USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > The history of Portland, from 1632 to 1864: with a notice of previous settlements, colonial grants, and changes of government in Maine > Part 24
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The field of this rencounter, as has been intimated, was on Brackett's farm, now owned by Mr. Deering, at Back Cove ; the orchard extended down toward the point. Capt. Hall must have forded the creek or cove, in order to have attacked their front. Church gives as a reason that he did not inter- cept their flight, that "the thick brushy ground" impeded his march. The enemy were judged to be three or four hundred strong and the engagement continued about six hours before they retreated.
The timely arrival of this succor saved the whole population of the town from the merciless hands of their savage enemy ; had Church arrived a day later, he probably would have been called to bury the bodies of his slaughtered countrymen and to mourn over the ruins of their settlement.
The loss on the part of the English in this action was eleven killed and ten wounded ;1 of the enemy's loss not much is known, as according to their custom, they carried their slain
1 We have fortunately found the original list of the killed and wounded on file in Massachusetts State office, enclosed in a letter from Col. Church and dated on the day of the action, "Sept. 21 1689 a liste of the men that was slain in a fite at Falmouth, and also how many was wounded in said fite; of Capt. Hall's soldiers six slain -- Thomas Burton, Edward Ebens, Thomas Thaxter, Thomas Berry, John Mason, David Homes .- Of Capt. Davis' company two, Giles Row, Andrew Alger, belonging to the fort of the town. An Indian, a negro of Col. Tyng's, Capt. Brackett carried away or slain eleven in all-Wounded six friend Indians-of
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
with them on their retreat ; Davis thought many of them must have been killed.1
The enemy met so warm a reception at Falmouth, and found the country so well protected, that they retreated into their forests and committed no further depredations during the year. Church visited the garrisons at Spurwink and in Scarborough, and went up the Kennebec river before he returned. On the 13h of November, 1689, he held a council of war at Falmouth, at which were "present Capt. Davis, Capt. Wm. Bassett, Capt. Simon Willard, Capt. Nathl. Hall, Lt. Thaddeus Clarke, Lt. Elisha Andrews, Mr. Elihu Gullison, Lt. George Ingersoll, Lt. Ambrose Davis, Mr. Robert Lawrence, Mr. John Palmer, and others." "Ordered that sixty soldiers be quartered in Fal- mouth, beside the inhabitants and the soldiers that shall belong to the fort, which shall be fifteen soldiers beside the commander and gunner." It was also ordered that a sufficient garrison be erected about Mr Gullison's house for a main court of guard, and that and "Mr. Lawrence's garrison are to be supplied from the sixty soldiers left to guard the said town." The chief command was assigned to Capt. Hall.
1 In relation to the loss by the enemy, Church wrote from Falmouth to the Governor, September 27, 1689, as follows : "We know not yet what damage we did to the enemy in our last engagement, but several things that they left behind them on their flight we found yesterday, which was gun cases and stockings and other things of some value, together with other signs that make us think that we did them considerable damage."-Hutchinson Papers.
Capt. Davis' company James Freezc, Mr. Bramhall, Thomas Browne, Mr. Palmer inhabitants. total twenty-one slain and wounded."*
* Freeze and Bramhall died of their wounds and one friendly Indian. The following extract from B. York's deposition in 1759, furnishes some additional particulars : "1 well remember that said George Bramhall was shot by the Indians about ye same time in ye fight over on Capt. Brack- ett's farm, and said Brackett was also killed at the same time at his house on Back Cove, and said Bramhall was brought over after ye fight to ye Neck near fort Loyal and put into Capt. Tyng's house to best of my remembrance, and died the next day of his wounds; and his son and other help they got, brought a number of hides from ye house and tan pitts to ye said Neck ; and I re- member said'George Bramhall left three sons, Joseph, George, and Joshua, and I think one daugh- ter, who all moved away with their mother to the westward soon after."
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The inhabitants of Falmouth were fearful that vengeance would be visited upon them in the spring by the enemy in re- taliation for the late defeat, and were therefore anxious to abandon the settlement on the return of Major Church. He however persuaded them to remain, assuring them that if gov- ernment would provide the means in the spring, "he would certainly come with his volunteers and Indians to their relief."
This worthy officer labored hard to accomplish his promise ; he represented to the government their exposed situation, and "at every opportunity entreating those gentlemen in behalf of the poor people of Casco, informing them the necessity of taking care of them, either by sending them relief early in the spring, or suffer them to draw off, otherwise they would certainly be destroyed. Their answer was, "they could do nothing till Sir Edmund was gone !"!
This criminal indifference to the fate of so many people, cannot be too severely reprobated ; and it was not until the awful calamity which overwhelmed our settlement burst upon them that they were sensible of their fatal error.
Early in the following year (1690) the enemy renewed their depredations. They consisted of French and Indians ; in the language of Mather, "being half one and half t'other, half In- dianized French and half Frenchified Indians." In February, they made a descent from Canada upon Schenectady in New York, in which they killed about sixty persons. On the 18th of March another party commanded by Artel, a Frenchman, and Hopehood, "that memorable tygre," destroyed the settle- ment at Salmon Falls, "with fire and sword."
Capt. Willard, an experienced officer from Salem, who had been stationed in Falmouth,2 was ordered in February to pursue
' The government was preparing to send Sir Edmund Andross and some of his council prisoners to England. Andross died in London, 1714.
1 Capt. Willard wrote from Salem in November to the Governor that his men at Casco needed supplies, that the parents of his soldiers were much displeased 19
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
the enemy to their headquarters ; on his departure the com- mand of the fort devolved upon Capt. Davis. It does not appear that there were any regular troops left here, and the defense of the place depended upon the courage and exertions of the inhabitants. While they were in this situation, a party of the French, some of whom had assisted in the affair at Schenectady, formed a junction with the eastern Indians un- der Madockawando, and were discovered in the beginning of May passing in a large fleet of canoes across Casco bay. From the direction of their course the people of Falmouth enter- tained hopes that their destination was to a more remote part of the country ; but in this they were disappointed. In a few days they were discovered lurking in this vicinity, and Robert Greason, a Scotchman, one of our inhabitants who lived upon the Presumpscot river, fell into their hands. As soon as it was known that they were in the neighborhood, strict orders were given for the people to confine themselves to their garri- sons, and to keep constant watch to prevent surprise. There were then in addition to Fort Loyal, four garrison houses in this part of the town, whose local situation we have not the means of accurately determining ; one was on Munjoy's hill, near the burying ground, at the stone house of Capt. Lawrence. Sullivan says another stood "where Dearing's house now stands ;" this was at the foot of Exchange street, and was probably the house of Lt. George Ingersoll, which occupied that spot : he says another stood on the rocky ground south of where the first meeting-house stands. He cites no author- ity for determining these localities, and probably derived them from tradition, which we have found a most unsafe guide in inquiries of this nature. It would seem entirely unneces- sary to have so many garrisons in the immediate vicinity of
because they had not returned as promised. He proposed that Dr. Haraden be encouraged to visit the soldiers in Casco and take care of them .- Annals of Sa- lem, p. 295.
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the fort, and we have thought some of these defenses may have been in the more remote parts of the town for the protec- tion of the inhabitants there. Elihu Gullison's house was established by the council of war in November preceeding, as a, principal garrison house, but we cannot determine its situa- tion.
Thaddeus Clark, lieut. of a company of town soldiers, im- prudently neglected the precaution which had been given to keep his men within the garrison ; being desirous to discover something of the movements of the enemy, he went out with about thirty "of the stoutest young men," to the top of what we suppose was Munjoy's hill, which was then covered with woods. We give the sequel of this unhappy adventure in the language of Mather :1 "The outlet from the town to the wood was through a lane that had a fence on each side, which had a certain block house ? at one end of it; and the English were suspicious, when they came to enter the lane, that the Indians were lying behind the fence, because the cattle stood staring that way, and would not pass into the wood as they used to do. This mettlesome company then run up to the fence with an huzza! thinking thereby to discourage the enemy, if they should be lurking there ; but the enemy were so well prepared for them, that they answered them with a horrible vengeance, which killed the Lieut. and thirteen more on the spot, and the rest escaped with much ado unto one of the garrisons."
After this disheartening and ominous event, the enemy im- mediately attacked the garrisons; these were resolutely de- fended; but at night, their ammunition being nearly exhausted, the beseiged abandoned their posts and drew off to Fort Loyal. Next morning, being the 16th of May, the enemy set fire to the houses, and laid siege to the fort with their whole force. The local situation of the fort was highly favorable to their design : it was situated on a rocky bluff fronting the harbor, at
1 Magnalia, vol. ii. p. 524.
2 Probably Lawrence's house.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
the base of which the enemy could work securely beyond the reach of its guns.1 The number of the assailants was so much more numerous than that of the English, that the latter deemed it not prudent to leave their defenses. The siege was carried on five days and four nights, when at last, many of the English having been killed and wounded, the remainder capitulated on the 20th of May. The following account of the attack and surrender, by Capt. Davis, the commander of the fort, will not be uninteresting. "Myself having command of a garrison in Falmouth for the defence of the same, a party of French from Canada, joined with a company of Indians, to the number of betwixt four and five hundred French and Indians set upon our fort. The 16th of May, 1690, about dawning, began our fight: the 20th, about 3 o'clock, afternoon, we were taken. They fought us five days and four nights, in which time they killed and wounded the greatest part of our men, burned all the houses, and at last we were forced to have a parley with them in order for a surrender. We not knowing that there was any French among them, we set up a flag of truce in order for a parley. We demanded if there were any French among them and if they would give us quarter. They answered, that they were Frenchmen, and that they would give us good quar- ter. Upon this answer, we sent out to them again, to know from whence they came, and if they would give us good quar- ter, both for our men, women, and children, both wounded and sound, and that we should have liberty to march to the next English town and have a guard for our defence, and safety unto the next English town-then we would surrender; and also that
1 This bluff probably retains the same general features it had then ; the fort stood in the rear of the three-story house now situated at the foot of India street. [Since this was written, 1831, the whole aspect of this locality has been changed. The house has been removed, the rocky bluff leveled, and a large tract of fiats has been filled with earth, on which has been erected the spacious station-house and the large engine house, of the Grand Trunk Railway Co., and it has become the scene of a busy international traffic.]
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the Governor of the French should hold up his hand and swear by the great and ever living God, that the several articles should be performed. All which he did solemnly swear to perform ; but as soon as they had us in their custody, they broke their articles, suffered our women and children and our men to be made captives in the hands of the heathen, to be cruelly murdered and destroyed many of them, and especially our wounded men ; only the French kept myself and three or four more, and carried us over land for Canada * About twenty-four days we were marching through the country for Quebeck in Canada, by land and water, carrying our canoes with us. The chief of the Indians that came against us was those Indians that we had in hold, that Sir Edmund Andross ordered to be cleared, and Sieur Castine and Madockawando, with their eastern forces. The French that took us came from Canada, in February last past, designed for the destruction of Falmouth, by order of the Governor there, the earl of Front- enac. The commander's name was Mons. Burniffe : his Lieut's. name was Mons. Corte de March, who was at the taking of Schenectade. They brought several Indians with them from Canada, and made up the rest of their forces as they marched through the woods from Canada. But I must say, they were kind to me in my travels through the country. Our provisions was very short-Indian corn and acorns-hunger made it very good and God gave it strength to nourish. I arrived at Que- beck the 14th of June, 1690. I was at Quebeck four months and was exchanged for a Frenchman Sir Wm. Phipps had taken, the 15th of October, 1690."1
The names of but few of the persons who perished in the unhappy fall of Falmouth are preserved, and those incidentally. Among the killed were Lieut. Clarke and the thirteen young men of his company, who were left dead upon the spot as be- fore noticed. [John Parker and his son James were also killed.
1 The original paper is on file in the Massachusetts office of State.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
The father was born in 1634. They had sought refuge in Fort Loyal from the attack on his settlement at Parker's Island in Kennebec, a short time before. John, the father of John, came from Biddeford in England to Biddeford in Maine. In 1650, he purchased the island in Kennebec river which bears his name, and died there in 1661. His son John, above men- tioned, was a large purchaser of land on the Kennebec, and was carrying on an extensive business there when his property and life were suddenly taken away. He was the ancestor of Isaac Parker, the late honored and distinguished Chief Justice of Massachusetts, who commenced the practice of law in Maine and was a resident in Portland, when in 1806 he was placed upon the bench of the Supreme Court. The descent from John, who was killed, was through his son Daniel, who moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and died in 1694, aged twenty- seven, leaving a son Isaac, who was the grandfather of the Chief Justice.]
Thomas Cloice and Seth Brackett, son of Anthony, were killed, but it is not known whether they were among the slain of Clarke's company or not. It appears by the Danvers records, that Alsop, Edward Crocker, and Geo. Bogwell were killed at Casco, in 1690. Jos. Ramsdell, a soldier from Lynn, was also killed. Capt. Robert Lawrence was mortally wounded, and Anthony Brackett, Jr., James Ross, and Peter Morrell were among the prisoners. [John Gyles in the narrative of his cap- tivity, speaks of meeting on the St. John river a captive, named James Alexander, a Jerseyman, who was taken from Falmouth. There were also taken prisoners James Ross, Joshua Swanton (a boy), Samuel York, Samuel Souter, Sarah Davis (a girl), Thomas Baker (a boy), and George Gray. Ross, Alexander, and Swanton, were returned to Boston in Octo- ber, 1695.] It is to be regretted that a more perfect record of the sufferers in this catastrophe has not been preserved ; we have been indebted to ancient depositions taken to perpetuate evidence, for the few names we have been able to present. In
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this disaster the town records were destroyed,1 together with all other combustible or destructible property in town, and the once flourishing settlement exhibited an entire and melancholy ruin.2 It was visited by Sir Wm. Phipps and Major Church in August, 1692, on an expedition east, when they buried the bones of the slain, as they were bleaching upon the soil, and removed the cannon of the fort, which had been too large for Indian transportation.
After the capture of Fort Loyal the garrisons at Purpooduck, Spurwink, and in Scarborough, were so disheartened that they abandoned their posts and retreated upon Saco. In a few days after, the people in the latter place drew off to Wells, and left the country east of that settlement wholly depopulated and unprotected.
Major Church was sent to this bay again in September to harass the enemy. The expedition on its return anchored for a night off Purpooduck Point : and the accommodations
1 It has been intimated that the town records were carried to Canada ; but it is not probable that the enemy would take pains to preserve and transport so great a distance, documents which to them had no sort of value, Judge Free- man mentioned the report to me, but he had no authority for it ,but tradition. Had there been a reasonable ground for the idea, the subsequent settlers would have obtained them, at a time when their loss was severely felt and produced great confusion in titles.
2 William Vaughan, Charles Frost, and Richard Martyn wrote to Boston from Portsmouth, May 19, 1690, that they had just heard of the attack on Casco-that two men from Spurwink garrison on hearing the firing at Casco, went to see about it; when they came near, "they saw but two houses standing, the fort on fire and the enemy very numerous thereabout." On the 22d of May they wrote again that the vessels they had sent, discovered that the enemy three or four hundred strong had possession of Casco, and as they approached the fort, they were fired upon, and while they staid the remainder of the fort and houses were burnt ; that three or four hundred people, mostly women and children, had arrived at Portsmouth from the eastward, and that the vessels reported that Black Point, Richmond's Island, and Spurwink were burning as they passed. The General Court, in October following, ordered a payment for wages to be made to the wives and relations of the soldiers who were slain or taken at Casco,-General Court Files.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
on board the vessels being limited, three companies of friendly Indians encamped in a deserted house on shore. At the dawn of day the Indians attacked the camp and an obstinate engage- ment ensued, during which the troops from the vessels were landed ; the enemy were driven off with the loss of thirteen canoes. Several were killed and wounded on both sides; one Indian prisoner was taken, "a lusty man who had Joseph Ramsdell's scalp by his side."]
Falmouth became the scene of no more engagements during the war ; a single anecdote relating to the place, told by Mather with high relish, may close the subject. As the Indians were passing through "deserted Casco," in 1694, the squaws de- sired the young men to shoot some horses that were straying about Capt. Brackett's orchard, as they were suffering from hunger ; but the young men, wishing to have some sport first, caught one of the horses, and making a halter from the mane and tail, a son of the famous Higon mounted the steed for a ride, and to secure him from falling he had his legs tied under the horse's belly. But no sooner was the horse at liberty, than he set out at full speed "through briar and brake," without regard to the feelings or the wailings of his rider. Nothing more was seen of poor Higon but a leg which was buried with great lamentation in Capt. Brackett's cellar.
The war continued until 1698, when a treaty of peace con- cluded at Ryswick, in 1697, between the English and French, having been announced, and Madockawondo being dead, all obstructions to an accommodation were removed. Articles of agreement were entered into in October, and a treaty was finally executed at Mare's Point in Casco bay, January 7th, 1699. At which time the whole territory of Falmouth, which before the war was covered with an active and enterprising popula- tion, was a perfect blank, a thoroughfare for the savage and a resort for beasts of prey.
1 Church. [Of our forces nine were killed and twenty wounded; the loss fell principally upon Capt. Southworth's company of friendly Indians from Plymouth Colony, of whom fifteen were killed and wounded.]
CHAPTER XI.
A BRIEF NOTICE OF SOME OF THE INHABITANTS OF FALMOUTH DURING THE SECOND SETTLEMENT-NAMES OF THE SETTLERS.
In the foregoing pages we have introduced occasional notices . of some of the prominent men of the town. We propose now to conclude this part of our history by adding some additional particulars relative to the lives and characters of several of the inhabitants, and furnishing as full a catalogue as we have been able to collect of all who resided here between 1680 and 1690.
James Andrews, son of Samuel Andrews, who came from London, was born in 1635, probably in Saco; but soon after his father's death, which took place about 1638, he removed to Falmouth with his mother on her marriage with Arthur Mac- worth. He is supposed to have married for his first wife, Sarah, a daughter of Michael Mitton ; the christian name of his second was Margaret, we cannot supply the surname. He lived on a farm east of Presumpscot river, which passed by mesne conveyances to the Jones family, and is now, 1831, owned by Capt. Samuel Moody. During the Indian war he removed to Boston, where he died in 1704, leaving a widow, one son Eli- sha, and three daughters, Rebecca, wife of Jonathan Adams, Dorcas, wife of Ebenezer Davenport* and Jane, wife of Robert
* [Davenport was son of Thomas Davenport of Dorchester, Massachusetts, ad- mitted freeman, 1642, died 1685. Ebenezer Davenport was born 1661, his wife
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Davis ; he is believed also to have had a son James and another, Josiah or Joshua. The last two not being mentioned in his will, probably died before him.
Anthony Brackett, who was killed in 1689, has been so fre- quently noticed, that but few remarks will now be necessary. He filled a large space in the affairs of the town, and his death at the commencement of the troubles must have been seriously felt by his townsmen. Of his children by his first wife, Anthony was taken prisoner at the capture of the fort, and escaped in September following ; he rendered the country very acceptable services during the war and finally settled in Boston : his son Anthony was a rope-maker; his posterity sold their right in lands here and did not return. Seth, the second son, was killed in the attack on the town in 1690. His daughter Mary was unmarried in 1717. [She afterward married Nathaniel Whit-
tier of Salisbury.] Kezia married Joseph Maylem, and Elinor, Richard Pullin, both of Boston. By the second marriage, Brackett had Jane, Zipporah, Zachariah, Ann, and Susannah. The latter married Samuel Proctor. He returned to Falmouth before 1720, when another daughter was born here. He had nine children born between 1709 and 1727, from whom a num- erous posterity has spread over the state.
Thomas Brackett, brother of Anthony, married Mary Mitton, and had by her, Joshua, born 1674, Sarah, married to John Hill of Portsmouth, and Mary, married to Christopher Mitchell of Kittery, 1708. He was killed by the Indians in 1676, and his family carried into captivity, where his widow died the same year.
George Bramhall came from Dover, N. H., where he lived in 1670; he was actively employed during the time he lived in town ; he carried on the tanning business in addition to his
1663, He died 1736, she 1723; they had nine children, of whom three daugh- ters, Tabitha married John Cox, Jr., Hepzibah, Thomas Cox, and Thankful, -- Cox.]
1 I have preserved in the Appendix VIII., copies of some original papers in my possession, which belonged to Mr. Bramhall, as having some interest in this connection. [Annexed is a fac-simile of the signature of George Bramhall to paper No. 3 in Appendix No. IX, together with the signatures of Peter Bowdoin and John Holmes as witnesses. It is interesting to notice that Bowdoin so soon after his arrival as 1688, dropped the French mode of writing his name and assumed the English form.]
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