Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-01-01

MAJOR benjamin thufch hSht AZ IOft'
land with the French and Indians. on
Sept. 81. 1859. styles the encounter 1.-THE
creates, battle that ever took place on
the soil Of Maine" am at loss 10
know what standard Of measurement, Mr..
Hull could have had in mind when he
termed the above fgh, 1.-THE greatest bat
ever fought in the Pine Tree State,
for can think Of no tes, properly APP
plicable Ia such case by which the
battle would be entitled 10 the high place
he assigns Il. Edward 5. Greasy. the
author Of "Thc Fifteen Decisive Battles
Of the World, from Marathon 10 Water
loo very justly observes that 81, is no,
the number Of killed and wounded in a
battle ,ha, determines It's general his,oii-
cal importance" nd i. is obvious that
the size of the armies engaged would.
II possible. be an even more erroneous
criterion. Il is the consequences result
ing from battle that determine its rela-
ative historic importance, and no one "a.
miliar with the history Of Maine need be
told that. measured by this, the true
test. the Portland fight Of 1859 is far
from being entitled TO any such place
as is given it by Mr.. Hull. As re-
CARDS the immediate result, the whites
won a nominal victory, but the enemy
carried away their dead and wounded,
and that. too. without any attempt al
pursuit on the part Of Church's troops
The fight. as is well known, was 80 in
decisive that it bore no substantial fruits
in the way Ct insuring 20 the frontier
settlers a period Of security from hostile
deprcdaiions, foT in the spring following
the battle the Indians and their French
allies, returning 10 the scene Of the en-
counter and renewing the fight, captured
and utterly destroyed Portland and the
Notifications erected fcr is defence. and
mercilcssly buiohercd large numbers Of
those who fell into their hands. Il is
thus seen that the hgh, Of 1889, having
been barren Of lasting rosul,s-haying
simply postponed the destruction Of Port
land for few mon,hs-falls far short Of
mcri,ing the appella,ion Of ",he creates,
battle" ever fought in Maine, and TO
dignity !, by such a title as Mr.. Hull has
done, is pcrseTsion Of history which
should no, be allowed 10 pass without
correction. Tie fight was Of only six
hours duration, while that Of 1890 lasted
FIVE days and four nights, and the latter
encounter was also Of much higher i'm
Por,anoe, both as regards destruction Of
life and property and in respect to the
consequences resulting from it, than ,ha,
Of the year previous and though neither
encounter is entitled to the appella,ion Of
Maine's creates, battle, i, Is strange that,
when local pride impelled Mr.. Hull to
claim for Portland the distinction Of
being the scene Of such battle, he did
not found the title to the distinction upon
the figh, Of 1890 instead Of upon the far
less important one Of 1859.
The battle which is properly entitled
TO the rank which Mr.. Hull has so erro-
neoasly given to the fgh, Of 1859 was
that which was fought at Fryeburg in
ll725. and which is known as Loyewelrs
Fight, from the name Of the hero and
martyr, John Lovewell, the leader Of the
fearless band who encountered the savages
in tha, terrible dea,h-struggle in the
wilderness. Tha, desperate conflict,
which has been 50 immortalized in song
and story, was more important in its con-
sequences than any other battle ever
fought in the Pine Tree State. and il is
that conflict, therefore. that is justly en-
titled to be styled "the greatest battle
that ever took place on the soil Of Maine.
Before tha, battle the Indians kept up a
continual series Of depreda,ions against
the white settlers on the frontier, and the
latter were in constant state Of sppre.
hension and alarm. Horrible massacres
were Of frequent occurrence, and the
whites never retired at night bat with
fear and trembling lest they should by
the torch and war-whoop be reused from
their slumbers and made the victims Of
the merciless tomahawk and scalping
knife. This deplorable condition Of things
continued up to the time Of Iovewelrs
Fight. but ihenceforward AL was changed.
Indian depreda,iOns on the frontier i'm
media,ely ceased, the life Of the border
settlers was stripped of its dread appre-
tensions, and the constant alarm which
had previously prevailed gave place to
feeling Of calm security. The transform.
alton wrought by the battle was instanta-
neous and marvellous. The heroic
achievements Of Lovewell and bis daunt-
less followers in penetrating so far into
the heart Of the trackless wilderness and
there encountering the savage Pequaukets