The Portland daily press., 1882-03-01
GEN. PELEG WADswoRTH.
Mr.. Goold's Paper Before the Historical
Society.

The following is Hon. William Goods in
teresting paper in full which was read before
the Historical Society on Monday evening;
The pleasant duty assigned to me for this
occasion, is to trace the origin and history OF
General Wadsworth, the maternal grandfather
Of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,-him who
had the military oversight Of our frontier dis,
trict of Maine, immediately after it was found
that the British lodgment at Bagaduce in
1879. was intended to be permanent.
Peleg Wadsworth was the son of Deacon
Peleg Wadsworth of Duxbury, Massachusetts,,
and the fifth in decent from Christopher
Wadsworth, who came from England and
settled in that town, previous to 1882, and
whose known descendants in the United
States are now numbered by thousands.
Peleg Wadsworth. Jr. was born at Dux-
bury, May 6, l74S. He graduated at Harvard
College in the class of 1863, which numbered
thirty mine and included several honorable
names, which added lustre to the class, one OF
which was Theophilus Parsons, who came to
Falmouth as a school teacher IN li1O, and
studied law with Theophilus Bradbury, but
the Revolutionary troubles drove him away,
and he became chief justice of the Massachu-
setts supreme court. Another member Of the
class was Alexander Scammen also of Dux-
bury, who after a brilliant military career in
the American army received an inhuman
wound after being taken prisoner at the siege
of Yorktown, of which he died month after.
Both Wadsworth and Scammell after gradu-
ton taught school at Plymouth. In l772
Wadsworth married Elizabeth Bartlett of that
town. Their children through their mother,
and grand mother Wadsworth, who was
Susanna Sampson, inherited the blood OF i've
of the Mayfower pilgrims, including Elder
Brewster, and Captain John Alden.
Immediately after the outrage at Lexington,
Peleg Wadsworth raised company of minute
men in the old colony, of which the Con-
tinental Congress commissioned him captain
in September, I775. He was engineer under
General Thomas in laying out the defences of
Roxbury in 1776. He was in Colonel Cations
regiment which formed part of detach-
ment which was ordered to throw up entrench-
ments on Dorchester heights, and was ap-
pointed aid to General Ward, when the
heights were occupied in March. These
works compelled Howes's feet to leave Bos-
ton in haste In 177S, Wadsworth was ap-
pointed adjutant general of his State.
In 1779, the British naval and army officers
at Halifax became sensible that they were
suffering from American privateers, which
frequented the Penobscot waters, owing to
their perfect knowledge of the numerous coves
time to avoid the British cruisers.
The Admiral in command foresaw the ad-
vantage that would be gained by establishing
a naval and military post in this quarter for
harbor of refuge for ships and fugitive loyal
lists and to command the near coast and har-
bors, and from whence they could obtain
supply of some kinds of ship timber for the
Royal dockyard at Halifax. This was the
year after the French King had assumed our
quarrel with the mother country, and had
sent large fleet and army to our assistance
which gave the colonies confidence and made
them more aggressive.
In June, l779, it was decided at Halifax to
send General McLane with fleet to occupy
Bagaduce, as the harbor best situated for their
purpose. He arrived on the 18th of June with
900 troops and or vessels, all less than a
frigate, under the command of Capt. Henry
Mowatt who had become detestable to all
Americans by his cruel burning Of old Fall
mouth four years previous. The people of
Maine appealed to the general court of Mas
sachusetts for protection. and to have the in
vaders driven off by an immediate expedition
before they could have time to complete their
works of defence. The Massachusetts, Board
of War were instructed by the legislature to
collect fleet, State and national and if neces-
sary to impress any private armed vessels IN
the harbors of the State into their service,
under the promise of fair compensation for all
losses and detention. The executive depart
ment of the Province was then composed of
the Council-there was no state Governor until
the next year, The Council ordered Brigadier
Generals Thompson of Cumberland, and Cush-