The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-12-08

Senator Sumner.
Services of the Falmouth PortIanD
Troops in the Campaign against Cana
da i'm 1858.
EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF PROVINCIAL
oFFICER.-NO l.
have recently, through the kindness OF Rev.
T. W. jackson, of Gorham, had the pleasure Oh
examining the manuscript Field BOOK anu
Journal of an officer of the Provincial army
throughout the campaign against Calaoa III
1853, and believing that it throws much hght
upon matters of local history that interests 9TH
ers as well as myself, L beg to present to the
nnblic through your columns, some of its lead
| ing points
II is well known that for the invasion of Can
| ada. during the French and Indian war, Massa-
chusetts raised in 1853 force of $500 men,
Maine at that time formed part of the Prov
ince of Massachusetts Bay; and the quota of
Falmouth, or Portland, was three hundred men.
On the 18th of March of that year. Gov. Pow
nal issued to Jedediah Preble commission as
Colonel of a regiment of foot raised by him at
Falmouth. 1t is also known that of these pro-
vincial troops twenty-five hundred served in the
garrison at Louisburg, several hundred in the
navy, and three hundred joined Gen. Wolfe be-
fore Quebec. The remainder served under Gen.
Amherst, who entered Canada by Lakes George
| and Champlain. l do not know that the des-
tination of these three hundred Falmouth men
has been definitely ascertained. 1t has been
conjectured-see Genealogy of PreJle Family by
Dali Al Al,
der Wolfe at Quebec, and that Col. Preble was
| Brigadier in command at that place; perhaps,
because the number of men detached for that
| service corresponds with the number raised at
Falmouth This question is definitely settled
if we admit the authenticity of the Journal
from which quote below:
Falmouth, Man q, 175S Sailed with three
transports and three hundred soldiers, includ-
ing officers, for the intended expedition against
Canada and got into Winter Harbour about
o'clock in the afternoon.
BY hasty calculation 1 find that the above
date falls on Sunday. If mistaken, will the
reader be SO kind as to correct my error? Win
ter Harbor is near the mouth of the Saco.
May %, 1853 Sailed from the above harbor
four o clock in the morning, being foggy wealth
or and small breeze. Lay becalmed between
the Shoals and Piscattaque the same night
May %, 1858. Arrived to Kittery at o'clock
and went ashore and waited on ST.. VIM. Pep
peril, and at the Point meeting house the Rev:
Mr.. Rogers preached a sermon to officers and
soldiers from the first book of Samuel II c., As,
46, AZ verses, and after sermon we received our
commissions, and was sworn by Sr. VIM. Pep
PERIL and Col Wendal
From the above we must infer that the writer
was commissioned officer, and the same is ev-
ident in many subsequent parts of the Journal
What was his rank nowhere appears: but it
seems most likely that he was Captain.
May "a, 175S. Col Preble settled Capt Good
ing's and Capt. Goipg's (Gowen's) companies
and billeting for the companies.
The two following days appear to have been
spent at Kittery in ordering their affairs.
May q, 1853. L paid my company off their
billeting money and prepared for sailing, and
sailed IL o'clock at night in company with sew
en- transports, and received order from our
commanding officer, Col. Jedediah Preble, if
parted by hard weather to rendezvous at AL
bany.
The transports which joined the three from
Falmouth probably contained New Hampshires
quota of men. Col. Preble it seems assumed
command of the entire force.
May 49, 1853. Sailed off Chatham from Kit
terry.
May 20, 1853. Proceeded on our Journey with
the wind at north, and sailed to Gay Head,
where we came up with a snow, Capt. Rods,
commander from London to New York, who
informed us he had 159 days passage. He took
out Of a ships main-top fourteen men in lat.
~, and being put to great extremeties, he came
on board us and we delivered him some relief
Snow, in naval affairs, is generally the larg-
est of all two-masted vessels employed by Euro
peans, and the most convenient for navigation.
Enc Brit.
May Both, 1858. Calm weather. Exercised
the soldiers on deck, and, i'll the afternoon
made the best Of our way up the sound.
Nay 31st, 1758 Fair and pleasant weather
with a favorable wind till night and anchored
under Long Island.
June 1st 1853. We sailed through He'll Gate.
so called, safe, and came to anchor at New York
about nine O'Clock III the afternoon, and lodg-
ed ashore.
June I'd, 1853 Sailed from New York
o'clock, and anchored O'clock 1 took view
of the Fort and took the number of the guns,
and found there are " which are chiefly 80
FOUNDERS
1t would appear that the fort which is refer
red to above was built at the upper end of the
island, where at a later day was built Fort
Washington, to command the entrance to Hud-
son River
June Sd, 1853. We came to sail between two
and three o'clock, and proceeded up Albany
River called Illusions River, and anchored at
o'clock.
June 18th, 1853. Proceeded up the river till
dark and then came to anchor
June 9th, 175S. Came to sail at o'clock in
the morning, and proceeded up the river with
the wind at s. w. Thundered in the D. M
June 9th, 1853. Came to sail 7 O clock in the
morning with the wind at west and in the af-
ternoon at N. w. Proceeded up the river to-
wards Albany.
June 18th, 1853. Calm in the morning. Set
SAL II o'clock, the wind S. w. Sailed from
Col; Hotfman's which is "a miles from Albany,
and arrived at Albany o'clock.
June Sth, 1853. Maior-General James Aber-
crombie left orders that 300 of the Bay forces
go to Schenectady, in compliance whereof Col.
Preble drafted Capt Libby, Capt. Cobb, Capt
Bowen with their Companies to march to the |
said Schenectady, and gave us order to furnish
our companies with arms as soon as possible, |
which arms we received the date above.
From the language of the above, we should |
naturally infer that the writer of the journal
was himself one of three captains detached for
service at Schenectady. This is the only clue 1
find to its authorship. L have now followed the
expedition from Falmouth to Albany; far
enough to determine its destination.
With regard to the rank of Col Preble Twill
quote from, the officers field-book one days en-
try:
fo1 L Ak George Sunday, y..!y % 1855 General
tor the day tomorrow, Haldiman; for the Pro-
vincials Col. Lyman. Field officers for the |
night, Maj Browning. For the Provincials
Lieut.. Col. Hoar, Brigade Maj Spittle. The
Provincial Regiments to be brigaded as follows,
viz:
Right Wing Col Col R RTis5lGIls,
2 Col. Ruggles, s(Col. Glazer.
b Col. Bagey. B Col WOisey
Left Wing Col. F FIton
The eldest Colonel commanding each brigade
Is to make all reports concerning the brigade to
the Colonel commanding the Wing.
The Provincial Colonies are to rank as fol-
lows
LIST Col. Lyman. 9Th FOL Fitch
I'd :" Preble. 9th Jobnsor
3D. " Delaney. 10Th Glaze
18th Rugges. 11tb RshcocL
9Th Bagley 10Th WilI;oms
5th " Whiting. 18Th Dontv
It'll Wooster 18th Woisssv
The above entry shows the honorable rank
held by the Colonel commanding the Falmouth
troops in this expedition; and subsequent por-
lions OF the journal show that the conduct of
'he men was no less creditable to them than
was his rank to their commander
l. B. CHoATE.
Windham, Nov. 2Sth, 1871.