The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-06-14


In the telegraphic columns will be found an
account of the celebration of the centennial
anniversary of the first battle of the Revolu-
ton, which took place at Machias, June Il,
1775. This event has not secured consplc-
uous place In the history of the war which
ended in the formation of this Republic. This
is due partly to the fact that the place where
the event happened was very remote, and
also that so few men were engaged in the
daring exploit, and were so successful that it
has been with difficulty rescued from obliv-
ion. Had Ticonderoga surrendered to not
ed general after bloody assault, instead of
being surprised and surrendering to Ethan
Aliens demand in the name of the Continen-
tai Congress, that event would rival Lexing-
ton or Bunker Hill in historical Importance.
Had the British war schooner Margaretta
been driven out of Machias river by large
force and with a greater loss of life, and had
Machias been the center of large population
instead of being remote wilderness settle
ment of eighty families, the celebration a;
Machias, Saturday, would have We'd with the
most famous Of those which make these CEN
tennial years most notable.
Machias was first settled by a permanent
colony of sixteen persons May 20, 1853, most
ly from the town of Scarborough, drawn
thither by its valuable lumber and its availa-
BILE water-power. At the time when the con-
flict between the mother country and the col
onies began, so exclusively had the attention
of the settlers been given to the lumber busl-
ness that but little farming was done so that
the 'eighty families and one hundred men"
living within the territory now constituting
the towns of Machias, East Machias, Machi-
asport, Marshfeld and Whitneyville depend
ed entirely upon the prosperity of the lum-
ber trade. Hundreds of miles from any
prominent settlement, without any resource
or means of livelihood except the production
of lumber, the demand for which the distrac-
ton of war would ruin, the handful of men
at Machias warmly espoused the cause OF the
colonies. They well knew that single
British ship cruising along tie coast .could
cut them off, not only from communication
with the world, but deprive them of the
means of livelihood, yet when the news of
the battle of Lexington came to them, they
only waited an opportunity to attest their de-
yotion to the cause of Freedom.
They did not have to wait long. A mer-
chant-captain who had long done business at
Machias. came to the harbor with vessel
load of supplies under the convoy of the Brit
ish war schooner Margaretta. he was
trader, fond of gain, and naturally sympa-
thized with the British masters. 1t became
known that the lumber which he was to pur-
chase with his cargo Of goods, was bargained
to the British to build barracks in Boston.
The question of the propriety of trading
when the lumber was to be used for that
purpose was hoty discussed. However, the
vessel was allowed to land the goods which
the settlers needed, but the more they
thought of it the more exasperated they be-
came at the idea of becoming agents to fur
ther the designs of the enemy. There is
tradition that the freedom-loving citizens had
erected a liberty-pole near the church and
that Capt. Moore of the British ship de-
manded that it be taken down, and that this
piece of insolence had something to do with
the current of public feeling On Sunday,
June 18th, the officers of tht British ship
came ashore to church, but Deacon Foster
and the reading men of the colony who were
usually found in their places in the little
Westinghouse, were not present. In the
woods near the village were assembled the
leading men of the colony discussing the pro-
priety of seizing the British ship and taking
her officers prisoners. The question was dis
cussed with much ZEAL All were patriots,
but some objected to the project on the
ground that the little community had scarce
ly months provision, and that the British
would visit the town with sudden destruc-
ton. On the other hand it was boldly urged
that in view of the noble example of theiI
brethren at Lexington, it was their duty to
strike a blow. At length Deacon Foster,
tired of the discussion, leaped across a small
brook and invited all who were in favor o.
seizing the vessels and capturing Captain
Moore and his officers to cross over to hi;
side. A majority Immediately followed and
in short time all made this declaration ol
war unanimous. A small party started tC
make the officers in the church prisoners, bu
being alarmed they escaped before the mel
| could surround the house and reached theil
vessel, weighed anchor and dropped down the
river, after sending word that if Jones' slooI
was troubled they would return and burn the
! town. The following account of the capture
| of the vessel is taken from the historical ad-
dress given by the late W. B. Smith, ESQ.,, al
! the centennial celebration of the settlement
of the town May 20, 1868:
I Not in the least disheartened by their defeat
/ Foster. Jeremiah o. Bren, and others asso
| ciated with tbem determined to take posses
| sion of the sloops; and one of them, it wa:
agreed o 'Brien should take charge OF with &
crew of forty men, while Foster went to the
| East Village to get a schooner ready with 6
compliment of men there, both vessels to joiI
company at the River early the next morning
and then pursue the Margaretta and capture
her. No time of course was to be lost
band of volunteers was soon gathered for thu
purpose, at each place. On examining thei
equipments of warfare, however, they wer
found to be only few charges of powder an,
ball for twenty fowling pieces, thirteen pitch
forks, ten or twelve axes. Most OF the powde
and balls were on board o. Brien's vessel, tn
Unity. mo circumstance" says the writer
.'could more strikingly exhibit the reckles
bravery of this little band, than that it shoul
/ thx nnlrNaC vln1e. fAl