The Republican journal., 1877-07-12

AIRY army, and Samuel Houston was a
member of Washington's body guard. In
1879 the noted Mowatt, the destroyer Of
Falmouth, was in Penobscot Bay, breath
ing out slaughter and vengeance. A large
British force took possession of and forti-
fed CaStine. Gen. Mclean, the COM
mander, issued orders for every male in
habitant to take a stringent oath OF al
legiance to the crown or suffer the conse-
quence 1t was a terrible alternative
but the truths of history must be told.
4 majority of the heads of families in
Belfast took the oath. When the feet of
Saltonstall, designed for the capture of
Castine, arrived i'll the bay, a counter
proclamation from the patriot Gen. Lov-
ell was issued, with the assurance that
the enforced oath of allegiance to the
King was illegal and void. The people
allegiance to the government Of the Unit
ed States, or be regarded as traitors.
Thus required and assured, they took the
second oath.
After the defeat of Saltonstall and
Lowell, there was no alternative for the
people of Belfast, in order to escape Brit
ish vengeance, but to flee. Every family
left the place by water, and desolation
reigned. Williamson says
In Belfast immediate preparations for departure
were made Some of the inhabitants hastily con
cealed their furniture in the woods and the wells
used as hiding place for pewter platters and
other domestic articles. The residents then mum
bered one hundred and nine, comprised in eg heen
families. On the night after the destruction of
our fleet, all embarked in gondolas and boats and,
following the shore proceeded down the bay with
out Interference from the British Samuel Hous-
ton and the PaterSons awaited themselves of an
old batcau. which SIX years before brought the
| latter from Saco John Brown and wife, Mr. and
Mrs. Toltord Durham and child. Alexander Clark
and wife. with John Barnet his wife, and three
children, set sail i'll sioop, Mitchell put such of
his effects as he able to collect into gontola,
and with his family and such Others as chose to
share his fortunes toatcd away upon the evening
tide. The remainder escaped in various water
| craft.
The locality became a sort of maurad-
ing ground for cattle stealcrs and plum
derers generally. The author relates the
following
Soon after the evacuation of Belfast party of
twelve men commanded by Sergeant jerks Tor
Jenkins) ventured from Camden to drive away
some OF the cattle that had been abandoned and
| which Richard Stlmson, who had been left behind,
probably with his father Ephraim Stmson. at
| Mount Ephraim, was to assist i'll finding. They
made the deserted house Of Samuel Houston i'll
the eastern part of the town. on the spot where B.
| F. Houston now resides their place of rendezvous.
and passed the night there In the morning, jerks
went to the shore to shoot wild fowl, and dense
| fog prevailing. he was surprised and taken prison
| er by three men named Armstrong, Cookson, and
| Turner. who had landed from Bagaduce on all eX-
petition Of plumber. The better to deceive the
men remaining at the house, they marched him
towards it with his musket on his shoulder. Sup
posing them to be friends Stimson and others
came out to meet them. A struggle at once en-
sued. Stmson. although small-sized man, was
| brave and strong. Being summoned by Armstrong
! to surrender. he dropped his musRet, and Selling
Armstrong by the legs threw him upon the ground,
calling to jerks Blow him through" The latter
| Immediately fired, the bullet going through Arm
strOng'S BRAIN producing instant death In the
atfray. cookson stabbed Stimson in the arm with
bayonet. As soon as jerks discharged his musk
ct. he turned and struck Cookson down; but the
| latter recovered himself and with Turner escaped
to their boat. The thick fog rendered pursuit use
| less. Shmson always imputed cowarlice to the
remainder of the patty as from the house they
witnessed the affair, and rendered no assistance \
rough box was made, and the body of Armstrong
inferred i'll spot near the scene of the tragedy.
which is still pointed out The next day a party
from Bagaduce conveyed the remains thither for
| more decent burial. and burnt the house and barn
of Houston In the latter, which was "a good
new barn, quite an amount of grain and furniture
belonging to the ncighbors had been stored 1t
was all consumed. \ romantic incident in this
I connection has been handed down A beautiful
| sister OF Stimson was compelled by the British to
hold lantern at the grave. it being dark before
! the di>interment was completed. Attracted by her
| appearance, one Turner who was of the number,
continued the acquaintance. and after the war
| closed married her,
After the peace, most of the families
returned and took possession of their
lands. The population increased, until
in 1900 the whole number of voters was
lis. OF whom % resided upon the west
side, and 81 upon the east side Of the
river. The autobiography Of Judge Cros-
by, father of EX-Gov. Crosby, is quoted
from. The Judge came to Belfast in 1902,
and thus describes its appearance at that
date:
There within its present limits only five
old framed houses. some log houses, one old store
| and two old meeting houses; and few rods north
OF it, on my present farm, five Indian wigwams
| But there were ten new stores and houses going
| up and in part finished. There was not rod of
| stone wall nor rod OF highway made on this side
| the bay. The appearance of the whole was that
OF dilapidated forest, covered with stumps and
| PROSTATE hcmlock, and other logs. The forest
| was then standing entire on the west side of Viii
sons Hill, and the people then cutting off
| the cord wood. The land this side the hill, and
| between it and the village had been burnt over
the year before. The site of my dwelling house
was hardly visible from the beach and my office
| opposite Phoenix Row, was erected i'll the midst
| OF large hcnlnck logs and stumps. The country
west was one continuous, beautiful even sheet of
forest, with few here and there scattering open
| ngS. The roads into the country were only bush
ed out and partly callscwayed and travelling in
tercourse with the shore settlers was principally
| i'll open boats, with Castinc and the Islands entire
| ~ SO.
\ chapter is devoted to the history of
buildings and building enterprises. Seven
chapters are taken up with the history of
the churches in Belfast. Under the head
of Miscellaneous Religious History, the
following mention is made of local enthu-
siaS1s:
A singular instance of religious extravaganza
occurred here i'll 1912 and 1913. Jonas S. Barrett,
IL
sensible man, having adopted novel but somewhat
obscure notions of theology, embodied them in
pamphlet of forty seven pages, entitled New
Views upon the Bible, and its Abuses by the
Priests" which appeared in December of the form
er year Its doctrines were incomprehensble
they medley of mysticism and the dreams
of Swcdenborg. On the 18th Of July 1913, he
celebrated the anniversary of 1.-The first year Of the
second coming OF Christ i'll the following peculiar
manner. In front Of his house. which stood on
the corner of High and Peach Streets, a grove of
evergreens was eNtemporized and flag staff erect
ed, from which tloated white banner, bearing
the inscription, Opening of the Seven Seals"
with the representation of Bible having seven
clasps three of which were broken. At nine o'clock
i'll the morning. seven cannon Were fired emble
matte Of the seven thunders that announced the
opening of the seals A bugle drum, and fife fur
nished music and dinner was free to all who
chose to partake of it. During the day Mr. Bar
rett moved among the numerous visitors, discours-
ing upon his peculiar teAefs and courteously ans
wering all questions that were propounded to him.
| The best Of order prevailed, and the occasion
cited amusement rather than ridcule. Mr. Bar