Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-07-20

THE FIRST BURNING OF PORTLAND
The recent contagration in Portland has
suggested many references to the time
when the place was destroyed by the Brit
ish fleet in the Revolution. This event took
place in October. l775,-several months
before the Declaration of Independence,
The inhabt ants were entirly unprepared
for anytlain. of the kind when, on the six
teenth of October.a detachment Of five ves-
sels. appeared in the harbor of the town
tl.en known as Falmouth. The comman-
der of the squadron, Captain Mowatt the
next day sent an officer on shore with a
letter to inform the Inhabitants that he had
been sent To execute al ust punishment on
town" for them most unpard1nable rebell-
ion. and that two hours would be allowed.
to remove the human specie out Of the
town. This letter. being publicly read in
the town-liouSe, naturally caused great
CONSERVATION.
\ committee of citizens waited on the
British officer in his ship, and obtained a
respite until the next morning. He offered
to await the answer of an express to be
sent to Boston. if the inhabitants w0nld
surrender all the arms and ammunition In
their hands. This the people nohly rcfus
to do; and the night was spent i'll remOv-
ing the arms, the women and children, and
the sick, to a safe spot in the interior
Promptly at the hour appointed next morn.
ing the British vessels opened FIRE. The
bombardment was kept up with the ut,
most vigor all day,but it not proving sutfi'
Cicntly destructive, parties Of marines
were sent ashore i'll boats to fire the build.
ings. There was soule resistance, and sew
eral of the ncendiaries were killed and
wounded; but the people having no organ
ization and very little powder nothing eff
cctual was done to stop the work Of de-
struction. The buildings were all Of wood.
and the flames spread with great rapidity
until three quarters of the town were laid
in ruus. Four hundred and fourteen huild-
ings were burned in all. and about one
hundred and sixty families were made
houscless. Among the structures destrny-
ed were IA handsome new court house, town
house, an Episcopalian churOh. custom
house, all the wharyes. and all the vessels
in the harhor. Very little furniture or 9TH
er property was saved, owing to scarcity
of teams for the work of removal. Tho
public library and new fire engine were
burned.
OF course there was great destttutiOn and
suffering. The provincial Congress soon
after made grant of money and corn to tue
victims o the fire, aud subsequently other
grants We're made, aud the taxes af the
town ahated. A committee appointed to
ascertain the exact amount Of the losses
reported that the sum total was fifty-four
thousand five hundred and twenty seven
pounds thirteen shillings, the amounts set
to the names of individuals Oh the list
ranging from over two thousand pounds
down to two pounds. At the close uf the
war of the Revolution an appeal for aid
was made to the sympathzing people Of
I England Ireland and France; but it does
not appear that any response w0s made.
In 1871 the General Court made a grant
of two tnwnships to the sufferers Of Fall
mouth, which however did not result in
any practical benefit to them.-Boston
l4ar.