Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-09-18
4 Skefei, OF etas.i.ic.

1t is from Mansfeld's History and D.
scription!of New England.
Castnc. in Hancock county. one OF
the earliest settled places in Maine, and
enc of the most varied and interesting
in its historical associations, extending,
as they do. through a period of nearly
two ceniuries.is situated on the peninsula
OF Marehe- -biguatus. eommonl y called
Bagaducc, on the eastern side CT Penob-
scot bay. seven miles from the mouth OF
Penobs OF river. Under the name of
Pen.agoet. this peninsula became well
known to the first settlers OF New Eng
land and as carly as 1850, was selec-
ted by the Plymouth company for a
trading station. The French. an after
wards the Dutch. held possession of the
place. DAulney. the French governor
OF Ac ida, erected a fort. and res; ded
there for seven years. Subsequently,
it fell into the hands Of the Eng ish; but
ny .he treaty Of Breda, it was ceded to
the French. in whose control it remained
for nearly a century.
Castine perpetaates the name o! the
Baron de st. Castiu, \ French noble
man, Of an eccentric disposition. VITO
established his residence there in l667.
Forming close alliance with tn, In
dans and marrying the daughter OF
Madockawando, their chief, he remained
among lhcm for over thirty years. His
lntiuenca oVer the natives was SO power
fui that, according to La Hsntan, they
regarded ham as their tuteiar god. To
his cxcItIons may be traced tie establish
I ment OF Catholicism among them.-
EJS.in proved dan gcrous enemy to the
people Of Massachuse who made
several Intellectual attempts to capture
hin. He taught the eastern Indians
the first use OF firearms and operated
vita them III their frequent attacks
upon the frontier settlements. After
passing thirty years in "A llta of seeluson
Cas'in re urGed to France, leaving the
possession oi his dominions to his half
Urrad son. astin the Younger, who
wa, man Of some education and intelh-
gene Ihs Castjn family did not final
~ aoandon thc peninsula until the ter.
ntHattan at the french war0f Lib.
Ca>;ine became permanently settled
by fAs En1.ish n LEO. AT an carly
psro4 OF the revolution, the first settlers
WINGED Their patriotism by taking the
crew Of a British vessel prisoners. and
scnding thcm to General Washington 5
aegd-4uarters at Cambrd e. F0nr years
att-r TINS event, in the summer Of l119,
it.e plantation was invested by a British
fore OF siN hundred and fifty men, with
three sloops OF war. The English gov
ornment had loug beea sensible that the
establishment OF Il military post the @
would DC oil eSential service IN chcCkiu.
the ravayes OF rrivatccrS, as well az in
securing a supply of timber for the royal
navy. Preparations were at once made
for Certifying the place, and an extensive
fortress was commenced on the summit
Of tha peninsula. Massachusetts deter
mined to dislod.e the invader from her
territory. and i'll few weeks. the largest
American force ever titte out. conss-
ting OF forty three vessels, carrying two
thousand men, AID mounting three hum
dred ami forty guns, sailed from Boston
for penobscot. At the time Of their
arrival, the fort was more than half com
pleted but, by assiduols labor, the
British commander was enabled to put
it in u tolcrable condition OF defense. -
lie had taken the prccaution to erect
batteries at every point OF the peninsula
regarded accessible After being twice
repulsed, our forces at last effected a
laadin, on the northwestern bank, by
climbing preclprce, with a loss of over
one hundred of their number The Brit
ish sustained a loss of thirty IT, the con.
tic. A battery was erected in front of
the cneny's to.t And bota parties
maintained eannonading for several
days, while the commanders of the
American land ana naval forces were
wasting the time IN discussing the ex-
pedisncy OF carrying the works by storm.
In the mean time, a fleet of several Brit
ish ships arrived, and retreat OF the
Americans took place up the Penobscot
nver. All their vessels and military
stores were either captured or destroyed;