Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-01-28
9tlrtt 9torp.
RUNNING A BLOCKADE,
A sketch OF the War OF IsIa-Ii


Duriug lhc Summer of ISL the British
,oo1 possession ot all that part ot the
State oi Maine lying east ol tho Pcnob'
scot. and claimed i, IS u part vt ihcir
lawful territory. They Usiabll4hod =
aort OF = naval head quarters At tastlne.
and from thence sent out their srusers.
Upon lAe keuucbec river AT uh-t tms
wors many thriYm. IoVHA. -U@ quite =
number OF Yankee pyIN Stecrs Wcto lifted
cut there. Several sailed from Bath ;
.,ud oven ~ AIsh uP - HSilo"vii were
Tilted and manned sons oi tLcsO trouble
some little Ur4n. !u consequence ot
lui. tho British turned their attention 70
lui, after river, and established 9i"cK
ado nj its mouth. They Knew that some
priya,seIs were being fitted out some
Mhelc up the stream. and they were de
lsrmiuod 10 take them il they came out.
And there WA. smother thing which the
cuemy had IN view IN IhIs blockade
There Vas Ion, up tho riNer short dl''
lance and also several military store
houses; and they CHE British) hal learn
ed that provisions and ammunition wele
expected from Boston OF Salem lOy these
places. So they meant 10 xii. two birds
rlA one stone. Tusy would prevent The
piira,-eI, tom coming out; and also
prevent The stores from going in.
IlAuy still living. vino resided upon
tac keuueOec during that War. remember
well lho season OF that blockade. They
depeudsd Tor much ol lh.ir provision up
ou the coasters which came from Massa.
rhu,.tls: And uor that ihe small vessels
usto prevented from comm. Ia, lhey
,uu>rsd much Ia IIaiioweil, ,Watepille,
G-id.usr. tud other places. provisions
~crc - scarce that many people who
urlc considered wcli-SN iu ordinary
Tunes. nvsj upon the swiil guhcr'n.S ct
The mplo wealthy; aud Il silver dollars
worth ot mcal gould bc carried ava, zoe ,
common pooA.I handkerchief Tho -.
lctin. MS 3.c.l The p,upl, Anew that
There ~,re several vessels anxious t'
gct in. bul The British war-bri. at the NV
cr's mouth prevented them.
Among the vessel, which wcre expect
cd - IIa,Iowoll Was = heavy schooner
named The Polly Ann" She wa, oWu-
ell and commanded by 81 m1u named
Eoeu Wait. Also another schoouer.c.uI
eel The Eliza. which belonged TO Abner
Jenkins.
The Polly Auu" aud the Eliza, "bo,h
cleared Al Salem. Mass, thS former load.
ed with one of the most valuable cargoes
ever sent TO tie eastward; Tor besides Il
large lot of excellent provisions, sueh aS
flour. corn, rys, and pork aud beef, She
had large quantity OF arms and ammu-
uitious Tor two priyateerS that were IyIhg
\, Bath. The loss Of the Polly Ann
Mould have been severe blow in tSo
ways: It would have sadly added 10 the
want of the poor people Of the Kennebec,
and h.yo prevented the outfit OF TWO
s,aunch p,ivateers; and it would have
also added much to the power OF yhe
enemy by furnishing them with things
which they much needed.
Tie Polly Ann" Was Il new and val
-uaJlo craft; not 80 the Eliza" The
latter was very old and very rotten; and
she was now upon her last trip. Her
owner had resolved to try the run to
Hsllowell. and then pull his old schooner
to pieces for iirewood, as that was about
all She was good tor. On the present oc-
casion she was loaded with provisions; {;
but the load was necessarily a light one,
~ Jenkins dare not venture to sink her
too deeply.
The two schooners sailed from Salem
together. Ia fact jenkins would not
have dared to sail alone. for he was not
sure that his rickety old craft would carry
him through. The Polly Ann WAS
manned ly Captain WaGi his son Ma
than, youth OF nineteen; man Of
thirty. named Jim Tufts, and Samuel
Locke. young man OF five and twenty.
The Eliza had besides her capIaln.
David BROTHER OF the commander;
Waller Davis and Charles Allen, both
Young men and able.
When The two schooners reached
Wood Island. which lies at the mouth ol
Saco river. they were boarded by some
Yankee fisherman who resided thcre.and
who informed them that it would be
~ no use for tham In 90 any farther