The Somerset reporter., 1885-11-11
General John Chandler.
ONE or MAINS TIHs1 SENATORS.

ONE or MAINE iIks1 sENAIDR-.
Some OF the older residents Of Non
mouth tell curious stories about General
John Chandler, who was one Of the first
two United States Senators from Maine
and the most famous man who ever lived
in that town-indecd, he was one OF the
nations great men in his time. The old
| Chandler mansion In which he entertained
royalty his distinguished friends in which
he and General Henry Dearborn and their
coterie drank many Il hnmper was burned
down three or four years ago: and to-day
there are no relies Of the general in Mon
mouth
General Chandler was the son Of cap
! tain in the Revolutionary war who lived
! in Epping, y. H. When John was fifteen
years old, the youngstcr enlisted in Starks
! brigade in the American army and after
serving out his three months. he shipped
on a priyateer lie was captured by the
British and suffered the horrors of a pris-
on ship. He and others successfully
| planned an escape and landed nj Savannah,
! Georgia. From that point the Young man
walked to his home in Epping.
| In l7S3. he was q years old and cafHe
to the Maine wilderness. He found his
way to Winthrop by spotted trees and nj
length took up farm in what in now
Monmouth. ii then being Wales plantation.
He walked back TO New Hampshire mar
ricd, and brought hi, mother and h> brifie
to Winthrop. They cross cd the Andru>-
eoggin river on a single log, crawling Oh
their hands and knees.
Although Chandler sub Scqucutly AZ
CURED a large fortune, he was at tAie
time one Of the poorest OF men. and had
to work TO earn u bare living. He had
blacksmith shop. in which he lahored till
late al night, after he had done a hard
days work on his farm. His wife used
to help him in the field and strike the hot
iron with him in the smitlly. That j. the
kind OF wives they had in those days.
Chandler wanted a COW but he could
not possibly realize enough money to buy
one. In this prcdicamcnt, he called on
John Wclch, Monmouth miller whose
name has been handed down in Monmouth
to this generation. He asked Wclch 10
endorse his note for he COW and WEIGH
did so. When the note came due, WEIGH
had to pay it, Years passed, Chandler
became a public man and the richest cit
izcn of the town. He was appointed dep
uty United States marshal for Maine un-
der Henry Dearborn, was commissioned
postmaster of Monmouth by George
Washington, was elected to the General
Court and the Senate of Massachusetts.
He went to Congress in lso+ served a.
sheriff OF the county. and the year lsl2
saw him brigadicr general of the Amer
lean army in the second war with Eng
land, during which he was wounded. He
reached the summit OF his career when
Maine, in $3.50. became separated from
Massachusetts and lie was sent to the
United States Senate
All this time John Welch was miller.
and jovial miller still.
When General Chandler WAS at the
height of his fame. they had 4th Of July
celebration in Monmouth. John WEIGH
mixed a tub Of punch for the crowd and
drank freely of it himself, which shocked
nobody at that time. At the banquet,
General Chandler who was president Of
the day, asked the mellow miller 10 give a
sentiment. This was new thing for
John, but to the surprise of everybody,
he offered the following:
Gen. JUN Chandler pres dcut OF the day.
W.. DO d'man f,r hi. frs COW, and hnd 1t 10
Ply.
General Chandler undoubtedly did many
good Offices for his State and country and
was man of ability, but his reputation
in Monmouth is not 50 good a it i
abroad. He was not popular nj his home.
The fame he has left behind there, j. that
of a grasping. hardnStcd man. While
General Henry Dearborn and other coil
tcmporaricS leave letters speaking of him
in high terms and the Maine historians
eulogizc him, the traditions handed down
in Monmouth picture him unfayorably.
He had tall and portly form and was
dark complexioncd. He swore trcmcn-
dous oathS and drank prodcious draught>
of brandy. He was uncaned, but ready |
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