Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-08-09
Grandmother's Story.

This war was in 1872, and, although
was very little girl, 1 remember
many things about it very distinctly.
Our father at that time lived in the little
town of Hampden, on the Penobscot
river, in Maine, and one beautiful morn.
ing in September a neighbor burst into
the house as we sat at breakfast, inform.
ing us with breathless haste that a feet
OF English war ships was coming up the
river and making for our wharf,
where was moored for safe-keeping a
prize that some of our cruisers had
taken short time before.
For a moment not word was spoken.
My father glanced irresolutely about
him at the dear, childish faces that
looked mp into his in silent terror; but a
feeble wall from the adjoining bedroom
decided him Immediately, and he said
firmly. though with quivering lips:
"We can not leave them," and he
nodded toward the bedroom; $50 we'll
stay and face the worst together. Don't
cry, Dolly" and he laid his hard band
caressingly upon the head of my little
sister. Englishmen are but men after
all, and I don't think that there's any
danger of their troubling helpless women
and children"
At that instant the sound of a gun
made us start to our feet, and rushing
to the door we could see the stately fleet
sailing slowly up the river in the gray
morning light, looking, to our childish
imaginations. like huge birds of prey
ready to swoop down at any instant
upon our helpless little town.
AS the troops landed and marched up
to meet the militia, that were still at
some little distance, o fog arose, envel-
oplng them in ten minutes 80 complete
ly, that man could not see his way
yard before him.
"Its the pillar O. cloud" sobbed
frightened Aunt Debby; "but du wish
the Lord d let the bright side shine on
them militiamen of ourn."
But the fog was as thick for American
as for British, although, owing to their
superior knowledge of the locality, the
former were much surer of their posi-
tion than strangers upon the soil could
be. And here occurred the unlucky
blunder that gave our enemies the ad-
vantage that they could not otherwise
have had Just as the British troops
were defling past our house, some of
our men, who were utterly unframed.
mere raw recruits hurriedly gathered
together for the emergency, commenced
an irregular fire upon the enemy. and
when their commander ordered them
to desist until the lifting of the fog
should enable them to aim with some
accuracy, they fell into disorder at the
first volley fred in return, broke ranks.
and actually took to their heels without
stopping to fire second gun.
In few hours the British had taken
possession of our little town, disporting
themselves very much like a pack OF
mlschievous boys out on "time."
They entered all the houses, unceremo-
niously ordering the frightened house
wives to cook the best for them that
their larders afforded, d if they didn't
happen to fancy dish, disposing of it
on the hearth in the shape of smashed
crockery, much to its owners chagrin,
for earthen dishes were luxury in those
days, and broken one was not easily
replaced. They slyly pulled the bung
from the farmers cider barrel, and drunk
his maiesty's health in rum that his enc
mics were forced to pay for; and now and
then theyfrightened some anxious mamma
pretending to great fancy for chicken
of her featherless brood, and insisting
upon taking him on board ship as q
promising recruit in his majesty's SER
vice.
The frightened people enjoyed these
little pleasantries very much as the
frogs enjoyed that stoning match that
we read about in the old spelling book;
but q hush cf horror fell upon man.
woman and child, when the only two
soldiers, who were killed by the unskill-
fully aimed guns of our troops, were
buried by their comrades in shallow
trench that they compelled man to dig
in corner of his door-yard, wrapped in
table-cloth that they took from the
table, and laid away.
At last, as the afternoon waned thew
marched away on the Bangor road. for
the purpose of visiting that then insio
nificant town, and exploring localities in
which they evidently felt all the curios.
ity and interest of strangers and foreign
rs'
The good people, relieved of their
presence, took time to draw a long
breath and congratulate themselves upon
coming off SO much easier than they had
cared, while neglected duties Of all