USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. II > Part 30
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CHAP. XI.]
Croix, (likewise Nova Scotia inclusive,) and northward to the St. A. D. 1753. Lawrence. At any rate, whatever might be the limits of Nova Scotia, the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, expressly conceded to England, " Nova Scotia or Acadia in its full extent,"-which must be the same country, she had resigned to France by the treaty of Breda, A. D. 1667; and the late treaty of Aix-la- Chapelle, 1748, re-establishes all things, as they were before the war. Nay, the commissions to the French Governors of Nova Scotia, gave them jurisdiction to Penobscot, and as they said, even to Kennebeck on the 'confines of New-England,' shewing that they considered the latter joined the former ; and indeed the French, till the treaty of Utrecht, had, or at least claimed, actual possession of the country to Penobscot, as a part of Acadia.
But according to the arguments of the French, *- if prior dis- covery or settlement were to be considered, they could mention enterprizes of that character by Baron de Lery, in 1518; by French. James Cartier, who in 1535 took possession of Canada ; and by de Monts, who had a patent of Acadia in 1604, and made per- manent settlements on the coast of the Etechemins, and though the next year he removed over the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal, he did not abandon the St. Croix. Whereas the earliest English settlement was not till 1607, even in Virginia ; and Capt. Smith, when he surveyed the northern coast, in 1614, said the country was known by French names, and " that of Canada stifled all the rest." The patent to William Alexander was itself a nullity, as the country was not 'vacant,' according to the condition it contained, but previously and actually occupied by the French under de Monts. Indeed, the charter of William and Mary gave the provincials no right to grant any of the lands between Sagadahock and St. Croix, but reserved them to the British crown,-a territory to which no name was ever so much as given, evidently because the English knew their rights to the country were nugatory, or at least, extremely problematical. Nor did France take the country by the treaty of Breda, as a cession, but as a restitution of what she had originally been the owner. It
* Gov. Shirley says [See his speech in Feb. 1755,] " by memorial of the " French commissioners delivered to those of England at Paris, 1750, they " claim the whole country to the westward and southward of the river St. " Lawrence. as far as the Kennebeck, on one side of the bay of Fundy, " and Annapolis Royal on the other."
Arguments , of the
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A. D. 1753. is true that by the treaty of Utrecht, ' Acadia or Nova Scotia in 'its full extent, according to its ancient limits'-also ' the town of 'Port Royal,'-and in general, " all that depend on the said countries and Islands belonging to them," were conceded to the English ; yet the very language of the treaty renders it certain, that ' Acadia as originally limited, and Port Royal were different ' countries, otherwise they would not have been both mentioned, ' the early and correct French geographers establishing the same ;* ' -and the only question was, where to draw the line between ' them.'
Negotiation protracted forts were formed from Bay Verte to New Or- leans. This negotiation, opened solely about boundaries, was through till a line of the management of the French, protracted till their schemes were in a great degree matured. The late treaty of Aix la Chapelle was evidently treated by them as a truce ; and at length it was perceived, that they had conceived the prodigious design of forming a line of forts from Bay Verte, along the St. Law- rence and the great lakes, and through the Ohio country, termin- ating only at New-Orleans ; and that the real question, which must ere long be tried by the arbiter of war, and decided by arms, was, who shall have the ultimate and paramount command and rule of this Northern Hemisphere ?+-Already the French had about 30 forts within the disputed territories, including one at Crown Point, and one on Sorel river. The Indians of St. Francois and Nova Scotia were hostile, the Acadians were treacherous, and the French bold and insolent.
To ascertain at this crisis the disposition and temper of the eastern Indians, Commissioners met the Sagamores of Penob- scot, at St. Georges, Sept. 21, and had a free conference with them. They acknowledged they had received a letter from a jesuit missionary, by which they were advised and encouraged to take measures for the defence of their lands and rights ; but still they wished for peace, and had determined to abide by the treaty.
Sept. 21. Tarratines quiet.
* Champlain and M. Denys .- See ante, vol. I. p. 248, note §.
t The French are executing a plan projected more than 50 years since, " for extending their possessions from the mouth of the Mississippi to Hud- " son Bay-securing the vast body of Indians in that inland country, and " subjugating the whole continent to the crown of France."-Gov. Shirley's Speech.
These were, Sir W. Pepperell, Jacob Wendell, Thomas Hubbard, John Winslow, and James Bowdoin.
CHAP. XI.]
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Trusting to their sincerity, the Commissioners proceeded to Fort A. D. 1753. Richmond, where they had an interview with several from the Canibas tribe. They appeared to be disaffected because there The Cani- bas com-
were settlements begun and prosecuted above that fortress ; and plain. repeated what they had so often alleged, that their fathers never could have intended to deprive their children of their homes, or their hunting grounds, and leave them to starve. 'Still, if we are ' unmolested,' said they, 'we shall be tranquil ;' and on receiving renewed promises of protection and justice, they engaged to use their endeavors to effect a release of the captives taken at Swan Island, Frankfort [Dresden,] and in other places, and to Captives f withholden
preserve the peace. Benjamin Mitchell and Lazarus Noble, of by the French. Frankfort, had taken a journey to Montreal, to recover their captive children ; and after finding them, as they informed the General Court, they were compelled by the threats of the Cana- dian Governor to return without them. By this, and other base conduct of the French, they virtually violated both the laws of nations and the faith of the subsisting treaty ;- " injuries," said the Legislature, " to which we, who know the rights of freedom " and justice, can never tamely submit." Hence, Governor Shir- Messenger ley sent a special messenger into Canada, to demand a restoration them. sent for of the children and of all other captives ; remonstrating to the Governor of Canada in most pointed terms, against the vile and cruel conduct of the Indians, his allies, and warning him against any further interruptions of the amity between the two crowns.
There was considerable anxiety among the English, occasion- French set- tlements on the Chau- ed by the appearance of French settlements, lately rising upon the banks of the river Chaudiere, which empties into the St. diere begun. Lawrence, a few miles above Quebec. The sources of that river were near those of the Kennebeck ; and the Indians of Norridge- wock had told at Richmond fort, that they had given the settlers full liberty to hunt and live in any part of that region-as an in- ducement for them seasonably to furnish provisions and military stores, whenever the Indians might be again at war with the English. Measures, therefore, were diligently pursued for de- Defensive fence; each eastern inland garrison was furnished with two co- measures. horn-mortars and sixteen cannon ; and the frontiers, with 100 stands of small arms and a suitable quantity of ammunition .*
* 19 C. Rec. p. 140-1 .- 8 Journal H. of Rep. p. 96-100.
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A. D. 1753. The first acts of hostility were committed, in Oct. 1753, by First French the French and Indians, in the vicinity of the fort at Presque Isle, aggressions were at Lake Erie. on the southerly banks of lake Erie ; three British traders being seized and sent to Montreal, their goods confiscated, and several settlers murdered. To effectuate the release of the prisoners, and to prevent a repetition of the wrongs, the Lieutenant-Gov- ernor of Virginia despatched to the commander of the French forces on the Ohio, a messenger, who was afterwards the G. Wash- ington's agency. illustrious GEORGE WASHINGTON .*- An answer was returned by the officer, that the country was French territory ; and he had taken possession of it under orders, which he was bound to obey.
The French fortify in Nova Sco- tia.
Equally violent and reprehensible, was the conduct of the French and Indians in Nova Scotia. Besides the garrisons erect- ed at Louisbourg, at the Isthmus, and on the river St. John, 'near the borders of Maine,' the French were fortifying or strengthening themselves in other places ; prohibiting the tribes from having any intercourse by treaty or trade with the English, t and encouraging them by rewards, to take either prisoners or scalps :- And when captives were carried to Canada, the ran- som demanded and often paid was exorbitant. The new and improved route between Canada and these eastern parts, by way of the rivers Chaudiere and Kennebeck, increased the public ap- prehensions, that some place on the upper branches of the one or the other, was to be the encampment or general rendezvous of the Indians, and that the present peace with them must be of short duration.
In February, (1754,) a company of about 60 able-bodied In- Indians visit dians, besides several boys, made their appearance near fort A party of Fort Rich- mond. Richmond, and expressed to Capt. Lithgow, their desire of sending a written communication to Governor Shirley. They were evidently a mixture, composed of some from St. Francois, some from Norridgewock, and perhaps a few from Penobscot. Their looks and demeanor gave indications, that they were rather spies, than a peace-party ; for after they had delivered their letter, which was of no great importance, they manifested un-
* He travelled 400 miles-of which 200 were through a trackless desert. He arrived at the forts on the Alleghany, Dec. 12th .- 2 Holmes' A. Ann. t Gov. Shirley's speech, Nov. 1754. p. 194-5.
CHAP. XI.]
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usual insolence, and uttered low malignant threats .- ' Better for A. D. 1754. ' Englishmen, said some of them, to leave these rivers,* else Their men- ' our French brothers, clad like Indians, will, soon as the ice is aces. ' gone, help us drive you all away. Certain they will come to ' us from Canada in the spring, and bring us guns and powder ; ' for a good priest tells us the truth :- Yes, and the Hurons will ' come likewise.'
There was other satisfactory intelligence, that the Governor of The French Canada was industrious in his endeavors, to persuade all the eas- tilities. foment hos- tern Indians to prevent any further settlements of the English on the Kennebeck ; and that a French Jesuit had been making dili- gent enquiry after catholic families ; using persuasives to assist in building a chapel for worship, and a dwellinghouse for himself, either at Cushnoc or Teconnet, and promising favor to all those who would join in amity with the French. In short, vengeance was denounced by them against any tribe, that should undertake to mediate between the English and the Indians.
It was now extensively believed to be worse than in vain to 6 compa- think of perpetuating the peace, and securing the friendship of pointed for savage men by presents ;- men already in league with a malev- Maine. defence of olent adversary, who was waiting impatiently, for the word to strike our frontiers with deadly and repeated blows. Tribute can never long satiate the appetite of an hungry enemy, and war is preferable to peace purchased on such degrading terms. Per- ceiving the hazardous exposure of these eastern Provinces, the Governor ordered six companies to be enlisted or detailed from their militia, and to hold themselves in perfect readiness for a march, on the shortest notice. Should the Indians at Norridge- wock be guilty of any mischief, he directed the officers 'to ' break up their village, and kill or take captive all they met with ' of that tribe.'
The emergency drew from the General Court, April 9, an Provision asseveration, that they considered it as indispensable, to prevent fort on the for a new the French from making any settlements whatever upon the banks or branches of the river Kennebeck, or upon the carrying places at its head ; that as Richmond fort was in a decayed state, the House desired the Governor to order the erection of
* " The new settlement of the Plymouth patent is the provocation."- Smith's Jour. p. 58.
VOL. II. 38
Kennebeck.
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A. D. 1754. a new fort, about 100 feet square, as far above, as he might think it best ; and when it should be finished, to remove thither the garrison, artillery and military stores, and cause the fort it- self to be demolished .* At first, 500 men were enlisted,-soon augmented to 800, in consequence of some recent acts of vio- lence on or near the borders of " the eastern settlements." The soldiers received a generous bounty and were furnished with every supply. Also, 2,500 prime firearms were ordered to be purchased for defence.
June 21, Shirley, Commis- sioners and troops em- bark.
On the 21st of June, the Governor, accompanied by Col. Paul Mascarene, as Commissioner from Nova Scotia, General John Winslow, who had the immediate command of the forces, Mr. Dummer, late Lieutenant-Governor, and other persons of rank, embarked at Boston in the Province frigate Massachusetts for Falmouth, the place of rendezvous. The troops encamped A parley at on Bangs' Island. Finding on his arrival the Commissioners Falmouth. from New-Hampshire, and 42 of the principal Indians from Nor- ridgewock, the Governor, on the 28th, opened a general confer- ence. Upon enquiring why none of the Anasagunticooks were present, he was told that two of their tribe had been offensively killed the preceding year in New-Hampshire ; whereas it was their bloody act of revenge, which was evidently the true cause of their absence.
A treaty ratified.
Governor Shirley told the Canibas Chiefs, among other things, that he had concluded to build a new fort at Teconnet, on the point of land between the rivers Kennebeck and Sebasticook, at their confluence, for which he had made ample preparations. Strongly averse as they were to the establishment of any fortress on the lands of their forefathers, they persisted in their objection, till they were shown by deeds, how the territory had been con- veyed away ; and then they gave their consent, signed a treaty, t and had their dance ;- all returning home, July 3, except three of their young men. Two days afterwards, fifteen principal In- dians arrived from Penobscot : and on the 6th, they ratified the same treaty, and returned, leaving two of their young men also ; -and the five were sent to Boston to be educated.
Immediately the Governor sent off the forces upon the pro-
* See ante, 1719.
{ This was nearly the same as " Dummer's Treaty."
CHAP. XI.]
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jected enterprize, and gave orders that 500 of the troops recon- A. . D 1754. noiter the heads of Kennebeck river and the great carrying places Building of between that and the Chaudiere; and the residue proceed to the fort. build the fort according to the plan and dimensions given.
Perceiving a war with France inevitable, and acquainted with Treaty with the 6 na- the open and exposed condition of the northern and eastern tions. frontiers, the British ministry issued instructions unto the Ameri- can Governors, early in the spring, to negotiate, if possible, a treaty offensive and defensive with the Six Nations; to form an union of the colonies for the general defence ; to resist by force the invasions of the French; and, in fine, to dislodge them from the American territories, upon which they had so wrongfully en- croached. Therefore, Commissioners from seven colonies* con- vened at Albany, June 14, where they were met by 50 chief June 14. men of those Nations, with whom they concluded a treaty. They then proceeded to form a plan for the GENERAL UNION AND Plan of DEFENCE OF THE COLONIES ; in which it was proposed to peti- Union. Colonial tion Parliament for an act or charter, to establish a Grand Coun- cil of 48 members, annually elective by the colony assemblies ; and a President General to be appointed by the crown, with the right of negative upon the council; and to vest him and them with power to make general laws,-apportion the quotas of men and money to each colony in time of war ;- establish forts, and direct all needful measures both for the public safety and common defence .- Reasonable and judicious as the proposition may ap- pear, it met with the singular fate of being rejected both by the king and the colonies,-for it was thought by the former, that the popular assemblies thereby had two much independence, and by the latter, that the President-General had too much power .- Hence it was evident, that no project, whatever, could possibly meet the views of both parties. t-About this time there were Troops enlistments made in Virginia-likewise in other Provinces, other colo- raised in measures were adopted, to repel the invading forces of the nies. French ; while each of the two crowns out of regard to their respective allies, was waiting for the other, first to declare war.
* From Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New-York. The delegates took " rank in geographical order beginning at the north. See the names of the Com- mittee appointed to draw " a plan of Union."-2 Belknap's N. H. p. 220.
t 1 Minot, 191-2, where the draft is entire.
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THE HISTORY
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A. D. 1754. After Governor Shirley had passed several weeks in Falmouth Shirley re- and its vicinity, in making himself acquainted with the condition turns to Bos-
ton.
of the towns and frontiers, and devising means for their defence, he proceeded to Teconnet, and ascended the Kennebeck as far as Norridgewock. Ascertaining that no fort had been erected on that river by the French, nor on the carrying places between its sources and the Chaudiere, he returned to Boston, Sept. 9, where he was met with vivid congratulations.
Form and size of the fortress. The site selected for the fort was an eligible and beautiful situ- ation .* Its exterior form was quadrangular; being about 100 feet in length and 40 in breadth. It was constructed of hewn pine timber and raised about 20 feet in height, with flankers and block-housest of the same material, the walls being thick enough to resist musquet bullets. It was sufficiently spacious to contain 400 men. There was also a strong redoubt constructed on an eminence to overlook the country road, fortified by two small can- non and a swivel. In the main fortress were mounted sev- eral small cannon, and a garrison was established of 100 men. Named fort It was finished, Sept. 3d, and called FORT HALIFAX ; in naming Halifax. which there was some ceremony and a complimentary inscrip- tion in Latin, which admits of this literal translation ;- For the benefit of the Massachusetts Province, William Shirley, her Governor, under the auspices of the most noble George Mon- tague Duck, Earl of Halifax, the highly distinguished friend and patron of the British Provinces, throughout America, has reared this fortress .- September 3, A. D. 1754.
* The Governor told the House, the fort was 3-4ths of a mile below Te- connet Falls ; 37 miles above Richmond Fort ; 50 from Penobscot; 31 by water, and 22 by land, from Norridgewock, and 18 above Cushnoc .- 18 Coun. Rec. p. 281-7. t In 1830, one block-house was still standing.
# The Latin :- Quod felix faustum quesit PROVINCIAE MASSACHUSETENSI ; Hunc lapidem posuit GULIELMUS SHIRLEY, GUBERNATOR, Sub auspiciis Nobilissimi, GEORGII MONTAGUE DUCK, Comitis de HALIFAX, Provinciarum, Quotgout sunt ditionis BRITTANNICAE ; Per AMERICAM utramque, Prefecti atg; Patroni illustrissimi, Die 3, Septembris, A. D. 1754. [See 1 Minot, p. 187 .- MS. Let. from Winslow.]
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CHAP. XI.]
Encouraged and animated by this enterprize as soon as under- A. D. 1754. taken, the proprietors of the Plymouth patent or Kennebeck purchase, built two forts, the same season, both on the eastern side of the river. One was situated at the head of sloop navigation near the water's edge, and just below the easterly end of the pres- ent (Augusta) bridge ; the place and the vicinity being anciently called by the Indians, Cushnoc. Some appearances of the circumvallation are yet to be seen. The fortress was a large building, in dimensions 100 feet by 32, constructed of hewn timber, like Fort Halifax. There was also near it a block-house, 24 feet square, formed of the same timber. Here were mounted four cannon, and a garrison established of 20 men.
It was designed especially, as a depositary of provisions and Forts West- military stores for the upper garrison. It was named Fort Wes- Shirley. ern and tern .* The other one, called Fort Shirley, was situated in the plantation of Frankfort, [now Dresden] about a mile above the northerly end of Swan Island, and hence sometimes called Fort Frankfort. The parade ground, was 200 feet square, enclosed by pickets ; the westerly side of which was on the margin of the river. Within were two block-houses, the projecting stories of which were 24 feet square. The walls, which were ten inches thick, were built of pine and hemlock timber, hewed on four sides and interlocked where they crossed at the ends. One block-house was in the north and the other in the south corner of the parade, on the tops of which were watch-boxes for senti- nels. The exterior pickets were of sufficient height, and within were barracks, for the accommodation of those belonging to the fort. It was afterwards under the command of Samuel Good- win, whose family lived with him in the garrison.t
A road between Fort Western and Fort Halifax, was ordered Communi- by the Governor to be cleared and made fit for the passage of cation with fort Halifax. wheel carriages. He also made arrangements by means of
* MS. Let. of Hon. D. Cony, A. D. 1823 .- Some part of the fort was then standing. Its lat. 44º 14' .- ' The patentees at a very early period, built ' a trading house at Cushnoc ; and when government was instituted, A. D. ' 1653, under Thomas Prince at Kennebeck ; it appears, that the people : residing at Cushnoc, or Cushenoc, were included therein and took the 'oath of fidelity, to New-Plymouth colony.'-James Howard had command of Fort Western.
t MIS. Let. from Dresden, 1821 .- One block-house was then standing.
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THE HISTORY
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A. D. 1754. whale-boats, and videttes, for the communication of expresses, between Fort Halifax and Falmouth, in 24 hours. The troops,
Troops dis- charged. except those retained in the garrisons, were all discharged, be- fore Oct. 17; receiving from the Commander-in-Chief and the Monies vot- General Court, expressions of particular approbation .* Imme- plies. ed and sup- diately the General Court voted £600, to defray the charges of the campaign, and £300 to be laid out in presents which were to be sent to the tribes upon the Kennebeck and Penobscot ; also appropriated a sum necessary to procure provisions, shoes or moccasins, and other supplies, for the garrison at Fort Halifax, and £470 for building a small fort at the second or ten-mile falls in the Androscoggin, and for repairing Fort George at Brunswick and the block-houses or fortified habitations at Tow- woh, [Lebanon] Phillipstown, Saco, Narraganset Number 7, Gorhamtown, Sebago, New-Marblehead, Saccarappe, and Tops- ham.f
An attack upon the soidiery of Fort Hali- fax.
On the 6th of November, an express arrived from Fort Hali- fax to the Governor, informing him that the Indians had fallen upon a party of the garrison, while they were engaged in hauling logs for the use of the fort, killed and scalped one soldier and car- ried away four others, prisoners. This outrage, committed so soon after solemn confirmation of former treaties, was universally viewed, not only as a piece of base and cruel treachery, but a certain precursor of another Indian war. It entirely changed the aspect of our eastern affairs, throwing a dark cloud over the whole. About the same time, an English captive, who had pur- chased his freedom, brought news from Canada, that 500 French and Indians were collecting at Quebec, and preparing to make a furious assault upon Fort Halifax.
Presents withholden from the Tribes. Halifax re- enforced.
Hence, the Governor was induced to withhold the valuable presents designed for the tribes at Kennebeck and Penobscot, then on board of the Province Sloop ; but sent to Fort Halifax a re-enforcement of 100 men, with five additional cohorn-mor- tars ; and issued orders to the six companies of minute men in Maine, to be in constant readiness for marching, at the shortest notice. Halifax and the frontiers were put in the best possible state of defence for the winter ; and as there was fear, that our vessels might be taken by the French, who were supposed to be
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