh upon any such business ; and that if'any man should presume to bring any compass and chain, and make any use of them, they would destroy them.
" Whereupon the committee thought it was not advisable to do anything farther toward the division of the Marsh, un- til they had acquainted the proprietors with what they had done, and the opposition they had met with."
The Proprietors, probably somewhat astonished at such hard swearing and knock down arguments, adjourned to two o'clock in the afternoon, when they passed a couple of very cool and sensible votes in relation to the division of the Marsh, and the prosecution of those who trespassed on lots not their own.
And thus, for aught that appears of record, the matter en- ded quietly, the Proprietors not holding any meeting till two years afterwards, in July, 1773, when the disputed territory of Marsh lots was finally drawn for by lot among the Pro- prietors. From that time till 1781, a period of eight years, including a portion of the years of the Revolution, no meet- ing was held by the Proprietary-most of the members of the association acting in a committee of the whole township, on the State of the Union.
In 1774, the first meeting house was built on a lot given to a committee of the township, by George Libby, (one of the " sixteen,") near the site of the town Hall in this village. It was one story in height-twenty-five feet wide and forty-two feet long. It contained no pews. Ranges of seats were placed on each side of a narrow aisle, at the head of which a small pulpit was erected. It was built by private subscription. The builders were Stephen Jones, Stephen Smith, George Stillman, James Flynn, David Longfellow, William Tupper, William Albee, Joseph Averill, Amos Boynton, Daniel Me-
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serve, Jonathan Pineo, John Berry, Joseph Libbee, Job Burnum, Enoch Waterhouse and Obadiah Hill. Its cost was two hundred and twenty dollars. It was some years after- wards purchased by the town, when four hundred and fifty dollars was raised to repair it, and to build a house at the East village. Besides its Church uses, this building was used for plantation and proprietors' meetings, as well as for schools ; and when Washington County was established, the terms of the County Courts were held there for several years.
In April of this year (1774) Capt. Ichabod Jones, who, in- connection with his nephew Stephen, continued his interest in the prosperity of the settlement, came here with his wife and daughter on a visit; but in consequence of the difficul- ties arising out of the celebrated "Boston Port bill," and of the apprehensions which every day grew stronger of a rup- ture between the colonies and the mother country, he re- mained here with his family during the following summer and winter, his vessel being hauled up during the same time.
The news of the battle of Lexington, reached Machias very soon after its occurrence, April 19, 1775. Capt. Jones had at this time commenced loading his two sloops, the Unity and the Polly, with Lumber for Boston. He was master of the Unity himself, and Nathaniel Horton was master of the Polly. Capt. Jones sailed in the early part of May, having directed Horton to touch at Cape Ann and Salem, for a mar- ket, and failing there, to proceed to some port in Connecti- cut. But on arriving at Salem, Horton found the whole country in great excitement, and the inhabitants of Boston, including his own family, in great distress. Contrary to orders he went to Boston to bring his family away. Capt. Jones was there, also, making arrangements to bring from Boston his own furniture, as well as the families and furni- ture and other moveable property of John C. Jones, his son, and of Mr. Thomas Lee, a partner of his son. He was de-
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sirous, also, of carrying a quantity of provisions to Machias for the inhabitants, who were in a great measure destitute, the unsettled state of public affairs having' destroyed the business of the country, during the year previous.
It was necessary, however, in order to remove his own prop- erty, and that of his friends, to apply to Admiral Graves, who was in command of Boston harbor, for permission-which was granted, on condition that Jones should return to Bos- ton with Lumber for the use of the British troops. The sloops were accordingly loaded with the household furniture, etc., belonging to Jones, his son, and Mr. Lee, together with considerable quantity of provisions which had been secretly conveyed on board, previous to his application to the mili- tary authorities.
Admiral Graves ordered the armed Schooner Margaretta, a cutter of about one hundred tons, carrying about forty men, commanded by Midshipman Moore, who was a relative of the Admiral, to accompany Jones to Machias. The object of this visit of the Margaretta, is said to have been three- fold-first, to see that Capt. Jones performed his agreement to return to Boston, with a load of Lumber-second, to pro- tect him from trouble by the inhabitants if any should arise : and third, to carry to Boston the stores of an armed vessel which had been cast away in this vicinity, a little while before.
Jones is represented to have been inclined towards the Government across the water, and unquestionably well knew the sentiments of the people at Machias to be adverse to his. He probably solicited of Admiral Graves the pro- tection of the Margaretta, in the outset, notwithstanding it is intimated that he expressed some "uneasiness" that the armed cutter was ordered to accompany his vessels.
Before he left Boston, however, he appears, also, to have fortified himself with a certificate from the Selectmen of that place, desiring the people here to permit Capt. Jones to re-
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turn and bring away from Boston other distressed inhabi- tants and their effects.
The two sloops and the Margaretta arrived at Machias on the second day of June. The next day, as a pre-requiste to re-opening his accustomed trade with the inhabitants, Capt. Jones circulated for their signature, an obligation by which they were to bind themselves not only to allow him to carry Lumber to Boston as usual, but to protect him and his prop- erty at all events. Failing in this, he caused a meeting of citizens to be held on the 6th. .
There was a general attendance : and a vote was finally passed to allow Capt. Jones to proceed with his business as usual, the people agreeing to purchase and pay as before .- Upon this Capt. Jones landed his goods, and commenced trading with the inhabitants and loading his vessel.
There is a tradition that Capt. Jones in making sale of the supplies which he had at this time brought, "favored those who favored him," and would give credit only to those who voted in favor of carrying lumber to Boston. It is also stated, with more truth, that the lumber which he proposed to take to Boston was just what was required for barracks for the Royal troops. The memory of the recent battle of Lexington was still fresh and warm with the people. It doubtless haunted their dreams by night and by day .- And many restless minds, burning with the wrongs which our country had so long patiently endured, and believing that the cargoes of Jones' sloops were intended for the use of the British troops,-determined that Jones' vessels should not return to Boston.
At this time, about six tons only of English hay were cut in the township; what was needed of this article for lum- bering purposes being procured in Nova Scotia. And such was the state of agriculture in other respects, that no kind of vegetables were raised, not even potatoes sufficient to
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satisfy the consumption of the inhabitants. A few cows were kept, and only oxen enough to haul logs in the winter. There were about 80 families, and about 100 single men, then living here, all of whom depended on lumbering for subsistence. The settlement, too, was at a great distance from any large town, and there being no roads, the only mode of communication for obtaining supplies in a time of scarcity, was by water. This communication of course would be easily controlled by a vigilant enemy.
· There were a few settlements, westward, of a character ten times more feeble and indigent than ours, at Jonesboro, Addison, and on the Narraguagus, and at Gouldsboro. Their numbers were so few, that no relief could be had of them ; and before Jones' arrival in the sloops, it is stated that there was not three weeks provision in the township. But in spite of all these adverse circumstances, and the desperate char- acter of the undertaking, our little band became only the more resolute and determined.
The chief leader, in originating and preparing a resistance to the sailing of the sloops, was Benjamin Foster, afterwards Col. of the Militia, a bold and energetic man, who had served in the old French war,-was at the taking of Louisburgh and had not forgotten, it is probable, the smell of gun powder. A secret meeting was called by him of the O'Briens and other principal men of the place and of the settlements westward as far as Moosepeck Reach, which was held a short distance from this village on the road to the Port. The question was there discussed, with much zeal and interest, whether it was advisable to take possession of the sloops and the Margaretta, and make Capt. Jones and the officers and men of the cutter, prisoners.
On one side, it was objected that if successful, such was our defenceless and destitute situation, we should only in- vite a sudden destruction by the enemy. On the other, it
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was urged that resistance to British aggression had already commenced elsewhere, and that it was their duty to follow the noble example of our brethren at Lexington. At length, Foster, tired of the discussion, stepped across a small brook near which the party were standing, and invited all who were in favor of taking Capt. Jones' vessels and the Margar- etta, to cross over also. On this a large majority followed him, at once, and the minority falling in, a unanimous dec- laration of war was agreed upon.
This was on Sunday the 11th day of June. A plan of op- eration was immediately arranged. The principal officers of the Margaretta, and Capt. Jones, were known to be at church. It was considered desirable to make them prisoners, if pos- sible, while they were there, that the vessels might be taken without loss of life. A small party, with muskets, thereupon started for the purpose of surrounding the meeting house. It was a warm day, and some of the windows of the house were open. London Atus, a negro servant of Parson Lyon, was the first to discover Foster's band crossing a foot bridge which led from Dublin Mill Island to Single Mill Island .- Not knowing the object of this warlike movement, our friend London, gave an outery of alarm, and jumped through a win- dow. This movement at once attracted the attention of Jones and the officers of the Margaretta, who followed Lon- don's example. Jones escaped into the woods near by, where he secreted himself for several days. The officers, succeeded in getting down to White's Point, near the old Toll House, where the Margaretta lay, and arrived safely on board. Capt. Moore immediately weighed anchor, and dropped down below the narrows, after sending word to the inhabitants that if they molested or disturbed Jones' sloops, he would return and fire upon the town.
Not in the least disheartened by their defeat, Foster, Jer- emiah O'Brien, and others associated with them, determined
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to take possession of the sloops; and one of them, it was agreed O'Brien should take charge of with a crew of forty men, while Foster went to the East Village to get a schooner ready with a complement of men there, both vessels to join company at the Rim carly the next morning, and then pur- sue the Margaretta and capture her. No time of course was to be lost. A band of volunteers was soon gathered for the purpose, at each place. On examining their equipments of war-fare, however, they were found to be only a few charges of powder and ball for twenty fowling pieces, thirteen pitch-forks, ten or twelve axes. Most of the powder and balls were on boardof O'Brien's vessel, the Unity. "No circumstance," says a writer, "could more strikingly exhibit the reckless bravery of this little band, than that it should have been without an acknowledged leader, until they were in sight of the enemy, when O'Brien was chosen commander by unanimous consent." Foster procured his schooner, called the Falmouth Packet, ready in due season ; but before the attack was commenced on the Margaretta, his vessel got aground, leaving O'Brien to push on to the encounter single-handed.
The crew of O'Brien's vessel were about forty in number -most of them undisciplined in war, especially at sea, and were unprovided with more than three rounds of ammuni- tion. The plan was to put the sloop alongside, and carry the Margaretta by boarding. On approaching the enemy, who was prepared for action, Capt. Moore hailed the sloop to know their demands, adding that if they approached near- er he would fire. O'Brien called on him to surrender, while Stevens, his Lieutenant, replied to Moore that he might "fire away and be damned." Capt. Moore seemed desirous of avoiding a collision, and the breeze from the north-west freshening, he crowded all sail. In jibing, the Margaretta carried away her main boom, but continued to stand on and ran into Holmes' bay, where Capt. M., took a spar out of a vos-
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sel lying there, in charge of Capt. Avery, who was pressed on board as Pilot of the Margaretta. Her repairs being speed- ily made, and the wind freshening, she stood out to sea, in the hope of escaping the sloop, which again hove in sight .- But the sloop was the better sailer. Capt. Moore cut away his boats, to relieve his vessel, but this proving ineffectual, he opened a fire on the sloop. The fire was returned with animation and good effect by O'Brien and his daring crew. Soon afterwards, the two vessels came together. A short conflict now took place with musketry, Capt. Moore throwing hand grenades in person. He was, however, soon shot down, and the people of the sloop immediately boarded the Margaretta. The first man who got on board was John O'Brien, and the second was Joseph Getchell-the latter often saying, in his after life, that he did not know which foot was on board of the Margaretta first, his or O'Brien's.
Capt. Moore having been mortally wounded, after a brave defence, the next in command, a young midshipman by the name of Stillingfleet, was so terrified that he jumped down into the cabin, leaving the crew of the sloop to take posses- sion without further resistance.
Of our adventurous band one man was killed, by the name of McNiel, leaving a wife and family. James Coolbroth was mortally wounded and soon after died.
Three other men were also badly wounded; namely,- John Berry, who afterwards lived at Hadley's Lake, and re- ceived a pension of $8 per month during his life. A ball entered his mouth and came out behind his ear. He used to say that the man who shot him, fell as soon as he did .- The other two men, who were wounded, were Isaac Taft and James Cole, who were laid up for some time under the care of a surgeon.
On board the Margaretta there were four persons killed, beside Capt. Moore, who was mortally wounded. One of
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them was Capt. Robert Avery who was taken out of the coasting schooner in Holmes' Bay by Moore to act as Pilot, as before mentioned. He sat on deck, it is said, completely stupefied during the action, till he was shot. The other three were sailors or marines.
The first fire was made by the Margaretta, and killed one man on board the sloop. The hand grenades did the most damage. The fire was returned by the sloop, killing the helmsman of the Margaretta, whose quarter deck was then for a moment abandoned. The sloop boarded bows on-her bowsprit going through the mainsail of her foe. The ves- sels then swung together, and the attempt to board by our men, failed by the separation of the vessels. They soon swung together again, when the battle ended in the fall of Capt. Moore.
The Margaretta was triumphantly brought up to this vil- lage, on the same day she was taken, which was Monday the 12th of June. The crew of the Margaretta were brought to Machias as prisoners of war, where they remained till July following. Capt. Moore was immediately landed, and every care and attention was bestowed upon him. He was carried to the house of Stephen Jones, where he died the next day.
The other wounded persons were all brought ashore the next day, and a shop belonging to Jonas Farnsworth, was taken for a hospital. There was no Physician here, at that time, and Mr. Farnsworth was immediately despatched to Annapolis, .N. S., for a surgeon, and returned with Doctor William Chaloner, who afterwards removed his family here.
An intelligent correspondent has informed me that Capt. Moore brought with him two ladies as passengers, who were related to the Jones family-to one of whom he was to have been married at Halifax, whither he was bound in the Mar- garetta, after Jones's sloops were loaded.
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