USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Sheepscot > The history of ancient Sheepscot and Newcastle [Me.] including early Pemaquid, Damariscotta, and other contiguous places, from the earliest discovery to the present time, together with the genealogy of more than four hundred families; > Part 12
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Newcastle > The history of ancient Sheepscot and Newcastle [Me.] including early Pemaquid, Damariscotta, and other contiguous places, from the earliest discovery to the present time, together with the genealogy of more than four hundred families; > Part 12
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Now these facts and these feelings are to be borne in mind as we estimate the feelings and acts of Cargill towards the Indians. And the Indians used to complain, that if one of them murdered a white man, he was sure to be hung for it, but if a white man murdered an Indian, a jury could seldom if ever be found to conviet him.
The feeling between Cargill and the Indians, was not all one side, but mutual. In the Plymouth Colony, it was solemnly enacted as one of their Statutes, that no one
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should discharge a gun on the Sabbath, except it was to shoot a wolf or an Indian.
We apologize for no man's faults ; but as a historiogra- pher and in justice we must take the circumstances in which men move, to make up a full judgment respecting the guilt or innocence of their acts.
Cargill had the confidence of his townsmen, as is seen by the trusts they reposed in him. He was almost always in office, and as many as twenty years he represented the town in the Legislature.
The Indians hated the name of Cargill, and would have nothing to do with them-not even to sell them a basket .* One evening some Indians, many years after, came to the house of Hon. Henry Cargill, Esq., the son of James, and asked permission to spend the night. Leave was granted. They asked the name of the family. On being told it was Cargill, they started and left the house, exclaiming : "Me no stay here!" "Col. Cargill ! he kill Indian ! 1"
During one winter, a company of Indians encamped in the woods, below Mr. Isaac Dodge's on the Damariscotta river. t One of them was an exceedingly old man and was "stone blind." The other Indians used to draw him about on a handsled. Two of them took him one day in this manner, up to Benjamin Jones, a distance of three or four miles, when they all entered the house together. To see what the old man would do, they introduced Mr. Jones to him as Col. Cargill. Instantly, all the Indian fire in his bosom, burnt to a flame. He arose, and exclaimed, "Ah ! Col. Cargill ; bring him to me and let me feel of him." He wished to lay that powerful hand of his upon him ; and it was a long time before they could pacify him, by telling him it was not Col. Cargill but Mr. Jones that was before him. Cargill had killed his squaw.}
* Mrs. Joseph Decker.
t Mr. Josiah Dodge.
# Josiah Dodge.
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Cargill owned a saw mill on Mill Brook to the North of the Bridge on the Sheepscot and Damariscotta road. One day in spring, while sawing there, as he was adjusting the log with his iron bar, rising and turning, he saw a brawny Indian with his raised tomahawk to smite him dead. Quick as thought, Cargill with his bar struck him across the chin and throat and ended his life in a moment. One or the other must die; which should it be ?
Col. Cargill was a man to make his mark, if not higher, yet deeper than many around him. His residence was down near the water at the bend of the Sheepscot river. He afterwards built another house about half way from this to the County road, which he occupied till his death. The remains of this house were standing in 1850.
On the 20th of April 1761, he renders in the following inventory to the town :- five acres of tillage land which produced fifteen bushels of corn, sixteen bushels of wheat, six of barley, two of peas ;- 150 acres of pasture which will keep 15 cows ;- ten acres of English mowing ground that cuts ten tons of hay ;- 300 acres of swamp and meadow that cuts ... tons of hay ; one acre of orchard ; six oxen, ten cows, 39 sheep and two swine.
In another year, date not given, I find this inventory more than doubled in value. The total is $456, 198, 9d. Cargill figured largely in the troubles that the settlers had with the Indians ; and, like his father, was at the head of a company for suppressing the foe. During the French and Indian war, he received a commission from Gov. Phipps to raise a company of scouts and proceed to meet the enemy. The proposition was accepted with readiness and delight.
The Government, at that time, 1755, had proclaimed war against all the Indians, East and West, except the Tarratines or Penobscot tribe. These were friendly, and the State Authorities desired to maintain peace with them. They would probably have succeeded, had it not been for
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the ill-advised and hasty course of Cargill. It was on July 1, 1755, that he started on his Eastern expedition. Illegal trade had been carried on between the settlers about St. George; anl Government, at that time, was offering a bounty of £200 for the scalp of a hostile Indian, and £250 for a captive re-taken from the savages.
Cargill# tarried the first night at Broad Bay-Waldo- boro. He then proceeded to the St. George, marching around and back of the settlement. He met there three men of the Garrison ; and receiving from them the infor- mation he desired, he persuaded them together with some of Capt. Nichols' rangers, to accompany him. He then marched his whole force to Burton's Block House. His company now consisted of thirty-one, and after a rapid march of four or five miles, he fell in with an unarmed Indian, his wife and a child two months old. Without hesitation they fired upon them, killed the Indian and mortally wounded his wife. She proved to be Margarett Moxa, a friendly Indian, belonging to a friendly family, and to a tribe that had not taken up arms against the English, and whom the Government was endeavoring to conciliate. When Moxa fell, she was returning from the fort where she had been on one of her accusto ue l expedi- tions of kindness, to give them notice of some hostile design. On their coming up, she held ont her infant whom she called "Nit," and with her dying breath, requested them to carry it to Capt. Bradbury, the commander of the fort. One of the party replying, "Every nit will make a louse," kuocked the child on the head, before the eyes of its dying mother !
Cargill then seized their canoe, and leaving nine men to gnard it, proceeded with the rest of his party (except one who refused to go any farther,) about four miles. It was now about sunset, and they were in the neighborhood
* Williamson, vol. II, p. 314. Eaton's Annals, p. 93.
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of Owl's Head. Here they discovered a body of Indians, fired upon them, and returned to the men they had lett. The next morning they exhibited the scalps at the fort.
But the deed was regretted by the Government for its impolicy, and by the people for its rashness. Cargill and his band of men had stirred up a difficulty which they could not allay. Being principal officer, and destroying innocent people who were at peace with the Government, and some of them known as decided friends of the English, he was seized and committed for trial, on a charge of murder. Governor Shirley immediately despatched a letter of con- dolence to the Indians, who had suffered. Those of them who had lately visited Boston, were sent by Government, laden with presents, and the entire tribe of the Penobscots were invited to put themselves under the protection of the English and prosecute the offenders. Full assurance was given them, that the amplest justice would be dealt out to the parties concerned. Public opinion set strong against Cargill ; yet public feeling was strong against the savages ; and feeling is not apt to discriminate.
On the trial, Cargill attempted to prove that some of the St. John's and other hostile Indians were with the party he attacked ; and that their resemblance to the Penobscots was so great that he could not tell the difference. The Jury considered the case -prejudice ran high against the natives ; and-Cargill was acquitted. He had been in confinement two years.
The fate of Margarett was deeply lamented by Capt. Bradbury and the people at the fort. "Never shall I for- get," said one of Cargill's party, "the deep and unappeas- able grief of the women at the fort, especially Margarett Lermond and Margarett Patterson, two young ladies in the flower of youth and beauty, when they saw the scalp of their friendly namesake, whom they had long regarded as a delivering angel."
It was an unfortunate occurrence. The Tarratines were
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offended and Government finally declared war against them. This was Nov. 5, 1755.
And yet the Colonel was devout in his own way. He used to attend meeting, pay his Ministerial tax, have his children catechised by the Minister every Saturday, and everything must be done decently and in order. And when he attended church, some one was naughty enough to bring in a violin to assist the music. As soon as the sounds of the instrument were heard, Cargill would seize his hat, hurry out of the house and there remain till the singing was over, when he would return and worship God according to his conscience. He had a perfect horror of "the wicked little thing," and he would not stay where they had "fid- dling."* He objected to dancing, and when assemblies for this purpose, were first introduced in town, the venerable old man made his appearance in the ball-room to protest against it. But his influence was less forcible here than it was fighting with the Indians.
When Governor Pownal, in 1759,1 undertook his expe- dition to the Penobscot river, for the purpose of erect- ing a fort there, he came first to Falmouth, where he hul ordered the troops to rendezvous, who were to accom- pany him. He arrived there the fourth of My, anl on the seventh he reviewed Captains Herrick's and Bean's companies, and saw them equipped and marched off to embark. He also reviewed Capt. James Cargill's com- pany, and gave orders for them to embark. On the 8th, they set sail, in all 233 men, together with the Governor- the rest of the forces were to follow after-and on the 9th. at three in the morning, they arrived at the mouth of the George's river. The Governor and his suite landed at the fort. Capt. Herrick's company came up in a large sloop ;
* Mrs. Joseph Decker.
t Gov. Pownal's voyage from Boston to the Penobscot. See Maine Historical Collections, Vol. V.
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but Capt. Cargill, with 100 men, tarried on board the King George, waiting for further orders. It was intended that they should land on the East side of George's river at night. There were five Indians at the fort ; one of whom, Laurent, was hostage. On the 10th, others of the party arrived, among whom was Lieutenant Howard from fort Halifax.
Capt. Cargill, who had not yet landed, came up from his ship to the fort to receive orders. He was directed to land at night, on the East side of George's river, together with three subalterns and 100 men. There were three Carry- ing places from the St. George to the Penobscot-the Upper, Middle and Lower. Capt. Cargill was directed to proceed to the lower Carrying place undiscovered, and leave an Officer's guard there, with orders to let all Indians coming to the fort pass unmolested. But he must stop all going from the fort by fair means, if he could; but if not, then he must use the force of arms. Then, he must pro- ceed to the Middle carrying place, and leave an Officer's guard with the same orders ; and so on, to the third. The remainder of the troops, he must bring back to the fort. The orders were executed.
On the morning of the 11th, he fell in with some fresh Indian tracks. He thought the party consisted of seven ; but it afterwards proved that there were ten. He left his men and went to trace these by himself till he came to a camp of .Indians ; he then turnel back and took with him Lieutenant Preble, son of Brigadier Preble and ten men, ordering four on the right flank, and four on the left, leaving himself, the Lieutenant and two others in the center. Orders were given not to fire. When he came near the camp, he discovered himself, and called the Indians to come in, as he expressed it, to good quarters. The Indians started up, cried out, "No quarters, no quar- ters," and fired. Cargill then ordered his men to fire. The Indians ran-two fell; - one rose again and fled to
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the swamp ; - the other rose no more, and proved to be an old squaw.
This morning, the Governor was engaged in fitting out his up-river expedition. The land force, of which Cargill and his men constituted a part, was directed to take with them seven days rations, and a surveyor, to measure the distance.
At the same time they had a council of war, at which Capt. Cargill and Capt. Alexander Nickels, of Pemaquid, were present.
On the 12th, Capt. Cargill was sent out with 20 of his men, and young Laurent, the hostage, to bring in his canoe. They found an ample supply of provision, hid by the canoe, in order to steal a march, which confirmed the suspicion, that all was not right on the part of the Indians who were at the fort.
The companies were reviewed, equipped for the march, and sent to get their provisions.
Capt. Cargill, who had been out all the night previous, and had been twice that day to the farthest Carrying place, was ordered to get his company ready to march.
In the afternoon, Brigadier Preble assumed the com- mand and headed his men for the mouth of the Passa- gassawakeag-the river that empties into Belfast Bay. He had with him Capt. Herrick's company, 71 men ; Capt. Cargill's company, 74 men ; Capt. Bean's company, 70 men ; Capt. Nickel's company, 69 men ; making a total of 284 effective men. A man by the name of Robinson, a hunter, was appointed guide The signal given to Preble by Governor Pownal, was, when he arrived there, he should build three smokes ; which being answered by a cannon on board the fleet, he should build a fourth smoke, to show the fleet that the report of the cannon was heard.
On the 13th, the Governor set sail to go up the Penob- scot, taking with him materials for a fort, where he arrived on the 16th. The trip up the river was exceedingly chilly
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and uncomfortable. The next day, at 4 P. M., Preble arrived at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag and exchanged signals with the fleet. The distance they had marched, according to the survey, was 30 miles and 64 rods.
The next morning Preble and his men embarked on board the fleet, when they set sail for the Penobscot. On the 17th, after " several puzzles," they reached the Harbor within Wasanmkeag Point. Capt. Bean, with his men, was posted on the North Point of the Harbor. Capt. Cargill was sent with his company to take him round. He was also ordered to look for the Carrying place, make a signal when they had found it, and to take post there. Here they all made a landing, began a clearing, dng three wells for water, and made a survey of the whole neck ; - Capt. Nickels with his men guarding the survey party. The carrying place was cleared of trees so that they could see from water to water, and the site of the fort selected.
On the 22d, they embarked to go up the river. The next day they arrived within 6 miles of the falls. Here the sloop Massachusetts got caught upon a rock ; but was relieved after much difficulty.
In the afternoon Brigadier Waldo landed on the East side of the river, with 136 men, and proceeded to the head of the first falls, about four and a quarter miles from the first ledge. Here Gen. Waldo fell, in a fit of apoplexy, at the age of 63, never to rise again. He had arrived at the limits of their expedition, anl falling, he exclaime 1, " Here is my bound" :- undoubtedly meaning the bound of life. He was conscious and knew that he was going ; and this most natural expression was the last that proceeded from his lips.
Here they erected a flagstaff ; hoisted a flag and saluted it ; and then returned to the site chosen for the erection of fort Pownal ; 24th the troops were treated to a barrel of rum ; on the 25th, at evening, Gen. Waldo is buried ; 26th
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the Governor, with Cargill and 20 men, in the sloop Mas- sachusetts, left Wassanmkeag and sailed to Pentaget, Biguyduce, to visit the old French fort and other settle- ments. Here they raised the king's colors, drank his health, and the next day, with a fair wind, proceeded to Boston, where they arrived about sunset on the 28th.
Cargill, at one time,* with two of his sons, took a canoe and went down to the mouth of the Sheepscot river a fish- ing. As they lay on the fishing ground, early one morn- ing, three Indians in a canoe, "pulled up" along side of them and ordered them to haul up their anchor, and follow them. Seeing the Indians were armed and they were not, they did as they were ordered and rowed to a small Island that was partly covered with trees. They then hauled their canoe up ashore as far as they conld, and the Indians carried theirs up into the bushes out of sight. After get- ting everything arranged, the Indians said they thought they should let the boys go home again, but the old man must go with them and that they would never see him again. The Indians were armed each with a musket, and a plenty of anmunition. In the afternoon, one of the Indians started off and said he was going over to the other side of the Island to look around, and went away with his gun. The two remaining Indians laid down upon the grass and soon fell asleep. Their guns were loaded and the boys wanted their father to let them shoot them, and then they could easily dispatch the other when he came back. "No," said the father, "that would be murder to shoot men while they are asleep." But the boys plead to kill the Indians, for they would carry them all off and perhaps kill them. But the father said, "No boys, it would be murder and you must not do it." Soon after the other Indian returned, and just before night they saw a small vessel standing in towards the Island and "heading "
* Capt. Joseph Cargill, his grandson.
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directly for them. The Indians concluded it was an American cruiser coming to punish them and release the prisoners. Gathering up their implements and taking their birch canoe, they started of with all possible haste to the other side of the Island, telling their prisoners to go where they pleased.
After the Indians had gone, they picked up some arti- cles that lay around in the grass, which they had left behind in their hurry to get away. They then launched their own canoe, and steered up the Sheepscot, " feeling much better than if they had shot the poor Indians while they lay there asleep."
Henry Cargill, Esq. was one of the boys and he used to tell the story to his children in subsequent years.
Col. Cargill died at the age of 84, and his remains lie interred in the Ancient Burying ground at Sheepscot. A plain, white marble slab marks his resting place.
Benjamin Woodbridge, Sen. was a native of Newbury, Mass. He received a college education, and at one time, thought of entering the ministry. He marriel Susannah Tappan, danghter of Rev. C. Tappan, and came to Sheep- scot abont 1750. He settled upon the Sonthern point of "Mason's Necke," and was the first Representative to the General Court from Newcastle in 1774. Though a man of education and culture and of probity and usefulness, Woodbridge does not appear to have been so successful in his worldly affairs as some. He used frequently to sol- emnize marriages, was entrusted with important offices in town, and died, leaving a numerons and highly respecta- ble posterity behind him.
Benjamin Woodbridge, Jan. came down here, when a youth, three years before his father and family, and landed first at Wiscasset Point, where he reminel six months and kept the books of one Grover, a trader there. Grover could neither read nor write. He had a tenacions mem- ory where he kept his accounts, and used to make marks
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to denote particular articles and their prices. One of his marks Woodbridge was not able to undertand. As it was round he thought it must be a cheese. "Has it not a hole in it?" asked Grover. "Yes," said Woodbridge. " Then it must be a Grindstone," said Grover. Grover had the first framed house that was ever erected in Wiscasset.
Benjamin Woodbridge, Sen. sent down stock and farm- ing utensils in a vessel which were landed on Mason's Neck, and then Benjamin his son, went up there to take care of them and to carry on the farm. He boarded at Abernethy Cargill's, who resided a little to the South of Addison Carney's.
Capt. John MeNear was a noted man. He came to Newcastle early in the history of the Colony, and settled near the apple trees where his cellar may now be seen, directly in front of the late Capt. Robt. Lennox's. The Indians had long been desirous of getting him, and at last, they succeeded. Twice they captured him and twice he was exchanged.
The first time he was taken, was just at night, at the Marsh Bridge, as he was driving his cows home from pas- ture. At the same time Sunnel Anderson and William Hopkins were taken, and carried and lodged in a Canada jul. Hopkins came from Jefferson. The Indians killed a three-year-old colt, the meat of which they took along with them, as food for the way. Anderson and Hopkins died in jail ; but MeNear lived to return home. When he had reached Dark Swamp Hill, where was only a cow path, he saw one of his old neighbors, and for a little amuse- ment, raised the Indian war whoop. The neighbor, see- ing as he supposedl a veritable Indian, for MeNear had on an Indian dress, thought sure that it was all over with him, and exclaimed : "Well, if I must go to Canada, I must." Great was his relief and joy, when he found that beneath that Indian dress was the veritable body and spirit of Capt. John McNear. They went home with quickenel step, to receive a joyous welcome.
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At another time he was thrashing in his barn, with his brother-in-law, Anderson. When they were taking their dinner, the Indians crept up around the barn ; and the dog seenting them, began to bark. The Indians showing themselves, a fight commenced. Anderson broke one of the savages' arms, and it is said knocked down others with the flail. The Indians fired and killed Anderson. McNear then surrendered. He was taken by them and carried on to a hill above Hartley Erskine's and near the "old Springer Mill," where a halt was made. The French paid $15 for a sealp. He was carried to Canada.
McNear had ten children, the youngest of whom, Mar- garett, was born in Garrison, after he was taken by the Indians, and whom he had never seen, And when asked by them, "How many papooses he had?" he answered "ten ; and one of them he had never seen." The Indians thought it very strange.
This child, Margarett, Mrs. MeNear took in her arms and went, one evening, from the Garrison to her house, to milk the cows. The Indians came around her, and she red to her house. Her two dogs protected the mother and the child during the night by keeping the dogs at bay.
A third time, MeNear came near being taken upon the marshes. There were a number of men at work on the marshes, round the point, Westerly from the Marsh Bridge. MeNear was left to the North and East of them, on the opposite side of the creek, to "cock up" the thatch. The Indians, seeing him alone, crept up and said, "Now, John, we got you again." John saw who were behind him, dropped his fork, and with a leap crossed the brook, exclaiming, "I'll bet half a ton of thatch of that," and escaped. The men dropped their scythes, seized their guns, and fired upon the Indians who hastily fled without their prize.
McNear was afterwards taken, carried to Bagaduce, and there confined in prison. He was reduced by the dysen-
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tery and slow fever, and never expected to leave the prison again alive ; but, one morning, looking out through the crevice of the building, he saw some catmint growing and asked a man to make him some tea of it. He did so ; and McNear took a strong decoction of it which immediately cured him, and he was enabled to return home. He was Town Clerk a number of years-was a very pious man and died at the advanced age of 97 years.
Capt. Alexander Nickels, sometimes spelt Nichols, came from Boston among the early settlers of the town, and took up his residence upon a knoll a little to the South of where Capt. Charles Nickels, his great grandson, resided. He built a mill at Allen's Falls, on Mill river, where one had been built, the previous century. He had five sons, Capt. Alexander, Jr., Capt. James, Samuel, Esq., John Hill and Thomas .* He married Hannah who died April 3, 1767, aged 67. He was a man of respectability, industry, intelligence and influence. He died Feb. 1, 1758, aged 67. He was Captain of the Militia and was in more or less active service during the Indian wars. On the 1st of November, 1756, he was ordered to discharge one-half of his company, and on the 20th, to discharge the remainder, because the Indians then left for their hunting grounds in the interior.
Capt. Alexander, Jr., was in town during the French and Indian war actively engaged in raising troops and other- wise, and is believed about the close of that period, to have moved to Pemaquid. After the close of the war, he presented a bill against the town for enlisting soldiers, which the town allowed and paid.
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