The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-01
scDNms IN OLD OxFORD-LovE-
WELLS FIGHT.
70 he Editor Of the Press,

"A
WELLS FIGHT. "a
1ofae Editor qfthe Press: Il
1t would seem fiom couple of articles that
appeared not long since in the Press, under
The Scenery Of Maine" that your correspon-
dent had visited every part ofthe State worthy
Of interest. Oxford County, VIII oh happens
to be the most rugged part OF the ota'e'
through having some natural scenery worm
visiting, unfortunately, is so near Mt WASH
jnoton. and is so far eclipsed by the attracuohs
ground tba White Mountains, that it is sup
,osod 70 contain little else than rocks and
bips But there is at least one redeeming
spot in the whole county, which compares
very favorably with any other part of the
State, and that is the town of ,Fryeburg;-
When the traveller has passed through Water
ford, Sweden and Lowell, towns noted for hills
sup and down." and thick forests of pine, and
comes suddenly upon the beautiful intervales
in Fyebarg, the contrast is so striking, that
dor moment, he thinks it the most delightful
country in the world. The bed of the Saco,
which is truly "a meandering stream, occupies
a stretch Of S5 miles in this one town. The
streams ranks fourth among the rivers Of the
State. The traveller at once notices the thrift
and prosperity Of the farmers, whose farms,
dotted with magnificent sugar naples" and
,commodious buildings, many Of which are ele-
CANT, remind him that he is in the land of
plenty. When. he gets into the interior OF the
town, his eyes meet Mt, Pleasant in. the east,
at the foot Of which is a beautiful lake and
meadow; westward is Kearsarge clothed in
green, and towering far above Mt. Washing
ton, with an unbroken chain, of mountains
that continue round to the east again, encIos-
ing this beautiful farming district like wall
town, surrounded by formidable battlements.
Passing through several thickly settled
neighborhoods,l up the valley, he arrives at
Fryeburg Village, which contains many hand
some residences. He will find an unusually
large and commodous hotel, where his wants
will be attended to in the very best manner.
The grounds Of the Academy, which has be-
come celebrated from the fact that Daniel
Webster was once its Principal, offer many at
fractions, and the fine building erected upon
them win repay examination.
A little way from the village rises bold,
rugged mountain, and further on is the cele-
brated spot where occurred the event known
in history as sLovewell's Pond Fight" This
battle was fought in 1925. Massachusetts hav-
ing offered bounty of 800 for every Indian
scalp, lin consequence, as it is alleged, of the
barbarous murders committed by the Indians,)
Capt Lovewell, who had before secured sl0O
for ten scalps taken in what is now Wakefield,
NJ H., marched with as men on an expedition
against Pauglis. Their setting out is thus
POLITICALLY described in a ballad of that day:
"what time the noble LoveweIl came,
With fifty men from PUNISHABLE,
The cruel Pequot's taibe to tame,
With arms and bl0odshed TERRIBLE"
May Sth, Ensign Wyman discovered an In
dian who was out hunting, unsuspiclous of the
presence of an enemy. In one hand he car
ried some fowls he had just killed, and IN the
other, two guns, He was Immediately fired
upon, but without effect. Seeing no way of
escape, however, he turned upon his pursuers
in self-defence, and though he was killed HIM
self, it was not until he had iven LovewelI
mortal wound. The poet alludes to the kill
ing of the Indian in the following manner:
ssSeth Wyman who in woburn lived.
Amarksmanh he of courage true,
Shot the first Indian whom he saw; rtf
Sheer through his heart the bullet flew.
The savage had been seeking game; 81 4
Two guns, and exc q knife he bore,
And two black ducks were in his hand;
He shrieked, and fell torise no more." ssr
He was scalped by the chaplain and another
As they were returning to their packs, the wary
Paugus, with so of his warriors, nearly encir,
ced them, but seemed 10th to begin the fight
md was, no doubt in hopes that his pursuers.
jeeing his numbers, would yield without bat |
tie. He made towards them with his guns
presented, and threw away his first fire. But
there was too much fight in these Dunstable
men to make quiet submission. With such
pirit as this, tits no wonder that the savage
invitation was so tufheSitatingly met with |
rush towards the Indians, and fire which |
killed many OF them. But avigorous resalia-
ton obliged the English TO retreat, leaving nine
lead and three wounded, where the battle
first began The same poet says apo'
"John Lovewell lcaptafn OF the band, -e -
o His sword he waved, that glitteTed bright,
For the last time he cheered his men, sag
And led them onward to the fight. ~ ~ ~
eight on, fight on brave Lovewell said; .
fright on while Heaven shall give you breath;
An Indian ball then pierced him through
And Lovewell closed his eyes in death.'
The battle was renewed and continued till
night on the shores of LovewelPs Pond when
PaugIis was killed by John Chamberlain.
ssBut Chamberlain of Dunstable,
One whom savage ne'er shall slay,
Met Paugus BY the water-side,
f., And shot him dead upou that day. Ska M
The Indians drew off about dark, leaving
nine only Ofthe English unhurt: and but four
teen of the whole to return to their friends
The chaplain was among the mortally wound |
ed.
1t is 140 years since the above events trans
PRED; and though the strong arm of the hIls-
bandman has cleared the land of the tall oak
and pine, the scene of the fight is remember
ed and visited by hundreds every wear
Pardon the length of this article; my excuse
is, that, it may be interesting to your readers,
from its ancientness, | have given the Ian
gllage OF the early narrator, written more than
a hundred years ago. J. NJ. K.
SWEDEN, Aug. 20, 1865.
THE MISSISSIPPI CONVENTION.
The first of the re-constructlng Conventions
has finished It's business with dispatch, and
gone home, Composed mainly of men who
had been actively engaged in fomenting or
managing the rebellion, it showed quite plainly
that it was conscious of having disagreable
job on hand and wished to get it over with all
possible expedition. The telegraph informs us
that the Convention provided for the prohibi-
ton of slavery in Mississippi, but instructed
the legislature to protect the freedmen fom
the evils of emancipation-wh whatever those
may be-thatit passed an ordinance declaring
the act OF secession null and void, and repeal
ing "ail the ordinances of the convention of
1861 except the revenue ordnance which
was lett for the action of the legislature. Of
the laws passed during the rebellion it repeal