USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > The history of Portland, from its first settlement: with notices of the neighbouring towns, and of the changes of government in Maine, Part II 1700-1833 > Part 16
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148
Revolutionary War. [P. II.
Some of the principal persons in town endeavored to persuade Col. Thompson to deliver up the prisoners, which he resolutely refused to do ; and Col. Phinney of Gorham, who was in town, fearing that there would be a rescue, immediately sent off for his regiment. In the mean time the prisoners were marched from the hill to Marston's tavern.1 Thompson continued unwilling to release the men, insisting that providence had thrown them into his hands, that it was open war between the colonies and Britain, and that it was his duty and policy to retain them. But perceiving the town generally against him, and the prisoners consenting to give their parole to deliver themselves up the next day, he permitted them, under the guarranty of Gen. Preble and Col. Freeman to return on board the ship, about 9 o'clock in the evening.2
Before morning, not only Col. Phinney's men, but militia from Gorham, Scarborough, Cape-Elizabeth and Stroudwater, to the number of 600, hearing the news of the preceding day, came into . town. They were exceedingly exasperated that Mowatt had been discharged, and seemed determined to destroy his ship. When it was ascertained that Mowatt did not intend to keep his parole, they vented their rage upon his hostages Gen. Preble and Col. Freeman whom they kept in confinement that day without dinner and refused to permit their children to speak to them.3 Toward evening they were released on condition of their furnishing refreshment to the military then in town.+
The town was now under military government and the officers resolved themselves into a board of war. Being thus organized they proceeded to call before them persons suspected to be tories ; old Mr. Wyer, Rev. Mr. Wiswall and Jeremiah .Pote attended
1 Now kept by Kendall opposite the market house.
2 One strong argument urged for the liberation of Mowatt was the expec- tation of several vessels from the south with flour and corn, of which the peo- ple stood in need and which would have been exposed by severe treatment. In the course of two months several vessels arrived with six or eight thou- sand bushels of corn and five or six hundred barrels of flour.
3 Mowatt gave as a reason for not surrendering himself, that the people told one of his men that if he came on shore he would be shot.
4 The number of men was about 337 ; they taxed Gen. Preble some barrels of bread, a number of cheeses and two barrels of rum for each company ; the expense was about £10 lawful.
C. 8.]
Conduct of the Militia. 149
upon their summons.1 They exacted from Capt. Pote, money and provisions and required him to give a bond of £2000 to appear before the provincial Congress and give an account of his conduct. The soldiers not being under proper subordination conducted in an irregular and disorderly manner, to the disgust and danger of the inhabitants, all whose persuasions did not prevent them from com- mitting some excesses. They rifled Capt. Colson's house and used it as a barrack, and from Sheriff Tyng's house they took a silver cup and tankard and his gold laced hat.2 The confusion was considerably increased by the free use of liquor found in Colson's cellar ; under this inspiration, a man by the name of Calvin Lombard, went to the water side at the foot of King-street, and fired a musket loaded with two balls at the Canceau, which penetrated deep into her side. The same day a party of Thompson's soldiers seized Colson's boat on the shore and next day nearly a hundred men hauled it through the streets to the fields near where the meeting-house of the third parish stands ; the day after, another boat was hauled to the same place. These re- peated aggravations called from Mowatt a demand for retribution ; he required that Lombard should be given up, that the inhabitants should dispel the "mob from the country" as he called them and restore the boats, or he would fire upon the town. These requisi- tions created considerable alarm, but the inhabitants at this time averted the danger by assuring Mowatt that the disturbances pro- ceeded from the country people and were beyond their controul.3
After much exertion the people of the town succeeded in persua- ding the soldiers to return home ; the last company left town May 13. The soldiers had not at this time learned subjection to their officers; they made their own wills the guide of their conduct, and when Col. Phinney and Col. Thompson required them to yield
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1 Mr. Wiswall declared his abhorrence of the doctrine of passive obedience, and that Great Britain had no right to lay internal taxes : he declined giving any opinion relative to the late acts of parliament.
2 The property taken from Colson's was valued at £141. 1. 1. and from Tyng's at £50. Res. of Prov. Cong. The articles were carried to Gorham by Phinney's men and secured. Mr. Tyng's plate was delivered to Mrs. Ross, the mother of Mrs. Tyng, by order of Congress.
3 The chairman of the committee of safety in a letter describing the confus- ed state of things May 11, exclaims, "Good God! give us a regular govern- ment or we are undone," and again May 13, "God grant that order may come out of confusion, and that Congress would give such directions in all parts of the province, that no such tumultuous assemblies may be seen, heard or felt again."-Freeman's Extracts 2d part p. 41.
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150
Revolutionary War.
[P. II.
obedience to their orders, replied " we have obeyed them long enough considering what we have got by it." While this force re- mained in town Mowatt felt uneasy for the safety of his ship: having heard that cannon were to be brought from the country to be used against it, he sent two letters on shore in which he declared that the moment a shot should be fired upon him, he should consider the town in a state of open rebellion and should fire upon it. The in- habitants met as early as eight o'clock in the morning and voted their disapprobation " of the proceedings of the armed body, but that they were unable to resist them." All further trouble was avoided at this time by the departure of the soldiery which was soon follow- ed by Mowatt and Colson's ships, and the people began again to enjoy some repose.
On the day after the battle of Lexington, the provincial Congress having resolved that an army of 13,600 men should be raised in the province, transmitted to every town a circular letter, conjuring the inhabitants by all the considerations which have weight among men, to give every aid in forming the army. One regiment was raised in this county and placed under the command of Col. Phinney. A convention of the county assembled on the 29th of May and peti- tioned Congress that the regiment might be stationed here for the defence of the town and county ; but it being considered that there was more urgent need of the troops in the neighbourhood of Boston, 400 of the men were ordered there, and the remainder employed for the defence of the sea board, under command of Col. Freeman of this town.
On the 7th of June, the Senegal, a ship of 16 guns, with two ten- ders, arrived in the harbour, and on the 12th, the old disturber, .. Colson, appeared again in his new ship to take in his cargo of masts which he had procured sometime before. His arrival was the signal of new disturbances ; the people began to get his masts and timber afloat, and to move them up the river beyond his reach, as advised by the committee of safety. Sheriff Tyng, who had left town soon after the battle of Lexington to put himself under the protection of his friends in Boston, was with Colson, and at their request their wives were permitted to visit them ;' but the committee wrote to them and the Capt. of the Senegal, that as Colson was a declared
' Mr. Tyng had received from Gov. Gage in 1774, a Colonel's commission.
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151
Troops raised
C. S.]
enemy of the country, and had put the town to great charge and trou- ble, they would not consent that he should take in his cargo.1 Ou the 22d of June, one of Colson's boats which was sent up the Pre- sumpscot in search of masts and spars, as was supposed, was seized by the people, with five men and three guns. The men were releas- ed in two or three days, but the property was kept. In the same month there was a general muster of the soldiers, including Col. Phinney's regiment on the Neck, which made a fine display, and inspired the people with confidence in their strength ; commissions had been granted to Phinney's regiment by the provincial Congress in April, and on the first of July they were confirmed by the con- tinental Congress. Two companies commanded by Captains Brad- ish and Brackett of this town, belonged to this regiment. Captain Brackett marched his company for Cambridge on the 3d of July ; Capt. Bradish followed in a few days ; a lecture was preached to Capt. Bradish's company, who all belonged to this town, by Dr. Deane, on the 6th of July previous to their departure."
So many of our inhabitants having been withdrawn to supply the army, attention was bestowed to place the remainder in an attitude of defence ; the selectmen were ordered to deliver a quarter of pound of powder to each person who was destitute, but who had a gun and was willing to defend the country ; and a committee was appointed to mount as many of the cannon belonging to the town as they thought proper. A few men were also raised and stationed under the direc- tion of a committee in the most suitable places. These measures of preparation were of so absorbing interest that but little attention was paid to civil affairs ; the court of common pleas met on the 25th of July,, and adjourned the same day ; the sheriff and crier were absent and no jurors had been returned. They did not meet again until October 1776.3
" There was a resolve of Congress to prevent tories carrying their effects out of the country.
2 The names of Capt. Bradish's company are in Appendix VII. Three companies were raised in Falmouth, Scarborough and Cape-Elizabeth. Brad- ish was an excellent officer, and served through the war. He was commis- sioned Major in Col. Timothy Biglow's regiment Jan. 1, 1777. He died in 1818.
3 Wm. Tyng was sheriff and Joshua Freeman crier ; the Judges were Jer- emiah Powell, Enoch Freeman, Moses Pearson and Jonas Mason. Oct. 11, 1775, the provincial Congress issued a commission in the name of the " Gov- ernment and people of Massachusetts Bay," appointing Powell, Freeman, Mason and Solomon Lombard Justices of this court ; next day John Wait~ was appointed choriff.
152
Revolutionary War. [P. II.
The remainder of the summer passed away without any trouble from abroad, and the interval was employed to see if all was sound within.1 The towns were generally making investigation into the firmness of the principles of the people, and whenever any act was done by which suspicion was aroused, the screw of public opinion was immediately applied. When Gov. Hutchinson was about leav- ing the country in 1774, people in various parts of the country, ac- cording to custom, presented him with complimentary addresses. A paper of that kind was sent from this town signed by some of the principal men, without distinction of party. When it was perceived by the letter book of the governor accidentally found in the garret of his seat at Milton, that he had been constantly misrepresenting to the British ministry the motives and conduct of the people, while he was pretending to be friendly to them ; a universal horror was felt at his duplicity, and all who had shown him any marks of respect, were made to feel in a degree the indignation which was due to his con- duct. Those who had been deceived by the arts of the governor, and had subscribed these addresses, were required to publish apol- ogies in the public papers. The one from this town was dated Sept. 1, '75, and appeared in the Essex Gazette on the 7th, and was as follows : " We, the subscribers, declare that in signing the letter to Gov. Hutchinson of the 11th of February 1774, lately published, it was the farthest from our intentions to injure or offend our town or country, or to signify our approbation of those acts of Parliament which are so universally and justly odious to America. We really thought governor Hutchinson was a friend to his country, and hoped he would have endeavored when in England, to obtain a redress of our grievances, and are sorry to find ourselves mistaken. We detest the thought of knowingly countenancing or encouraging an enemy to our once happy constitution ; and had we then been convinced that he was one as we now are, we should never have signed that letter. We further declare that it has always been our determination to ob- serve the association and resolves of the continental and provincial Congresses, and hope this declaration will be satisfactory to the pub-
1 In May 1775, the selectmen of this town employed Jabez Mathews and David Dinsmore of New-Gloucester, to go to Quebec, and ascertain if there were any hostile movements there against the back settlements of our prov- ince ; their route was by the Kennebec river. Mathews returned in June, and reported that there was no such design ; and was sent to make report to the provincial Congress. Freem. 2. 39, 46.
153
Mowatt's last visit to Falmouth.
.C. S.]
lic, whose favour we shall always think ourselves happy in deserv- ing.""
After this, nothing particularly interesting took place relative to Falmouth until the 16th of October, when Capt. Mowatt again ar- rived at the mouth of the harbour with the Cancean, another ship called the Cat, two schooners and a bomb sloop. When the people perceived that it was Mowatt, they felt but little apprehension for themselves, supposing his object to be to get cattle and provisions ; they therefore sent the greater part of the two companies here, to guard the islands where were large stocks of cattle and quantities of hay, and near which Mowatt had anchored. The next day the wind being unfavorable, the vessels were warped up the harbour and formed in a line fronting the principal settlement on the Neck. The first intimation the people had of the object of his cruel visit, was by a letter he sent on shore in the afternoon of the 17th, in which he in- formed them that he had been sent to " execute a just punishment on the town of Falmouth," and allowed them but two hours to remove themselves and families from the scene of danger.2
The vessels came here directly from Boston, and no doubt can be entertained that the order for the destruction of the town pro-
'This and another similar paper was signed by Enoch Ilsley, Theophilus Bradbury, Thomas Sandford, John Kent, Benjamin Titcomb, Simeon Mayo and Moses Shattuck.
2 The following is the letter written on this occasion :
"CANCEAU, FALMOUTH, Oct. 16, 1775.
· " After so many premeditated attacks on the legal prerogative of the best of Sovereigns, after the repeated instances you have experienced in Britain's long forbearance of the Rod of Correction, and the manifest and paternal ex- tention of her hands to embrace again and again, have been regarded as vain, and nugatory ; and in place of a dutiful and grateful return to your King and parent State, you have been guilty of the most unpardonable rebellion, sup- ported by the ambition of a set of designing men, whose insidious views have cruelly imposed on the credulity of their fellow creatures, and at last have brought the whole into the same dilemma ; which leads me to feel, not a lit- tle the woes of the innocent of them in particular on the present occasion from my having it in Orders to execute a just punishment on the town of Fal- mouth, in the name of which authority I previously warn you to remove with- out delay, the human specie out of the said town, for which purpose I give you the time of two hours, at the period of which, a red pendant will be hoisted at the main top gallant mast head, with a gun. But should your imprudence lead you to show the least resistance, you will in that case, free me of that human- ity so strongly pointed out in my Orders, as well as in my inclination.
I do also observe, that all those who did on a former occasion fly to the King's ship under my command, for protection, that the same door is now op- en to receive them.
The Officer who will deliver this Letter, I expect to return immediately unmolested.
I am, &c. H. MOWATT."
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154
Revolutionary War.
[P. II.
ceeded from Admiral Greaves, who then commanded on this sta- tion, whose mind had probably been inflamed by the representations of Mowatt, Colson and others. On the receipt of Mowatt's letter the people on the Neck immediately assembled and appointed Gen. Preble, Dr. Coffin, and Robert Pagan to wait upon him to ascer- tain the cause of the threatened calamity, and see if it could not by any means be averted. The mission was fruitless, Capt. Mowatt informed them that his orders were peremptory, that they did not even authorise him to give the inhabitants any warning and in so doing he had risked the loss of his commission. At the earnest entreaty of the committee, he consented to postpone the execution of his severe orders until eight o'clock the next morning, on coudi- tion that the inhabitants would deliver to him eight small arms, and agreed to suspend further proceedings until he could receive an answer to an express which he would dispatch to the admiral, pro- vided the people would before eight o'clock the next morning surrender four pieces of cannon which were then in town and all their small arms and ammunition. The committee frankly told him that they thought the inhabitants would not submit to this proposition but promised to lay it before them and return him an answer.
On reaching the shore they found the anxious multitude assembled at the town house, to whom they reported the result of their confer- ence. The town without hesitation disapproved of the terms, but in order to gain time for the removal of the women and children and the sick, with as much property as possible, they sent off in the evening the eight small arms and informed the Captain that the town would have a meeting early in the morning and give a definite reply to his proposal by eight o'clock. The meeting was held, and the inhabitants with a firmness and courage worthy all praise and a better fate, while the loaded cannon were pointed toward them, resolutely rejected a proposition which carried with it the abject terms of surrendering their arms to save their property. The same committee was appointed to convey their determination and were instructed to occupy as much time as possible on board. But so impatient was Mowatt to begin the work of destruction, that the committee at half past eight o'clock were requested to go on shore and only half an hour allowed them to escape from the coming storm.
At nine o'clock the firing commenced from all the vessels in the
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155
Destruction of Falmouth.
C. S.]
harbour which kept up a discharge of balls from three to nine pounds weight, bombs, carcasses, shells, grape shot and musket balls with little cessation until six o'clock in the evening. In the mean time parties landed from the vessels and set fire to various buildings.1 The inhabitants were so much occupied in removing their families and property to places of safety, that but little resistance was made to the parties which landed. No plan of defence had been con- certed ; the soldiers were scattered, part of them having that morn- ing returned from the islands, where they had been on duty, were employed in saving their families and goods, and the remainder were without any efficient leader ; all, both soldiers and others, were in too great consternation to make any effectual resistance. There was also a deficiency of powder, there not being an hour's supply in town. Had there been one company here well organized and of sufficient coolness, much of the evil occasioned by straggling ma- rines might have been prevented. Several of the British were killed and wounded ; none fortunately were killed on the side of the in- habitants, and only one wounded.2
The town soon presented a broad sheet of flame, which as the buildings were of wood, spread with great rapidity and involved all the thickest part of the settlement in one common ruin. All the houses were destroyed on Fore-street from Jordan's point to Ex- change-street but one ; all on both sides of Middle-street as far west as School-street, except Sheriff Tyng's, on the corner of the street that goes into clay cove, Theophilus Bradbury's on the corner of Willow-street, and Thomas Smith's store on the corner of Essex- street ;3 every house in King-street and Turkey-lane, and scattered
"The first house set on fire was B. Bailey's, which stood where the brick block stands on Middle-street near where Federal-street joins it ; it was two stories, and occupied by Mr. Shaw for a dwelling-house and saddler's shop ; it was fired by a shell. The next was a dwelling-house on the corner of King and Federal-streets, belonging to Capt. Hoole, by a carcass. A barge came on shore and the crew scattered in different directions, one detach- ment proceeded to Dr. Lowther's house on King-street, the Dr. who was standing at the door, was ordered to quit the house ; on his departure, they set fire to the building and burnt it with its contents ; about one hundred men landed from the ships. The confusion in the streets was very great, women and children screaming and endeavoring to escape, children separated from their parents, and not knowing where to go for safety. Many balls reached beyond Main-street above the head of Ann-street.
^This was Reuben Clough, who lived on the corner of Plumb and Fore- streets.
3 Messrs. Tyng's and Bradbury's houses are still standing ; Mr. Bradbury's was several times set on fire, but saved by the inhabitants. Mrs. Greele who
156
Revolutionary War. [P. II.
houses in Fiddle-lane and Back-streets, amounting to 136 dwelling- houses, besides a handsome new court house, the episcopalian church, the town house, the custom house, a fire engine nearly new, together with barns and almost every store and ware house in town, all the wharves but one or two short ones, and all the vessels in the harbour except two, which the enemy took away with them, were burnt.1 The meeting-house of the first parish which was then unprotected by other buildings, was perforated by several balls and grape shot, some of which were found in the ceiling and other parts when it was taken down in 1826.2 A cannon ball passed through the house of Dea. Codman, which is now occupied by his son on Temple-street ; the house having a commanding view of the harbour, was exposed to the fire of the enemy and considerably shattered, the front fence standing on Middle-street was often set on fire and extinguished by the people : many others were injured in a similar manner. A great quantity of personal property was unavoidably destroyed, from the scarcity of teams and the confusion and alarm of the occasion. Many articles were thrown into the streets and there left to perish.3 An immense quantity of furniture and other property was piled up indiscriminately as it was plucked out of the fire, in the field opposite the head of High-street, where much of it was destroyed by the rain of the next day, and much stolen or irrecoverably scattered.+
All the compact part of the town was destroyed, containing a large proportion of the most valuable buildings. One hundred dwelling- houses only were left standing, many of which were damaged by
kept a tavern at what is now the corner of Congress and Hampshire-streets, saved her house, which was repeatedly set on fire, by remaining in it at great peril and extinguishing the fire whenever it caught ; it now stands a monument of her care and fortitude. Mr. Tyng's house is said to have been purposely spared, but I think it may better be said that it was not purposely destroyed.
1The number of buildings, exclusive of dwelling-houses, destroyed was 278, (Essex Gaz. Oct. 26,) which with 136 houses makes the total number of buildings burnt 414.
2Three persons after dark attempted to set fire to the meeting-house, but were interrupted and compelled to retreat. The chandelier in the new house is suspended from a cannon ball which made a deep wound in the ven- erable structure.
3"Not more than half the moveables were saved out of the buildings which were burnt." Report of Select. Freem. 2, 252. About 160 families were turned out of doors. Dwight's Travels, 2, 172.
4The day the town was destroyed was clear and pleasant ; the next morn- ing it began to rain and continued raining for three days.
BACK COVER
Street
Meeting House
Bushet.
Buck Street
N'TELLES?
un' Checkin
Part of Manjys Hill -
Seble
ACE
Orchard
selle
Cullen. Jan Yord
Dne Yard
June's
Street
S Headman
Pourying Ground
Fish
-
Surseiy
M Pecuren
S'stationsen
Bilungit
STuhle
Streit
R Bradbury
Capt W HaFf S.Witte
FALMOUTH NECK.
As it was ahen destro i& i MONETT. Ort 18. 177.1.
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