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 14
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 14
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The town is situated about fifteen miles from the ocean, and twenty-six Sontheasterly from Augusta. It is well situated for Agriculture, Commerce, Fishing and Trade. The surface of the land is broken ; but the soil is excellent and has sustained an active and thriving population. In respect to the number, representation and enterprise of its inhabitants, it has always held an elevated rank among the sister towns.
There are no records in existence of the organization of the town, nor of any of its doings up to March, 1754. Then there is part of a Warrant calling a meeting of the town, to be held in April, proximo. The date of the War- rant is March 20; but the date of the meeting is effaced. The annual Meeting had passed, and the names of all the town officers for that year were lost, except John Ballan- tine, Constable, and John McNear, Clerk.
Among the doings of this April meeting was raising a committee of three to lay out a road from Capt. Nickels' mill to Damariscotta Mills. The committee were Alexan- der Nickels, Wm. Blackstone and Samuel Perkins. It was an important measure, and was designed to connect these two distant parts of the town by an indissoluble link.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
At what time Nickels mill was built, is not now known, but it was some time before this. There was a Grist mill at an early date near the bridge, and a saw mill below. They also voted to lay in a proper town stock of powder for these "dangerous times." Wm. MeLelland was the Mod- erator of this meeting
The times were indeed "dangerous." Fort Halifax, sit- uated three-fourths of a mile below Ticonic falls, had been threatened ; and some men murdered by the savages, who were at work upon its walls. The political horizon looked dark ; clouds were arising and the storm was evidently coming on. Forces were collecting in Canada, composed of French and Indians with hostile intent upon these col- onies ; and while the power of the one was to be annihil- ated forever, that of the other was to increase in her diffi- culties, and she would emerge from the sea of her troubles with a radiance undimmed and a glory that has never been surpassed.
Skirmishes with the Indians who were guilty of acts of mischief, and contests upon our frontier, during this year 1754, were considered the commencement of what is usu- ally termed the French and Indian war.
This was the sixth which the colonists had with the natives within a period of eighty years, and it proved to be the last.
1755. The minor town offices and officers for this year were, David Given, Constable for the Damariscotta side ; Wm. Hopkins, Constable for Sheepscot ; James Cargill, Treasurer ; Robert Hodge, Highway Surveyor; James Clark, Tithing man ; John Cunningham, Jr. and David Hopkins, Fence viewers ; Wm. Cunningham, Field Driver ; Wm. Hodge, Hog Constable ; Robert Hodge, Pound Keeper.
The Pound was at Sheepscot; but another was neces- sary. Therefore, they agreed at the meeting held in April, to build another at Capt. Alexander Nickels who lived in
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 To 1832.
the center of the town .* The Pound was to be built on the 28th day of May, and the entire male force of the town was to turn out, as one man, and do it. It was to be built of timber ; and eight o'clock in the morning was the time for the men to meet there and do it. And it was ordained at that memorable time, by the authority of the new king- dom, in Town meeting assembled, that every man who failed to meet, or send his substitute, at the time and place appointed, should forfeit and pay two shillings to them and for their benefit, who did the work. Wise and forci- ble legislation ! but the Pound was not built, for the sim- ple reason that the people did not do it. And there was no power behind the throne to compel them.
An effort was made, at that meeting, to change the posi- tion of a piece of road that extended from Nickels' mill to Widow Anderson's ; but it failed. They however required that every man in town should work four days on the high- ways, wherever the Surveyor shonkl direet.
Indian difficulties began to thicken. Murders were rife, and the sacking of houses and burning buildings were mul- tiplied. The plantation at Gray was reported to be destroyed. At Frankfort, now Dresden, May 13, two men were killed and a dwelling house laid in ruins. As five men were engaged in their spring ploughing at Sheepscot, at an unsuspected moment, a party of Indians rose upon them and made them all prisoners. Two of them, how- ever, afterwards adroitly made their escape. A man by the name of Snow was killed at North Yarmouth, May 29; and another by the name of Barrett was shot at Teconnet. Mr. Wheeler was taken as he was passing from fort Western, Augusta, to fort Halifax. John Tufts and Abner Marston were made prisoners near fort Shirley, Dresden.
* On a knoll a little to the Southwest of the late Capt. Charles Nickels' residence.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
Measures had been taken in the early part of this year, 1755, to meet these difficulties. Garrisons, Blockhouses and other fortifications constructed of hewn timber, and enclosed by palisades, were built and established in every frontier township, both in Maine and Sagadahock. The men were at all times armed ; and whether they travelled or went to their daily labor, upon their farms or elsewhere, it was in companies, and never singly and alone, if it could possibly be avoided. The moment an Indian was discoy- ered lurking around, the alarm would be given, and all the people would flee within the gates of the Garrison and close them after them. The sign of danger was the firing of three muskets at short and measured intervals. There was also another expedient to which they sometimes resorted :- and that was, the use of hounds and well- taught dogs, which, by the scent of footsteps, could detect skulking parties, when they could be easily routed and put to flight.
1756. The burdens thrown upon the people this year were increased by the introduction of what were called the "French Neutrals" among them. This people numbered about 18,000, They dwelt at Annapolis and other places in that vicinity. Government saw fit to remove them from that locality, and introduced them into these British Provinces. They were displeased, and being Catholics, and of a for- eign tongne, they did not readily assimilate with our peo- ple. Many of them were brought into Maine, and retus- ing to labor, they became a public charge, which the peo- ple were poorly able to sustain.
This year was signalized by the Declaration of war, by Great Britain, against France. General Abercombie arrives in Boston : Governor Shirley is superseded ; and the war is to be prosecuted with vigor and an enlarged outlay of means. Three hundred men besides officers, were operating along the frontiers of Maine, being as in former years, divided into scouting parties, and were
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
ordered to range when and where their services might be required. Indian atrocities continue ; many a hearthstone is made vacant ; and wherever the shot of the Indian rifle could penetrate, or the tomahawk be uplifted, the stone would be stained and the soil moistened by the outflow of blood of falling husbands, departing fathers, and dying sons.
1757. This year the town had two highway surveyors ; and, at the April meeting, the inquiry was raised, why the Pound was not built at the time and place appointed ; when they agreed to build two pounds, one near Mr. Hutching's Garrison on the Eastern side, and the other at Sheepscot, at the brook near Mr. John Cunningham's. Both were to be built on the first Wednesday in May. But alas! laws do not execute themselves. The pounds were either not built or else they must have been very poorly built ; for not long afterwards we find them taking measures to build two pounds ; one on the Eastern, and the other on the Western side of the town.
This year the Indians killed one man and took another in Bristol ; and the next day they went into another part of the town, and killed two more and wounded several .*
A man by the name of Hopkins was threshing with a Mr. McFarland, in the barn of the latter. The Indians crept up, fired and killed Hopkins, but took MeFarland to Canada.
It was probably not far from this time, that a party of men started from the fort at Pemaquid, t travelled up the neck and crossed the Pemaquid stream at the Falls. Going Northward, and while in the vicinity of Boyd's pond, they were attracted to a particular spot, by a rising smoke. Travelling there, they found a large, brisk fire, with a dead colt roasting before it. Horses then ran wild in the woods.
* John Huston's testimony .
+ Andrew Huston.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 To 1882.
Fearing danger, they turned to go back to the fort; but, lest their story should not be believed, they returned again to the colt, cut off its foreshoulder, and then started on their return route to the fort where they arrived in safety, with their singular booty. The kindling of the fire and roasting the colt, was the work of Indians; and the reason why the English party was not attacked, was, the Indians were off on a work of butchery and death. They had, after kindling the fire and putting the colt on the spit, gone up to Walpole, attacked the Stone house which stood in the Huston neighborhood, and murdered the family that resided in it.
The Lermond family# consisted of the father, the mother and the son's wife whose Christian name was Betsey. Her husband, Capt. Lermond, was at sea. These three left their Stone house in the morning, went aeross the road and entered the barnyard for the purpose of milking. They had scarcely shut the bars after them, when they entered the yard, before a party of Indians rose up from among the cattle, where they had been lying down and concealed, and made the old man and his wife prisoners. Betsey, the son's wife, "jumped over the bars like a cat," and ran up the road-an Indian with his gun pursuing her. She outran the Indian, when he, seeing that he was like to lose his game, fired and brought her to the ground. She fell and expired on the rising ground between Capt. John Woodward's and David Huston's 2d. To Col. Jones who came to her assistance, from the Garri- son to which she was hastening, she said, "Get back the best way you can ; I am gone," and expired. Col. Jones turned to go, when another Indian fired at him, but the ball passing between his arm and body, he escaped and fled to the Garrison. Old Mrs. Lermond had her brains beaten out by these savages, and scalped ; but Mr. Ler- mond was taken to Canada.
* Andrew Huston, Capt. John Woodward.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
The squaws treated Mr. Lermond with great severity ;- throwing dust in his eyes-pricking him with sharp sticks, and otherwise insulting and cruelly beating him. But the men treated him better. Especially, when the men would be off on a hunt, the squaws would seize their opportunity to abuse him. At one time, when they were dealing roughly with him-having borne their insults as long as he could, "he doubled up his fist and knocked one of them down." The act was as quick as thought ; and when it was over, he supposed that his last earthly day had come ; but a sturdy Indian, instead of condemning him, ran to him and patted him on the shoulders, exclaiming, "much cour- age, much courage." Mr. Lermond lived to return from his captivity to Bristol.
A company of men were hewing timber, at one time, near Gilmore Huston's, Esq., when a party of Indians, suddenly appearing, fired upon them, killing some and scattering the rest. One hid in the bushes whom they did not find. Another walked side by side with an Indian to the Garrison, and when they had got within a few feet of it, the man made a plunge for the door, but the Indian levelling his piece shot him dead. The women in the Gar- rison saw the two approaching in this singular manner and tried to shoot the Indian, but their guns, for some reason, "would not go off." Some of the men were taken captive.
A man by the name of Paul, a strong man and great hunter, lived down near the water, to the West of Carpen- ter Bearce's. He pastured his cows on the Island, which is connected with the shore'by a bar. The Indians wished to get him. So two of them planted themselves in a sit- ting posture, back to back, that they might see in different directions, at the hole of the rock which is there, watching with their guns in order to seize Paul, when he should go after his cows. But he, suspecting their design, did not go after his cows in the usual path, but crept along the
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
North side, and when he came in sight of the Indians, unseen by them, he fired, and the ball went directly through the bodies of them both. They never rose again. He constructed a raft, tied some stones to their worthless bodies, carried them off into the stream and sunk them, guns and all. It was at a time of cessation of hos- tilities, and Paul felt obliged to keep rather still about the matter. He afterwards built his house near Carpenter Bearce's present residence. This was taken down when the present one was erected. His barn, a little to the North, was afterwards struck by lightning and consumed.
Mrs. Hodge owned a farm in Edgeomb, and another in Sheepscot-now Jacob Nelson's farm. They lived about half way from the present road to the water. Some of their time was spent on this farm. During the Indian wars, the inhabitants left their dwellings and lodged in the Garrison, on Garrison Hill. In the day time they would go out to their work, in parties ; laboring first on one farm, and then on another ; but night would be sure to find the. within the walls of the Garrison.
The cows of Mrs. Hodge were pastured on Dyer's Neck. After dark, they used to paddle across Dyer's river, near the residence of the late Capt. Thomas Lennox, in a float : fearing to go in the day time, lest they should be discov- ered by the Indians. They used to go in turn, one at a time, because they said, if the Indians found them, but one would be killed, while the rest would escape. Mrs. Hodge used to take her turn with the others; paddle the float across ; milk the cows, and return to the Garrison late at night, with the milk. The cows, of course, were milked but once in twenty-four hours.
Think of that, ve delicate daughters of the present time ! Your mothers passed their days in anxiety, and their nights in fear and alarm. They knew what hardships were; perils surrounded them ; and slaughters by the Indian rifle, multiplied every day.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
In one of the Indian wars, of the last century, a man by the name of Robert Adams lived alone, on the neck of land near Cargill's Brickyard on Mill river. He would not go into the Garrison, as all the rest of the people had done. He was taken by the Indians at different times, and carried to Canada. One time, just at night, he was cooking his supper when the Indians burst in upon him, and seizing him, said : "Now, Robert. quick you go to Canada." He answered : "Well, if I must, I must." He begged that he might cook and eat his supper, when he took up his line of march for that then distant country. He however returned and lived on his old homestead, and died in these parts.
At one time when all the men except two had left the Garrison, on Garrison Hill, the Indians surrounded it, and threatened its destruction. The women dressed them- selves in male attire, and heroically shouldered their mus- kets. They had but little powder and that was damaged. One of the men's names was Wyman. The other would give orders to Wyman to "fire." This was done without doing the Indians the least harm. The Indians seeing this would ammsingly reply, "Your powder no good, Wyman : you no kill Indian." Wyman however was not there ; for he had started under cover of the night, after the Indians had assailed the Garrison, seized a skiff, went down over Sheepscot falls and proceeded to one of the Western settle- ments for powder. He was absent four days, during which time the Garrison held out, and then he returned, bringing a body of men with him, a small cannon, and plenty of powder. One or two smart rounds, the next morning with good powder, scattered the Indians and relieved the Gar- rison. This Garrison was never taken. It was situated directly South of the School house, and included part of what was afterwards Mr. Wilson's garden.
At another time, the Garrison became short of powder, when a body of armed Indians came up the Sheepscot in their canoes, headed by a Frenchman. The Garrison was
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 To 1882.
beleagured, and a surrender demanded. Those within asked a week to consider the proposition. This was granted ; but in the darkness of the night, a company of men slipped out of the Garrison, took a canoe, went West as far as Saco, and returned safely, bringing with them about 30 men, a six pounder, sufficient ammunition and other supplies. At the week's end, the cannon was mounted, the Garrison prepared for action, and pouring in two or three volleys among them, they killed many of the Indians and wounded others. Seeing that the day was turned against them, the enemy fled, leaving the French- man wounded behind them, to be taken captive. He gave himself up exclaiming, "C'est fors de la guerre" : this is the fortune of war. The Garrison was relieved.
Some time not long after the year 1730, there came a man from Plymouth Colony whose name was William Hilton, and commenced a settlement at Broad Cove, Bremen. He left his family behind, and as an heir of Wm. Stetson, of the preceding century, he built his house on what was known as the "Eight mile traet," and commenced a "clear- ing." His house stood upon the bank about 100 rods Northeast of the South line of the tract, and of the "great pine tree marked on four sides"-a short distance from the smelt brook-and immediately West of the ereek that forms the outlet of the brook which runs down from the highway near MeLean's residence.
The cellar is discoverable there to this day. A little apple tree is seen growing out of it. On the opposite side of the path, is the grave of his son William who was after- wards killed by the Indians, but which is now filled with stones.
This man was the father of eleven children ; and he took up farms for himself and for each of his children, of 100 acres each, making 1,200 acres in all. It included the tract from the Southern line of Mrs. Rhoades-taking in her farm, Thomas Johnston's, the Messrs. Turner, Miller
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 To 1882.
Joshua Hilton, McLean, Charles Hilton, Palmer, Nathan Chapman, Capt. Bradford, W. B. Hilton, the Tronants, Augustus Heyer, and Mr. Hahn's. In fact, it took all, from Broad Cove to Pemaquid Pond, and from the South line to the North point named. No finer tract of land than this was found in Lincoln County. And of the whole, he chose the best for himself ; for his was composed of very productive soil, and was abont the only farm in all Bremen and Bristol, from some point of which, the ledge did not crop out. He assigned to his son William the southern- most farm ; his own came next, including the landing place and his house. Then came James ; then John and Betsey's, at the foot of which is the Mill privilege ; then Richard's, now Capt. Bradford's ; and so on, till they all were supplied.
After he had made a clearing, and provided suitable accommodations, he went back to Plymonth to bring on his family. They arrived here in autumn ; and besides his family, he had on board the vessel which he had char- tered for this purpose, his stock consisting of two yoke of oxen, cows, young cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry ; also sleds, cart yokes, chains and the produce of his farm at the Westward, all laid in for his winter's supply. After the family had landed and taken up their residence in their new home, a party of Indians, in several canoes, made their appearance at the mouth of Broad Cove, when the captain of the vessel taking fright as they approached, threw overboard all of Wm. Hilton's effects, made sail and went to sea. At one time, might be seen oxen, cows, sheep, hogs, ox yokes, sleds, carts, pumpkins and apples floating in the water, or struggling for the shore, with the ยท vessel and cowardly captain fast escaping, while Wm. Hilton and his family were left to the tender mercies of the Indians and wolves, and what was more appalling, the hor- rors of a starvation winter. Part of his goods sunk in the sea; part drifted away in the current, and some the Indians obtained. The sheep were drowned, the cattle
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
swam on shore, but were lost in the woods or shot by the savages ; and of all the live stock that he had, he only saved one yoke of oxen, and a heifer, which the settlers in the vicinity of Damariscotta Pond, picked up and returned to him.
Here he attempted to live, but at last was driven off by savages. He however returned, and resided here and improved his estate, together with his children, till the French and Indian War, when he and his family were obliged to flee to the Garrison at Muscongus. He still carried on his farm at Broad Cove, and used to go from one place to the other, every night and morning, the dis- tance being about eight miles. He owned two dogs which he was accustomed to take with him, whenever he went up to his farm, and just before he reached the shore, he would throw them overboard, when they would swim ashore and notify him, if there were any Indians in the vicinity, by scenting them out.
One morning, in the month of May, he started in his cance, with three of his sons, William, John and Richard, to go up to his farm to plant potatoes and perform other work. They had a quantity of pickled alewives in the canoe which they were going to take up with them, to smoke. The dogs attempted to go, but were driven back, because they were deep-loaded. They had made their passage in safety, and just as the boat struck the shore, William, who was in the bow, arose to jump out with the painter, when a shower of balls from the neighboring creek, fell on them which shot William dead, wounded Richard in the thigh, and also wounded the father who used the paddle, being seated in the stern. John who was unhurt, immediately jumped out, and tried to lift William into canoe, but was unable because he was a stout, heavy man, and he was obliged to leave him dead upon the shore. The tide was ebbing; but just then, an Indian showed his head over a stump at the month of the creek,
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
when John seized one of the guns which they had with them in the canoe, and shot the Indian dead as he sup- posed : for instantly there was a cessation of firing. John then improved his opportunity of shoving the boat off with an oar, and made his escape together with his wounded father and brother, and came to Muscongus to relate the sorrowful tidings which threw the whole Garrison into tears.
The party of Indians that fired into the boat consisted of seven. The day before they had made an assault on the settlement at Walpole, and were journeying East, having a man with them by the name of Saunders whom they had taken eaptive. As they arrived upon the brow of the hill which overlooks the Cove, they saw the Hilton party approaching in their canoe. Overjoyed at the sight, they tied Saunders to a beach tree and ran for the shore where they enacted their execrable deed. The place where Saunders was tied, was by the side of the brook, just above the road, where now is a large pile of small stones and a small birch tree standing .* Saunders, watching his oppor- tunity, untied his blanket, and ran for the settlement at Waldoboro. He lived to be an old man.
The people of Waldoboro, Dutch Neck, heard the firing, and started a company of twenty-five for the scene of dis- aster; but long before they arrived there, the difficulty was all over. They found "poor William" dead on the flats ; and taking him up they buried him on the bank, imme- diately above the place of the sad occurrence, and not more than two rods from the house. They took his bed, emptied the straw out of it, and buried him with this as a winding sheet, with his face downward, and without a coffin. They put him in this position, because, they said, they could not bear to throw the dirt upon his face.
William was a large, active man, an agreeable companion
* Nathaniel Palmer, Senior.
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NEWCASTLE FROM 1753 TO 1882.
and a confiding friend. His death was deeply lamented by all who knew him. He was 22 years of age when he died, and left a widow and little daughter to mourn his loss. The child, not long after, was drowned in a well. The widow afterwards married a man by the name of Rhoades, and when the wars were quieted, moved on to the farm, a portion of which has been held by the name ever since.
The bank washing away where William was buried, left his bones partially uncovered ; and when Richard had recovered from his wounds, he dng another grave just above the former, and re-interred his fallen brother. Marks of the grave are now seen. Richard lived to be an old man, and died about the year 1823. When alluding to the sad occurrence, even in his old age, his choking voice and falling tears would bespeak a language too big for utterance. During the last years of his life, he lived in the family of his grand nephew, Dea. James Hilton, from whom these facts have been gatherel. Previous to his death, he frequently expressed the wish, that when he died, the bones of his brother William might be taken up, placed in the foot of his coffin, and be buried with him. The wish was sacredly complied with.
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