Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-10-23
The Gen. Knox Land and
Family.

Family.
The Editor of the Republican Belfast
Journal incontinently took to dc woods y
Immediately after learning the result Of
election, on the pretext of going a fishing
at "Quantc Bacock Pond" in Scarsmont
and writing frsm thickIy wooded retreat
on the margin of that pond whiled away
his desolate hours in pcnning the following
lively narrative Of the Gen. Knox Lana
aud family,
The history Of the proprietorshp Of the
land lying about this pond is curious. 1t
was originally included in the liberal grant
made by King George the econd to Sam
uel Waldo. and called the Waldo Patent.
1t is to the evcrtions of the original pro.
proprietor that the State of Maine is in
debted for It's excellent German stock at
WaldOboro. He brought over, in l745. a
company Of 1900 emgrants. whosr de-
scendents are now scattered over the State;
and many of our best citizens and niost /
eminent men are proud to trace their de-
scent to stout men and women OF the fa-
therlanl who came over hundred and
twenty years ago. Well. daughter of
Gen. Waldo married Fiuker, who was Co
Ionial Secretary Of Massachusetts in the
traublous times that immediately preceded
the American Revolutions. As y marriage
portion she received liberal slice of the
Wado Patent.
Fiuker had BY this IN arraige daughter,
Miss Luay Fiuker. "a beautiful amiable
truelleartcl girl. but fond OF gay life aud
pxtrarasant expenditures connon IN til.
families Of the gentry at that perlol
1t is probable that Mss Fakrr had a
taste for literature, or for 81 oletllln, else
that led her frequently to the store OF IA
young bookseller in Boston, Henry Knox.
But whether she had cr not an attach
ment for literature she soon had for the
handsome young bookseller. aud made
no secret of it, Her friends We're fufipas,
AMI INDUCED in unsini epithets toward her
ana her rebel luve,--tor the stormy days
OF the Rebellion against King q .ofge we're
approaching. and Henry Knox was Il stout
reb.l Bat she was Grn and as the ba'k
seller belonged to tho hard old Scotch Irish
stock, "sp. gallant in 1--we ana 80 dauntless
in w,r," they were married. In manner
that an, ntad tu an eiopein"nt. Of course
her loyal ffitnls crossed then both out
of taair boo.is forever.
The boDkaeller became General Henry
Knox of the Revolutionary Army, the sue
cesslu soldier anl statesman. aud the bo-
som friend of Washiugto ton. who wrote to
OF him that :" that the resources OF hi' g'..
MUS supplied the def Ct Of means Waen
! the Clouds Of war broke away, Gen. Krox
VA. free to ciiil the honors he h I'd " N.
and was appointed W,sh;ngt' Secretary
of war while his wife became an ornament
of the first circle. II ~ tath r All his tam-
! ilv had Arl the country. and his estates.
| like those of all his class, were liable to
coniiseation. But by special act Mrs
Flukers interest in the Waldo Patent WAS
excluded from the operations oi the conlis
cation act, ana the title confirmed on Mrs.
Knox.
When in 1875, Gen. Knox resigned his
| position in Washingtou's Cabinet. III order
/ to attend to his private alf,urs, he went to
! 1--we upon the estate of bis wife in Mo'nc.
/ He fixed his residence at St. George, with
i'll the !in:its Of the present town OF lhon'
ns.on, aul bli.t the mans)a which sail
beare his naala. AMI which nov shows bat
lttlr evidence of the free living he lnduls
ed in, or Of the IN ,gnitielrnt hospitality he
there Dispensed VIII n the most celebrated
! nln Vi tn p'd AL new wpfll IL his
! guests. His llvishness in this respect and
! the heavy expenses incurred by his vile IN
+ in fashionable lite in Philadelphia, where
/ her winters were passed. compelled Knox
to draw heavily upon the resources oI
his Landed estate. Ths magnificent pine
timber was stripped from tn. portior
about tho Pond, where the rem aims o
the l0yginr camp sand lunhtrr0 ads hs
~. ,Uyk Il, a.
ewing stunps of the patriarchal pines
Dveliery Lincoln, well preserved old
man of % years, and perhaps others still
resident in Srarsnont. We're employed by
the General in hi; uInherng operations
and have perfect receolec On of him =
This timber was driven down the George
River, which has its rise in this Pond -
Bnt =. on even the wasteful lnprovideDei
of stripping the land of Its most yaluah {
timber failed to keep the General. - purse
supplied. and piece hy piece his estate
was martgag-d, never TO De redeemed -
The lands within the limits of The to ,n o
Sclrsnont fell into the hands of the Scar
family. of Bostoa, and ny tn. n was sold t.
the actual settlers. And thus it chance
that the land upon which we set up Ga
fishing tabernacle has ~ historical inter
est. Probably the foot of the patriot pro
prieter has been on the Very spot wher,
our camp now stands, and would have
been there many tines more but for hi
sudden deccase in 1896. He was ch0ked
to death by chic ( bone, whils at din
ner. The perils of tn, battle hal all pass
e.! by him, to perish at last by means 81
trivial.