The Portland daily press., 1882-09-19
FOOT PRINTS OF THE PAST.
The Ancient Forts at Pemaquid.

NO. III.
DAMARIscoTTA, Sept 49,
To the Editor of the Press.
In my last did not finish my sketch of the
history of Pemaquid. In the New York coun-
Gil records of 1877 fort is mentioned at Penn
aquid of which "Mr. Caesar Knapton was COM
mander."
Traders from York were allowed ste set up
trading houses under command, but at conven-
lent distances from the fort, to the land ward,
go as street be left of good breadth directly
from the fort to the narrowest part of the neck
or point of land the fort stands upon, going to
the great neck towards New harbor All trade
to be in said street, IN or above the houses, be-
tween sun and sun for which the drum to beat
or bell ring every morning and evening, and
neither Indian nor Christian suffered to drink
any strong drink nor bye ashore upon the neck
or point OF land the fort stands upon In 1851
there were forty soldiers in the garrison.
On hearing of the arrival OF the Prince of
Orange in England, Andres fastened from
Pemaquid to Boston. The soldiers left Fort
Charles. 1t was attacked by Indians and sur
rendered. In his Magnolia" Gotten Mather
says the fort was overlooked by rock from
which the Indians CALLED the garrison.
Before Sir William Phips left England with
the second Massachusetts, charter, he was in
structed by the government to erect strong
fert of stone at Pemaquid. In 1892 he built
the strongest fortress which had been con-
structed in the American colonies It was of
stone laid in lime-each of the four sides were
nearly 200 feet in extent. 1t had towers at the
angles. The barbacan or great tanker at the
north al nula xUaa i0L,
We're eight feet thick at the bottom and six AT
the embrasures, of which there were eighteen
with eighteen pounder guns mounted The
wall on the south or sea front was TWENTY-FIVE
feet high. Eight feet below the surface of the
ground within the hankers were bombproof
vaults for magazines. In the erection Of the
fortress 1000 carloads of stone were used
This imposing castle was called
Fort William Henry and was garrisoned with
ninety men. It overawed the Indians SO much
that on the 11th of August the next YEAR ali
the Sagamores from the Merimac to the Penob-
scot met Gov. Phips and three of the council
there and a sntsrsd into sas solemn % treaty sgor
deliver up all captives, and abandon the
French For the faithful performance of which
they left at the fort three of their principal
men.
In July, 1896, a French squadron and Castine
with his Indians beseiged Fort William Henry
1t was comman ded by Captain Chubb with a
strong garrison. The ships anchored behind
Beaver Island and threw some bombs into the
fort which caused its cowardly surrender The
French force remained several days and de-
molished the walls OF the fort with gun pow
der. =
The previous February the Nachias and
Norridgewock indians came to the fort to treat
about exchange of prisoners. Chubb and part
of his garrison fell upon the Indians in the
midst of the treaty aud murdered three OF
their principal men. For this cruelty it be-
came necessary to send the captured garrison
to an island where they were protected by
strong guard of French soldiers until they
could be sent to Boston. but Chubb was hupt-
ed and killed by the Indians at his home in
Andoyer within year. Pemaquid now be-
came desolate. AT the time of his death Aba
ham Shurt expressed in writing in g petition
his wish THAT Pemaquid may remain the
Metropolitan of these parts, because il ever
had been 30, even before Boston was settled "
The description of Pemaquid as it is must be
deferred until another day. VIC,