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 5
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But no measures, neither courtesies, presents, nor the sacred The Indians renewal of treaty-engagements, could keep them quiet. When at Kenne- do mischief there was war between the English and French crowns, it was the English beck; and impossible for their colonies to be at rest. A plan of operations, ! plunder the younger Castine's house. contrived by the French, was now evidently maturing in Canada. In the meantime, the impatient Indians were guilty of some mis- chief at Kennebeck, and a small party of Englishmen, unadvised, rashly committed an outrage at Penobscot, the late residence of Baron de Castine .- He had himself, since the last war, gone with his accumulated riches to France, never to return ; leaving a son by a Tarratine wife, before mentioned, known by the name
* 1 Doug. Summ. p. 12 .- 2 Hutch. Hist. p. 131 .- 5 Charlevoix's N. F. p. 164-177.
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A. D. 1703. of ' Castine the younger.' Under the mask of pretended friend- ship, the foolish and wicked men visited his house, at 'Biguyduce [Castine], and besides perpetrating " great spoil," plundered it of all its most valuable articles. Every one looked upon the transaction as a base treachery ; and when he complained to the government, he was assured, that ample restitution should be made and the offenders severely punished, This act of violence occasioned much deeper regrets, because there were daily appre- hensions of hostilities from the Indians, and a general resolution to give them no provocation. Outrageous, however, as it was, the well-minded sufferer only complained and expostulated, with- out avenging himself; for in policy and sentiment he was the friend of tranquillity.
The Indians attack Wells, Cape·Por- poise, Saco, Scarboro', and Fal- mouth.
The tribes, on the contrary, were induced to join the war ; and in fifty days after renewing the treaty of Casco, mentioned,* a body of five hundred men, mostly Indians under French leaders, fell upon the eastern frontiers. They divided themselves into six or seven parties, and at the same time, (August 10th,) attacked Wells, Cape-Porpoise, Saco, Scarborough, Spurwink, Purpooduck and Casco, being the principal settlements which had revived since the close of the last war. Wells, which had defended itself with so much bravery and success, in the two former wars, was now assailed with such violence, that in a short time it sustained a loss of thirty-nine killed and taken, besides the wounded .-- Cape-Porpoise, inhabited principally by unshielded fishermen, was wholly desolated. The garrison at Winter-harbor, and the fort at the head of the tide, in Saco, fought the assailants with great spirit, till at last, the former, overpowered by numbers alto- gether superior, was compelled to submit to terms of capitula- tion ;t and the latter was barely able to make good its defence ; having several killed and wounded. The people of Scarborough happened to be mostly in garrison ; and the enemy, fearful or unwilling to encounter it, sent in a captive with a flag of truce. Fully acquainted with their perfidy and intrigues, and conse- quently paying no regard to the message, the commanding officer kept the captive and vigorously resisted a long siege-till he and his men were extremely exhausted, and on the verge of capture ;
* 2 British Empire, p. 87.
t In the assault of this fort, 11 were killed, 24 taken prisoners and car- ried into captivity .-- Folsom., p. 198.
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when happily a reenforcement arrived and administered seasona- A. D. 1703. ble relief. But none of the settlements suffered so severely as Spurwink and Purpooduck, in Falmouth ; these were entirely destroyed. In Spurwink, principally inhabited by the Messrs. Jordans and their families, twenty-two were killed and taken cap- tive. Purpooduck, containing nine families, unprotected by any fortification, was attacked when there was not a man at home. Here the savage enerny butchered twenty-five and carried away eight prisoners. Among other horrid spectacles, was the body of Michael Webber's wife, near confinement, who was mangled and exposed in a manner too shocking to be described.
The garrison at Casco, still the remotest eastern frontier, was A decoy under the command of Major March. The first knowledge he Casco fort. had of the enemy's approach, was in the appearance of a small party, under Moxus, Wanongonet and Assacombuit, who exhib- ited themselves unarmed, and sent him a message under a flag of truce ; pretending they had some important matter to communi- cate. Apprehending no immediate danger, he proceeded with a guard of only two or three men, to hold a parley. With the first words uttered, each of the Indians drew from his mantle, a hidden hatchet, and struck at March with great violence-at the same instant, an ambush rising, shot one of his attendants to the ground. March, being a man of great personal courage and strength, wrested a hatchet from one of the assailants; and while he was parrying the blows aimed at his head, Hook, his sergeant, with a file of ten men from the fort, rescued him from immediate death. In this affray, two of his companions, Phippenny and Kent, were slain. They were worthy men, yet unfitted by age and debility, to act as champions. Disheartened by this bold and unexpected rebuff, the enemy withdrew, and for a week, lurked around, upon the peninsula ; setting fire to the slender houses and cottages in the vicinity, and committing still baser acts of mischief. But when the main body of the en- emy, not less than 500 in number, had collected, they proceeded to Casco, under the command of Mons. Bobasser, to renew the work of destruction. They first took a sloop, two shallops and considerable plunder; and encouraged by success, they strove two days and nights, to undermine the fort from the water side, as had been done in the last war. Soon the English must
skirmish at
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A. D. 1703. have submitted to a capitulation or to death, had not the fortunate arrival of Capt. Southwick in the province galley prevented.
About 500 of the ene- my repuls- ed.
He raised the siege, retook the shallops, and scattering the ene- my's flotilla of about 200 canoes, put him to flight. There were at least one hundred and fifty-five of the English killed and Our loss 125 taken in these several attacks; which, with others in different men. places, alarmed the whole frontier settlements from Casco to Connecticut river .*
Two troops of horse.
The country being thus thrown into fearful confusion ; the wo- men and children retired to the garrisons. The men went armed to their work, and posted sentinels in the fields. A troop of horse was quartered at Portsmouth, and another under Capt. Wadley, at Wells, Three hundred and sixty men were marched by or- der of Governor Dudley, Sept 26, towards Pegwacket, one of the enemy's principal head-quarters, and another party, under Capt. Davis, went to Ossipee ponds, but made no discoveries.
Sept. 26.
People at Black-point kil ed and garrison The enemy still infested the eastern seaboard, determined to desolate every settlement and reduce every garrison. As Cap- abandoned. tain Hunnewell and 19 of his neighbors, at Black-point, were going to work in the meadows, Oct. 6, they were waylaid by 200 Indians, and all except one were killed or taken captive. The fort there, left under the command of Lieut. Wyatt, and manned by only eight men, was the next object of attack. En- couraged and supported by Captains Willard and Wells, two shipmasters, then in the harbor with their vessels and crews, the fort made a bold resistance, till nearly exhausted ; when the brave defendants, influenced by the dictates of discretion, retired on board one of the vessels. With a great shout, the triumphant enemy now set the deserted garrison on fire. Anoth- er party led on by one Sampson, against York, slew the family of York and Berwick at- tacked. Arthur Bragdon, consisting of his wife and five children ; and carried Mrs. Hannah Parsons, a widow woman, and her young daughter into captivity.f At Berwick, five fell into an ambush ;- one was killed, one wounded, and the other three made prison-
* Charlevoix [3d vo !. N. F. p. 423-9] says, 250 men were sent out this year under Hertel, to assist the Abenaques, who made 150 prisoners-be- sides those slain,
+ This is supposed to be the girl, whom the savages on their march, in 1706, being unsuccessful in hunting, prepared " a fire to roast, when a dog, falling in their way, supplied the child's place."-2 Hutch. Hist. p. 149.
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ers. Also, two houses were burned, and a descent made upon A. D. 1703. Andrew Neale's garrison of the same place, which was under the command of Capt. Brown. In this, the assailants were quite unsuccessful, being repulsed with a loss of nine killed upon the spot, and as many wounded. Unable otherwise to retaliate, they fastened Joseph Ring, a captive, to a stake, and burnt him to death ; raising hideous shouts at his agonies and groans. Indians were still strolling about Casco ; and as a store-ship, intended for the relief of the garrison, was entering the harbor, they killed the master and three men at the first shot, and wounded two others in the boat.
The enemy then retiring to the woods, were pursued by Maj. The enemy March, of Casco, at the head of 300 men, as far as Pegwacket. pursued by Major At this place he killed six, and made prisoners of six more-the March. first reprisals in the war ;- returning laden with considerable plunder. Hence, the Legislatures of Massachusetts and New- Hampshire were encouraged to offer a bounty of £20, for every Indian prisoner under ten years ; and twice that sum for every Bounties of- one older or for his scalp. Moved by so liberal a premium, scalps. fered for Capt. Tyng of Falmouth,* and others, made excursions in the depth of winter, upon snow-shoes, though without success ; the enerny being engaged in an expedition against Deerfieldt and other western settlements. The government was determined, if possible, to keep possession of Saco, and therefore at the expense Saco fort repaired. of £164, repaired the garrison near the falls.}
The returning spring was a season of distressing melancholy- aggravated by an early renewal of hostilities or alarms :- and as Berwick was an important pass, Major Mason was posted there, Berwick. with 95 Pequods and Mohegans, from Connecticut; who were at first a great terror to the enemy. Nevertheless, they did not cover the settlement ; for on the 25th of April, Nathaniel Mea- dar was shot dead, when at work in his field, and his body most barbarously mangled ; and about the same time, two men were killed, and one taken on the road in Wells. Afterwards, a par- ty fell on York, where they slew Matthew Austin near the garri- son, without being able to do any more mischief in this visit.
A.D. 1704. Pequods stationed at
* Son of Col. Edward Tyng.
t On the last day of Feb. 1704, 250 Indians, under Mons. Artel or " Her- tel" destroyed Deerfield, carrying away Rev. Mr. Williams, and many others .~ See his " Redeemed Captive," &c. Į Mass. Rec. p. 2-3.
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A. I). 1704. Church's 5th rastern expedition.
The bold and persevering incursions of the enemy into Maine, and the towns westward ; and the appearance of French priva- teers upon the coast, induced the government to adopt wider plans and more efficient measures. The truth was, an attempt to de- fend and secure a frontier, open and exposed in a liundred places, was utterly vain. Policy required, that the war should to be car- ried into the enemy's country, and the conquest of Canada and Nova Scotia achieved, whence all our evils flowed ; such being evidently the only means of acquiring a permanent and lasting peace. In furtherance of this plan, it was deemed expedient first, to scour the eastern coast, and if practicable, discover and break up the head-quarters of the Indians, in the interior, also to carry retaliation and dismay, among the Acadian provincials. Hence, a force of 550 men besides officers was raised, and the command given to the celebrated Church,* now holding a Col- onel's commission. Furnished with 14 transports, 36 whale- boats, and a scout-shallop, he sailed from Boston, May 21, under convoy of the Jersey and Gosportt ships of war, attended by the Province galley. The particular places of destination ap- pointed him, were Metinicus, Penobscot, Mount Desert, Machias, Passamaquoddy, and the settlements upon the bay of Fundy ; likewise Norridgewock on his return, if there were a lodgment of the enemy at that place. His sick and wounded, he was di- rected to send either to the garrison at Casco, or to Pepperell's fort at Kittery-point.
He visits Penobscot bay.
The little fleet came to anchor at the Island Metinicus, out of Penobscot bay ; from which Col. Church sent out two boats to one of the Green Islands, where three French residents, a father and two sons, by the name of Lafavre, and also a Canadian In- dian, were all taken into custody. The prisoners were sullen and obstinate, unwilling to answer enquiries or act as pilots, till they were terrified by threats, or softened by promises ; when they became submissive, and stated, that there were several fami- lies of French and Indians, living about the margin of the Penob- scot ; and that Mons. Gourdon and Sharkee, French officers, who
* John Gorham was his Lieut. Col. and Winthrop Hilton his Major. His captains were John Brown, Constant Church, James Cole, John Dyer, John Cooke, Caleb Williamson, Edward Church, Joshua Lamb, Isaac Mirick, John Harradon .- Church's 5th Expedition, p. 165.
¿ One of 48 guns, Capt. Smith; the other of 32 guns, Capt. Rogers.
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had lately furnished them and the informants with ammunition A D. 1704. and other necessaries, were then engaged in building a fort at Passamaquoddy.
Church, under pilotage of the prisoners and one Young, taken Takes cap- out of Boston gaol for the purpose, proceeded with several of tives there. his transports and whale-boats, into the bay and river of Penob- scot. In this excursion, " he killed and took a considerable num- ber both of French and Indians;" and among the captives were baron de Castine's daughter, and her children. She represented, that her husband had gone to visit her father in France, where he, since leaving this country, was living on a large estate.
At Mount Desert, Col. Church joined the three ships of war, Ranges the and taking a fresh supply of provisions, hastened into the waters Passama- coast to of the Passamaquoddy, at the head of his men, in whale boats. skirmish quoddy. A Through fear of alarming the enemy, he rowed by night and rest- there. ed by day ; never permitting a gun to be discharged, even at an Indian, provided he could be otherwise killed or taken. Church and his men went ashore upon an Island, June 7th, probably Moose Island, where they made prisoners of a French woman and her children ; and from the main, near her abode, they took M. Lotriell and his family. In ascending the river, they seized upon Gourdon and his family, and Sharkee and his domestics, both lately commissioned from Canada, to form an expedition against the English. They were at the time dwelling in tempo- rary cottages ; and that of Sharkee was plundered of some valuable articles. Church, observing his men hover around the dwelling of Gourdon, demanded the reason :- Because, as one replied, some of the people within will not come out. In a fit of passion or haste, Church exclaimed, then kill them. Instantly the in- habitants received a discharge from the soldiers, and several fell. The faults and blemishes of eminent men, are often too severely censured. Church was highly provoked, to observe so much insubordination and exposure of his men, occasioned by the obsti- nacy of those who ought to submit without resistance; yet he could frame no excuses entirely sufficient, to satisfy a sensitive public. He then proceeded as far as the falls of the river, in the work of capture and destruction ; Chartiers, a French offi- cer and resident, being the only one who escaped .*
* 1 Coll. N. H. Hist. Soc. p. 32-35 .- 2 Hutch. Hist. p. 133.
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its the bay of Fundy.
Next the armament sailed into the bay of Fundy, and there Church vis- divided ;- the ships of war proceeding against Port-Royal, and the whale-boats against the remoter settlements. After destroy- ing Minas [Horton] and two other " populous villages," and mak- ing several prisoners, Church rejoined the ships in the harbor of Port-Royal. But a council of war, called July 4, misappre- hending the strength of the fortress, determined not to attack it ; and the ships sailed for Boston .* Church then laid waste the country about Chiegnecto ; and visiting Passamaquoddy, Mount Desert, Penobscot and Casco on his return, finished his fifth and last eastern expedition, about three months after its commence- ment ; receiving from the legislature, as a reward for his services, a vote of public thanks. Gov. Dudley in his next speech to the General Court represented, that ' Col. Church had destroyed all ' the settlements in the vicinity of Port-Royal, and taken 100 ' prisoners and a large amount of plunder, with the loss of only ' six men.'
-
Finishes his 5th expedi- tion.
This expedition, while it in a great degree averted from Maine, the hostilities of the enemy through the season,t was a most destructive one to the ill-fated Acadians.# Church was an officer who made thorough work, and carried retaliation in this instance far enough : For their condition, in view of winter, was truly wretched ; they, until now, having never experienced the direful distresses so often brought, by their French and savage coadjutors, upon the English settlements.
Massachu- setts, New- Hampshire and Maine the suffer- ers in this war.
The principal sufferers in this war, were the people of Mas- sachusetts, New-Hampshire and Maine. Their frontier was a shelter to the rest of New-England,-or it was defended at their expense, both of lives and means. The government of New- York had entered into a treaty with the Six Nations§ or Mo- hawks ; who had engaged to observe strict neutrality both towards the English and the French. Nothing surely could be more grateful to the inhabitants of that Province ; as it favored a lu- crative trade with the Indians, which the Provincials would, by
* According to one account, [40 Univ. Hist. p. 152,] Port-Royal owed its deliverance to 60 Canadians and St. Castine the younger, who had thrown themselves into the fort the day before the English appeared in the basin.
t The enemy " killed a lad near Casco fort."-Penhallow.
# Church's 5th Expedition, p. 158-193.
{ Sometimes called the " Five Nations."
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no means, have disturbed. It however occasioned great com- A D 1705. plaint in Massachusetts ; for the plunder, taken from the frontier settlements eastward of Connecticut river, was often merchandize in Albany. On the contrary, the French, who had suffered so much in the wars with that fierce and savage people, soon saw and realized the great benefits of the neutrality ; and therefore, permitted no hostile movements to proceed against any part of New-York.
Massachusetts, in her provident care of Maine, being still de- Defence of termined to keep possession of Saco, ordered, that the fort stand- scout to Saco, and ing at the head of the tide be dismantled and abandoned, as it wock. Norridge- was originally erected only to cover the Indian trade ; and that the one at Winter-Harbor be strengthened and put in the best posture of defence. Moreover, in the winter, when the snow was four feet deep, Col. Hilton, who had been a Major in the late expedition under Church, was sent by government with two hun- dred and seventy men, including twenty Indians, to Norridge- wock, on snow-shoes. They took twenty days' provision with them ; the season for their march was favorable ; and seldom, if ever, were the fatigues of a winter campaign undertaken and en- dured with more fortitude and patriotism ; the officers themselves having only the pay of soldiers. Arriving, they were, after all, disappointed, for they found none of the enemy ;- nothing but " a large chapel with a vestry" and deserted wigwams, all which they reduced to ashes. This and the successful enterprizes of Church and others the last year, had greatly provoked the French ; and in January, Subercase, late ruler of Placentia, having suc- ceeded Brouillon in the government of Nova Scotia, made a bold descent upon the Islands, Newfoundland and St. John's, at the land. head of 550 men, collected in Canada and about Port-Royal ; in which he was assisted by a body of savages under the noted chief Assacombuit. Great ravages were made among the settle- ments, many of the English were killed, and 140 taken prisoners.
By this time the belligerents felt their respective prisoners to be a burthen ; and in May, Gov. Vaudreuil despatched from Can- of prisoners Exchange at Canada. ada to Boston, Capt. Hill, who had been taken captive the last year in Wells, and directed him to negotiate an exchange. On his arrival, he was able to communicate to mourning friends the intelligence, that there were of their countrymen, about 117 in VOL. II. 7
Subercase ravages Newfound.
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A. D. 1705. charge of the government, and 70 with the Indians. William Dudley, a son of the Governor, and several other gentlemen were appointed commissioners to Quebec ; and with them were sent 70 prisoners, and yet only 60 were obtained in return. Guilty of detestable hypocrisy, Vaudreuil pretended, that " the Indians " were an independent and freeborn people ; and that he had no " right nor power to demand their captives ;" whereas they were, in fact, well known to be entire dupes or vassals to his will. How- ever, the mission of the Governor's son was protracted several months, under pretence either of effecting a farther exchange of prisoners, or of negotiating a neutrality ;- though his continu- ance there, was in truth a matter of policy, to delay excursions or sallies against the English frontiers.
Vetch and others ac- cused of licit trade.
Afterwards, William Rowse was sent twice with a vessel and flag of truce to Nova Scotia ; but returned with only 24 deliver- ed from captivity. As deep suspicions shaded his conduct, he, as principal, his friend Samuel Vetch, subsequently Governor of Nova Scotia, and two merchants of Boston, as accomplices, were charged with carrying on thither an illicit trade, whereby the en- emy was furnished with military stores ; and consequently they were thrown into prison. Yet they finally escaped heavy penal- ties, only because the queen refused to sign the legislative acts, passed for their punishment.
Gov. Dud- ley unpopu- lar
There were furthermore whispers, that the Governor himself, was concerned in this disgraceful traffic ; and he found it difficult to wipe off the unjust aspersion, deepened as it was by popular prejudice. His notions of government, it is true, had too much of an aristocratic tincture ; and he was far from having the gen- eral love and esteem of the people. Nay, it was expected, at one time, that he would be removed, and Sir Charles Hobby appointed to the executive chair. The Governor's influence was certainly limited, and his unpopularity, a check to public meas- ures, if not an embarrassment to the prosecution of the war.
Urges the rebuilding of Pema- quid fort, and repair- ing fort Wm. and Mary.
According to the instructions of the ministry, he again urged upon the General Court, to rebuild the fort at Pemaquid, and to contribute towards the repairs and support of fort William and Mary,* on Great Island opposite Kittery. But the House thought Pemaquid to be 'out of the usual road traversed by the Indians ;
* See ante, A. D. 1700.
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' and being an hundred miles distant from any English planta- A. D. 1706. ' tion, it was merely a place of occasional anchorage for coasters ' or fishing boats, and could be of no great benefit-no " bridle " to the enemy-no barrier to our frontier." The original ex- ' pense of erecting it was great-not less than £20,000; and ' the charge of rebuilding and supporting it, would be greater ' than the Province could possibly sustain.'-In excuse for not complying with the other proposition, the House replied, that the fort was originally built at the charge of New-Hampshire, and to her it properly belonged ; that the whole expense of the repairs was only about £500-a sum not equal to the quota of several single towns in Massachusetts, for one year's charge of the pres- ent war ; that all the trade and navigation on the northern as well as southern side of the river Piscataqua, paid an excise towards the maintenance of the fortification ; and that Massachu- setts had been at great expense in the protection of New-Hamp- shire, and of the parties employed in procuring timber and masts for the crown ; while the latter Province had done nothing towards the support of the garrisons, the land-forces, and sea- fencibles, though as truly protective of her as of Maine or Mas- sachusetts. Equally unsuccessful was the Governor in urging upon the Legislature another proposition, which was the estab- Governor's lishment of settled salaries, for the two first executive officers of salary. the Province ; the Governor being usually allowed an annual sti- pend of only £500.
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