The Portland daily press., 1872-02-17
THE PR ESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEB. IL, 1879.
"reminiscences Of an Aged Man.

To the Editor Of the Press.
find in the PRESS of Tuesday, a notice of
the death of Mr.. Joshua Pillsbury, of Cane
Elizabeth, aged 90 years and 2 months. Mr..
p. was well-known and much respected by
his townsmen, particularly by the old set
tiers around Simonton's Cove, where he was
born Dec 8, 1881. This had been one of the
darkest years Of the Revolution. Castine was
in the hands of the enemy, from whence our
people were expecting an attack. Provisions
and men were very much needed for the ar
my-so much so that the Rev. Thomas
Smith of Falmouth had his negro slave,
Romeo, enlisted for three years, giving him
his liberty, in consideration Of receiving half
his wages, ten shillings a month. 1t was a
distressing time for provisions at home. Mr..
Smith records few months before: 81 had
nothing for dinner, and no prospect of any,"
Such was the state Of affairs in this vicinity
when Mr.. Pillsbury was born, who seemed to
connect us with that trying period.
He was a grandson Of Joshua Woodbury.
sthe ancestor of all Of the name in the vicinity.
! He came to Slmonton's Cove from Beverly In
FiT2T, and was admitted an 1nhabitant on
paying ten pounds. Mr.. Pillsbury inherited
q part of his grandfathers land, and bore his
name. Unlike most young men of the Cape,
he lived by farming, and spent his long life
on the same farm ON which he was born, al
though II had been divided among his child
ren, who yet retain the most Of Il, having
been In the family since Il was forest, ono
hundredand fifty years ago.
Mr.. Pillsbury was very intelligent man.
made his acquaintance while looking up the
history of the ship Grand Turk, three years
ago.
had learned from Mr.. Isaac Ilsley, twenty
1--WE years before, the fact of her hempen ca
Bile being cut by the Presumpscot ice, which
was driven down in mass by q violent gale
hom the north, while at anchor off Fish
Point, and that the officers were on shore
dancing, in company with Mr.. Ilsley at an
assembly in King street, when they were call
cd out to see their ship forced ashore On
Cushings Point, inside of the harbor; but he
could give no further particulars.
learned from Mr.. Palfrey, Collector of
Salem, where the ship belonged; that she had
been out two hundred and seventy-four days
ffom Canton, with a cargo of China ware,
teas and silks; had lost several men and
many sails when she arrived at Portland Dec.
rs, 1897, and was wrecked January 4, 1898.
Twas referred to Mr.. Pillsbury by the peo-
pie on the Cape, as a man who would recol-
lect the wreck if anybody could. l found
him living with his son Daniel, and that he
had distinct recollection of the wreck. He
said the ship came in sight with a signal of
distress, when Capt. John Thurlow of Port
land went outside and brought her in. The
next day Mr.. p, then II years old, went on
board with fresh vegetables, which the men
stood very much in need of, and that the
next day after the wreck he went in a schoon-
er with Major Weeks, and helped get the
anchor, which had lost one luke. He recol-
lected about the shore being strewn with tea,
which had washed out.
He gave minute account of the circum-
stance as readilyas if it had happened with
in ten years.
He retained his faculties remarkably for
one of his age. was intending to visit him
again within a few days, but time waits for
no man. VIC.
WINDHAM, Feb. IA.