Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-26
Meeting of the Maine Historical Society.

| Getting of the Maine Historical Society.
The meeting of the Maine Historical Society
at Portland, Thursday, was of unusual interest. A
large number of the leading members of the So
ciety was present and the papers read were excep-
honaDy good. In the absence Of the President,
Hon. James w. Bradbury, who is spending the
spring in Florida, Hon. Charles j. Gilman of
brunswick, was called to the chair. The vcnera-
| BILE Secretary, Rev. DR.. Packard of Bowdoin Col
lege " as present and read the first paper, which
was memoir of the late Rev. Amos ID. Wheeler,
so long Unitarian minister at Brunswick and
Iopsham, and so well known and honoraby re-
membered in connection with the educational in
terests and literary history OF the State. This
sketch was prepared by his sons, ard is fragment
of the forthcoming history Of the town of ljruns-
/ wick.
/ DR.. Packard also read an interesting account Of
the life and doiags of Mr.. Thomas Purchas the
first settler on the Pejepscot claim and &c of the
most notable men OF the early colonicl times
Purchas came to Saco in 1926 and took up the
PeJepscot claim two years after. Ills stone house
was within the limits of the present village of
Biunswlck, though he had eyiously lived on the
neck OF land between Merrymecting bay and
New Meadows river. lie also had a house at
Lisbon Falls, where in the proper season he
caught large quantities of salmon. lie also trad
ed largely in turs with the natives.
General Brown submitted document from
Mrs George Walker Of Portland the docun ent
witness, of the Machias naval engagement, the
first overt act by the colonists against the British
Navy.
The secretary then read paper by John f.
godfrey OF L hgor, on CaDt. Mowatt the British
officer who burned Falmouth in l77j. The design
of this paper was to show that Capt. Mowatt was
not the hcarless william he has generally been rep
resented to be, and in proof Of this, his kindness
to the people on the Penobscot after he had bonn
barded and burned the city of Portland, was re
IN ~ init "a tha h.ten -
among the descendants of old Portlanders that
the paper was quite severely criticised after it was
read
The first paper of the afternoon was read by
Mr. &. j. Varney, on Commodore Saml Ii cker,
meritorous naval officer of the Revolution whose
memory has strangely passed out of the minds of
men. Tucker is said to have captured more YES
sells than any other American Commander.
Cen John Marshall Brown presented brilliant
and valuable paper on the Mission of the Assump-
ton on the river kennebec, l6i6-lGj2. 1t was
chapter OF that most romantic pc iod IN the history
OF Maine, when the land between the Penobscot
and the 81. CroN was urder the dominion of
France. This paper, the materials for which were
mostly found among the archives of France, was
one of the most interesting papers presented. The
headquarters of this devoted French Missionary
among the Indians of the Kennebec, was probably
near where the city of Augusta now is, and on his
eyeral trips between here and Quebec, be took
the route which Arnold, hundred and thirty
years after, followed on his famous expedition
against Canada But on one occasion the mis-
sionaiy lost his way, and he and his Indian COM
psnion wandered away to the st. John river and
nearly persisted with fatigue and starvation, be-
fore finally reaching the Kennebec.
The neat paper was read by Charles w futile,
Esq. the well known historical writer OF Boston,
who treated of a matter which has scarcely been
mentioned by any writer American History.
Few Maine people, we apprehend, have ever be-
lore heard that in 1914, after New York had been
reconquered by the Dutch, an expedition of
somewhat piratcal character, though with some
show OF authority captured the ancient Penta-
goet, now Castne, and other points then occupied
by the French to the East of Penobscot river.
The leaders of the expedition tried in Boston
for piracy and sentenced 10 be hanged, but were
finally released on condition that they would join
the army then operating against the famous In
dian warrior Philip.
Papers of minor importance were read by Rev.
DR.. Hill and Rev Mr.. HAYES.
In the evening Hon VIM. Goold OF Wndham,
read valuable paper the life and public serv-
ices Of Arthur Noble of Georgetown.
In accordance with proposition made at pre-
vious meeting, a committee of five was appointed
to inquire into the origin Of local names of towns,
rivers, lakes, ponds, &c, throughout the State.
and make detailed report, to be placed on file in
the archives of the society. The following were
appointed as this committee: Gen. John Marshal
Brown, Portland; Hon. Joseph Williamson, Bel
fast; II. X. Sewall, Esq, Wiseasset; DR.. William
Il. Lapham, Augusta, and DR.. Geo. A. Wheeler,