Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-16
THE ARoOsTOOK WAR.
Inter estipg Lecture by George ]. We

L
written, giving in detail much interesting histori-
cal matter, showing careful research and happy
faculty of arranging events to make them inter
esting. We give below an abstract of the lee
ture, being obliged of course to omit many Of the
historical facts and the ludcrous incidents con-
nected with the bloodless campaign.
| The lecturer was gracefully introduced by the
Rev. DR.. Tefft.
| Mr. Varney said he would attemp. to revive in
| the minds of the old and tell to the young the
story Of an amusing yet critical period in the his
| tory of our State. BY the treaty of 1888 which
closed the war for American independence, about
one half of the St. Johns river belonged to
Maine; but soon after the war Of 1872, Great
| Britain began to claim the whole. In 1888, the
| the principal settlement on the river north Of
| Woodstock, was on the north side of the river at
the northeastern angle Of the State, the rude log
| houses struggling along the shore for nearly
| twenty miles. This had been incorporated as the
| town OF Madawaska, and had a representative IN
the State legislature but recently the neighbour
| ing British authorities had forbidden ard broken
up its meetings. In June, 1887, an agent Of
Maine, while taking the census, was arrested by a
| British constable. This agent had at the same
| time been distributing to the people their proper
| ton of the surplus money which had accumulated
| in the United States treasury. lie bone OFT his
prisoner to the nearest shire town, but the sheriff
| declined to receive him into custody; the agent
therefore returned to Madawaska to prosecute his
mission. The son Of that constable is now mem
Der Of the legislature. 1t is not proposed TO ex-
pei him on that account. But Gov. Harvey Of
New Brunswick was informed that the agent was
distributing money to induce the inhabitants to
| continue their allegiance to the United States,
ordered his e-arrest, and be was lodged in Fred
crckton jail. Gov. Dunlap of our State Immediate
y issued q general order announcing that the
| soil of our State had been invaded by foreign
power, and notifying the militia to hold them
selves in readiness for active service The British
| forces were reinforced. Gen. Hodsdon Of the
| eastern division Of Maine militia, unsheathed has
sword and issued orders of defiance. The Ameri-
can blood was boiling. by this time, says Major
Jack Downing, "my hair began to curl, felt so
mad; and couldn't help jumping up and shifting
my fists together, saying pretty hard things about
| the British" And the Major proceeded to raise
ION paper) that scare-crow company which should
| cause the British lion to run away. A few weeks
later, at the request Of President Van Buren,, the
imprisoned agent was set at liberty.
| Thus they fought aud bled in the AIadawasSa
war, and the contending parties retired upon their
| laurels. The offence charged against the Maine
| agent was exciting seditloD. Great Britain was
| Jealous Of the colonies growing up upon her eo'-
ders. In 1914. abandoning the line Of the treaty
of 1888, she sat down on the Penobscot and cooliy
declared that to be the boundary of her possessions
But she lost that, and insisted upon the sovereign
y Of the river ST. Johns with all ITS tributaries
There was great difficulty about defining its limits
even according to this standard, and so the ques-
| ton was referred by the two governments TO Will
| liam, King of the Netherlands, for adjudication.
| His decision rendered in 1881. The instincts
of our sapient Hollander, led him, like duck, to
the water, and so curiou.ly enough he placed our
| northeastern boundary in the bed Of T1tzr, IN
stead of along line of highlands. He
declared the line ought to run due north
| from the ST. Croix until ii struck the St,
| Johns whence it should run along the middle Of
the latter river to the mouth of the ST. Francis, at
the north, and along the middle Of this river 10
the source of its southwest branch thence west TO
the highlands and from this point onward, as de-
scIibed in the original treaty. Maine was exceed
ingy indignant at this division; the federal gov
| eminent offered to compensate her for the terri
| tory lost, offering a million acres in Michigan, in
| exchange. This was declined, and then followed
the prolonged negotiations looking TO the eitah-
lishment of the line of 1888. The history Of the
French settlers that territory was here given.
In 1888, understanding the unsettled state OF al
fairs in the disputed territory when Gov. Kent
| came to the gubernatorial chair, he initiated
measures to increase the efficiency OF the militia
| Gen. Wool was sent on q tour OF inspection TO
make an examination of the State defences, and
Notifications were recommended 10 be built on the
! St. Croix, Penobscot and kennebec rivers. The
boundary line of 10 was again established OIL
| ciallv by a survey.
| The rigorous policy of Gov. Kent was opposed by
| President Van Burcn, and the administration pa
pers Of the State called him "His typographical
| Excelency." Our whole northern border was still
disturbed by the Canadian rebellion, and Name
was sought not 10 embarrass the administration.
| Thus the dispute continued until the winter of
| 1899. Trespassers on the public lands were rob-
bng the region Of the Aroostook river OF its most
valuable timber The legislature OF 1889 immed
lately went into secret session, and authorized the
sheriff of Penobscot county to raise 700 volunteers
| With these he was ordered to proceed to the
Aroostook dislodge the trespassers, destroy their
| camps and provisions, and seize their teams.
| Sheriff Strickland of Penobscot promptly raised
the force ordered, which was placed under the I'M
| mediate command of Capt. Stover Rlnes; the first
| company setting cut from Bangor on the 9th OF
| February, and arriving at Masardls Township No.
| 10y on the evening of the sth inst. They moved
down the river next day. Mr.. Mclntirc proceeding
| in advance. The Sheriff, in q sleigh, followed
down the river the next morning. Opposite Pc
ter Bulls, about mile above Hoopers, behold q
line Of men nth guns, stretched across the nver
| and, below them, two strong logging teams has
| tening away. Did the sheriff hesitate No; the
advance guard of his posse was at his heels; and
he pressed boldly on in pursuit of the trespas slns
teams, regardless OF the sixteen muskets brought
| to bear upon his horse. There We're BILE on one
side the high Sheriff of Penobscot with 200 well
| armed men ; on the other side IS sturdy woodsmen
with rusty fowlng pieces; yet with the eye Of inl-
| aginaton might have been seen, IN battle array,
the soldiers of Britain in unnumbered battallons,
and the glimmering sails of her dreaded fleets.
Several respassers fired as the Shcrih passed their
line and tuft of hair fell from the name OF his
horse. There it lay, dark, bloody and silent, on
the white snow, first token of the carnage and the
first "Bull Run" The sheriiTs pluck was still
good, and after long chase he captured the
teams, and his posse made prisoners OF the lum-
bermen. Capt. Rnes was then sent to the mouth
of the Little Madawaska, to intercept the trespass
ers who fled across the line into the Queens DO
minions. Then came the occasion for the lines
"Run Strickland, run fire Slower, fire!
Were the last words of Mclntire!'
The land agent was forced over the line at the
point of the bayonet, mounted on a hob-sed, and
hurried away to Fredericton Jail. The trespass
ers were now in high feather, having broken into
Woodstock jail and supplied themselves with arms
and ammunition The flight of the sheriff and hi:
forces were narrated. The legislature authorized
the raising of three hundred more troops. On Feb
10th, proclamation reached Augusta from Gov
Harvey, commanding that the arms illegally taker
from the government depot be returned, and dc,
claring that hostile invasion of the territory should
be resisted. This was accompanied by an order
for draft; 1000 militia were ordered out Ther
a communication was received from Gov. Harvey
demanding the recall of the State force in ARGOS
took, and announcing that he was instructed by
his government, to hold exclusive jurisdiction ove
the disputed territory, and that he should do so by