The Portland daily press., 1877-03-26
,ERMs $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE,
Capt. MOwatt and His ApolOgist.

CdDts MVndtt anu HIS apUlUXISt.
To the Editor of the Press:
AT the meeting of the Maine Historical So
ciety on Thursday paper by Judge Godfrey of
Bangor was read, entitled "Mowatt on
fenobscot, in which the author attemp, -
excuse what has always been considered on
ootn SIDES OF the Atlantic, dastardly act
the burning of Falmouth in 1875. That Now
att received orders from Admiral Graves 10 do
it there is no doubt, but it is very probable ord
considered almost certain that the order
given at Mowatt's solicitation, as the Iv
permission was given to Satan to torment
His object was to punish the people for thws
ing his plans of assisting Coulson, a n
tory, to rig and fit away new mastshp con-
trary to che compact entered into by the Colo
MES. In May previous, Colonel Thompson
and an armed party from Brunswick an
known to the Falmouth people, had seiz.
ed Mowatt while walking with his sur
geon on the hill, and when night came
Mowatt wartsd to be released for the night on
bis promise to come on shore on the following
morning at 9 o clock and return to COL rhomp-
sons custody, but Col. Thompson would not
release him without sureties, saying that there
were open hostilities between the mother
country and the Colonies. The Falmouth men
could see no reason for holding him all night,
and two of the principal men, who thought
Mowatt would keep his parole, became his sure
ties. These were Col Freeman and Briga .isr
Preble, who had been with Mowatt and Gen.
Pownal on an expedition to Penobscot.
When nine o'clock came Mowatt did not ap-
and N the latfar of his rafia
asking him to come on shore and release than
as they were in custody, and their lives and
estates were at stake, he replied that his ser
want had been on shore TO his washer woman's
and had heard threats which induced him to
decidenot to go. After being kept 10 custody all
day without food, Freeman and Preble were COM
PEELED to furnish provisions and rum for Thomp-
sons men to the value of 100 pounds, which
was the price of their release. Does Judge
Godfrey see nothing mean and cowardlY in this
action OF Mowatt?
To show that his orders from Graves to burn
the town were not imperative,it it is only necessa-
ry to refer to the correspondence OF the pre-
vious day. Mowatt proposed that if the
towns people would give up four unmounted
cannon which they had borrowed from interior
forts, with their arms and ammunition in gen.
eral, he would spare the town until he could
send dispatch to Admiral Graves and get his
decision-this the people would not do, and the
town was burned.
Dr. Deane, one of the learned and pious
ministers OF the town, who had been long ac-
quainted with Mowatt, and whose house had
been spared in a letter calls him an "exe-
cradle scoundrel and monster of ingratitude."
The good doctor certainly had more knowledge
OF Mowatt 8 character than any one can have
at this late day The author of the paper
named says "Mowatt was in the British SER
vice in America at least seven years''-if he
had read the history of his own state and his
own river of Pen0bscot little more careful he
would have learned that Mowatt was with
POwnal at the building of fort at Penobscot
in 1853, and that he died at Hampton Roads
suddenly on board of his ship in 1897, having
served on the North American station thirty
eight years. In 1775 he went to Penobscot and
dismantled Fort Pownal. The same year,
while at Falmouth he pressed her citizens on
board OF his ship as seamen, some of whom he
afterwards discharged. This was favorite
pastime with him-lhe same year of his death
he had press-gang on shore four successive
days at Halifax, kidnapping men to replenish
his crew, undoubtedly to replace those who had
escaped his tyranny by desertion.
Judge Godfrey says: "He did satisfy his
employers, there is reason to believe from his
being honored, after the war, in 1888, BY the
Governor of Nova Scotia, and Mr.. Justice
Robertson and the principal inhabitants of
Shelburne, who feasted him and were feasted
by him." Let US look at the character and
| political opinion of these Shelbnrne people,
and perhaps we may learn why they feasted
Capt Mowatt, and why he returned the COM
pliment.. "a fellow feeling makes US won
derous kind" On the surrender of Corn
wallis, All families of Loyalists of New York,
seeing the beginning of the end OF the war,
concluded that home in wild country under
the King. would be preferable to living under
the Government of the Republic, formed q
colony, and sailed from New York on the
9th of April 1888, in IS square rigged vessels,
| conveyed by two of Lord Howe's ships of war,
| perhaps one Mowatts, and settled town OF
their own which they called Shelburne. When
Lord Howe with his 5000 troops evacuated
New York on the 18th Of November of the
| same year another host of Tories more bitter
than the first sailed with them and
| Joined their friends at Shelburne, but
| the new town did not flourish, and many
| found their way back to the States. These
were the people who honored Mowatt, probably
for burning Falmouth aud similar noble acts
If he had also burned one of the villages
round Staten Island they would probably have
| honored him with dinner and supper both.
In 1874, saw in Nova Scotia, negro woman
| who was slave, then IS years old, and came
l away with her master, MIR. Blanchard. from
| Railway, New Jersey, in the party who sailed
| with Lord Howe. She gave an intelligent ac'
| count of the evacuation and settlement at
l Shelburne, although she must have been 1G9
| years old.
Mr.. Brewers account of an interview
/ with Mowatt on the Penobscot, quoted by
Judge Godfrey, when he called Brewer a
damned "rebel'' and flourishing his sword,
\ threatened to run him through and burn his
| buildings before night, showed that the brandy
l which Brewer said they had drank in Mowatrs
| would be considered 'cowardly" by most men.
| Mowatt's subsequent offer to sell Brewer
| supplies sat sterling cost does not prove
! Mowatt gentleman, nor atone for the In
| sultiug threat
Windham, March Oath. w. G.