The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-27

In 1927 they learned of the wreck here Of n
French ship. and being in want of goods for
the upper Kennebec trade, they sent small
vessel and obtained cloths Turkish ruos and
dried fruits from the wreck, and goats for their
plantation.
The little harbor at Monhegan would not adj
NIT many vessels to swing at their anchors but
they must be moored head and stern ~ tha
precipitous rock "Manana," which is simnlv
an immense high breakwater on the west side
OF the little haven. There are now rnstv
ringbolts high up in the rock, to which thee
fishing vessels of the island make fast their
a. nawsers! reminding one of the European
fancy plctures-nothing can be more pictur
esaue than the hamlet and graveyard on the
Gill, and the lighthouse and fog horn above
all. On the perpendicular face Of rock are
the remains OF mysterious inscriptions. which
can not be deciphered. "'''o''
Boothbay harbor and Sheenscot how have
sheltered powerful fleets. Sir VIM. Phins nm.
oouptedly called here on his way with his feet
TO Desiege quebec in $780, He was born a few
miles mile, inland. Cotton Mather says of Sir VIM.
w nen ne was sailing in sight of Kennebec.
the young soldiers and sailors on deck and
speak 10 them after this fashion Young
men, 1t was upon that hill that kent sheen q
lew years ago; and since you see that AL
mighty God has brought me to something, do
S 49, anu yoor puSiheSS, ana follow no bad
courses, and you don't know what YOU NAV
come to- - 1t was almost in sight-at Pema-
quld-that Sir VIM, by order of the British
government, in 1892, built a fort of stone laid
IN lime, 2oO feet square, with walls eight feet
tnick and twenty feet high-no fortress of this
strength had then been built in the colonies.
At Sheepscot Sir VIM. Pepperen harbored
for three days in 1745, on his way to Louisburg
with fleet OF 100 sail. His first despatch to
Gen; Shirley was written here, dated on board
ms flagship, the Shirley Galley" which was
afterwards made frigate in the Royal navy.
He had sailed from Boston on the 23d of March
and the despatch was dated the 9th. Lieut..
Col. Arthur Noble, of Georgetown, was in
command OF Waldos regiment, the men were
all from old Falmouth and the east of it.
In l779 the ill-starred "Bagaduce expedi.
ton" was fitted out to drive the British from
Castine. 1t consisted of nineteen armed YES
sells and tWenty-fOur transports, in command
OF Commodore Saltonstall in the new frigate
Warren. The place of rendezvous was this
same harbor of Townshend Here on shore
Gen. Lowell paraded his 1000 men for the first
time, 50 hastily had the expedition been fitted
out. The artillery were in the commander
Col. Paul Revere, of Boston, of whose ride to
Lexington the night before the fight all have
heard. The British naval vessels at Castine
were in the command of Capt Henry Mowatt
who burnt old Falmouth in 1875. The next
year another Capt. Mowatt-JameS Rim
command of a British schooner, seized a sloop
IN boOthDay harbor. The owner, Joseph Reed,
made prisoners of the captain and nine of his
men, recovered his sloop and received the
schooner on condition of the release of the
prisoners.
No other event OF interest to my knowledge
occurred on the peaceful waters of Townhend
until September, 1918, when the British en-
boldened by the capture of the Chesapeake by
the ShannonItwo months before, fitted out at
Halifax the brig Boxer to capture the United
States brig Enterprise, whose cruising ground
was known to be the coast of Maine, and her
station Portland. The captain of the Enter
prise heard OF the Boxer at Townshend by a
fisherman. and Immediately towed out of Port
land in calm to give battle. The next morn
ing, Sunday, September 9th, at 5 o'clock she
and sailed for her. When battle was offered
the Boxer got underway at 7 O'Clock a. M. and
fired shot as challenge. In light wind
the briggs manGuvered for the advantage in the
open water between DamariScove Island and
Seguin. AT o'clock the action was commenced
by the Enterprise with working breeze. 1t
lasted fifteen minutes, when the Briton ceased
firing and cried for quarters, saying that their
coorS were nailed to the mast. Both com
manders were killed early in the action and
the loss of the Chesapeake was atoned for.
This battle was in sight from the highlands of
Boothbay and was a rare sight for that quiet
community. 1t will be seen that there is
something attractive in visit to this historic
locality, aside from railroad ride of one and
half hours, and sail of about the same
length, over fine sheet of water, which it is
not easy to determine whether it is river or
an arm of the sea.
Windham, July %. VIC.