The Portland daily press., 1885-07-03
Written for the PREss.l
OLD PORTLAND DAYS.
A Sunset View From Bram-
hall Hill.
BY ADAM NEwBEGIN.

of being shut in as the historic hills
of Boston now are, for there two are already
lOst-strayed or stolen-and if anybody
should some day purloin the State House
strangers would look in vain for the third.
We have right to be proud of Munjoy Hill,
for does not the Rev. Cyrus Hamlin bring
evidence that from it is the finest view which
exists? He relates that being on the tower
of st. Marks in Venice he overheard one
traveller ask another if that was not the fin
est view in the world. The other replied
that he had seen better from the roof of
Robert College at Constantinople, but that
the most beautiful was from wooden tower
On the summit of hill at the eastern eX-
tremity of Portland in the United States.
Mr.. Hamlin could not refrain from telling
them that he was president of the college
mentioned, and citizen of Portland.
The Munjoy view is of course most
charming at sunrise, but although | have
seen it at that hour | must admit that | am
not so fond of it then as Of the view from
Bramhalls Hill at sunset. The latter hour
is convenient in summer, and after tea |
have time to seek out little maid and invite
her to walk with me upon the promenade.
We always go up Pine street. so as to walk
the whole length of West street, for there we
find great delight in watching the carriages
and bicycles fitting by the end of the street
upon the promenade in the distance, out
lined against the sky like the jumping fig
ures in Edward Everett Hale's story of the
Brick Moon.
When we get to the promenade and find an
unoccupied seat, while we are waiting for
the sun to sink behind the White Mountains
and flood those noble hills with the glories
of sunset, we fall to studying the landscape
and planning where the fashionable quarter
of the west end is to be when the present
limit becomes too straight, and imagining
the stately spires and graceful mansions that
will rise in Deering and Westbrook when the
little maids grandchildren shall live there.
Then we conjure up the past, and try to
fancy the early settlers coming in from Black
Point by way of Stroudwater, fording the
little stream, and finally toiling up the long
hill to Congress street, and we wonder what
was Mr.. Burroughss short route which
helped to hang him as a WITCH
But the most interesting point in our land
Indian Battle Field, and there commenced
the bloody massacre of 1876, Just hundred
years before the Declaration of Indepen-
dence," says the little maid, who remembers
the Centennial of 1876, but cannot get back
much farther in her personal "reminiscences.
We picture Anthony Brackets house in
clearing on the ridge near the present Deer
ing mansion 1t was probably built of logs,
with matched roof, and q wooden chimney
lined with clay, clumsy but comfortable.
He must have had an orchard then, for thir-
teen years later it is recorded that the battle
commenced in his orchard, which stretched
down towards the point His clearing was
on burnt land, 50 probably the forest around
it was a pine growth. since the later growth
is of hard wood, and that is always the alter
nation on burnt land. He had a barn, for on
September Goth, a month later, when the
troops came, the Indians fled from the barn
where they had been threshing. There was
also large patch of ripe grain, probably a
wheat field, for three men were on their way
from Purpooduck to reap it when they heard
the guns and turned back. TWAS a bright
summer morning, being the eleventh of Au-
gust, for the reapers would not have gone if
the day had not been fair.
Anthony Bracket was evidently peace
able man, who tried to live on good terms
with his Indian neighbors, for he received
the leader of the party, Simon Mugg, as a
friend, although Simon had committed some
murders for which he had been imprisoned
by the whites. He had even appealed to the
Indian for protection against the aggressions
of some savages who had killed one of his
cows two days before, and Simon had prom
ised to bring the offenders to him. Mugg was
the prime minister of the Penobscot Sachem,
Madockawando The Sachem was grave
and serious chieftain who had imbibed re-
ligious ideas from the French priests, and he
worshipped God and kept the Lords day.
His lieutenant was less ScrupulOus, and evil
IDENTIFY took the responsibility of the evil
deeds which were considered necessary.
Were the Indians peaceable men, too?
asks the little maid.
That is rather a hard question to answer
with eXactneSs, my dear The Able Maui
rault in his history Of the Abenakis, describes
them as hospitable and generous towards
strangers and charitable and benevolent to
each other, but implacable to their enemies
or to those who have offended their nation.
There were doubtless among them men as
kindly as the best of the English, and others
as cruel as the worst of the white race. |
doubt if our forefathers could have got along
without fighting, however just and friendly
they might have been. Your grandfather,
my child, tells a story of his grandfather,
7 al ya
Winnepesaukee, when party of Indians Wis
tied their camp. The brother, who disliked
them, ordered them off. In the early morn
ing the Indians came again Stealthily, fired
v0lley into their camp and rushed in with
their tomahawks. But the brethren had jul
diciously laid logs in their sleeping places to
personify sleepers, and had secreted them
selves outside the light Of the camp fire, SC
that when the Indians rushed in they became
the victims and fell before the well directed
fire of the trappers. With two hundred
years of additional civilization our people
do about the same now when they go among
savages to live. Our frontiersmen have SIM
liar experience, and travellers in Africa have
frequent encounters with the natives. The
history Of Jesuit missionary life shows that
although many were received and cherished
with great affection by the Indians, many
others were cruelty murdered. And our
New England missionaries are sometimes
eaten by Cannibals who are perhaps amiable
among themselves.
The PenObScots were as mild-mannered as
any tribe of Indians found here, but they
were not perfect. | was much pleased a
hearing speech made to their old Governor
in 1864. by our historian and Indian scholar
DR.. Ballard, in which he said your tribe
was less forward than others to make wal
against us" That seemed to hit the case eX
actly.
But what about the bright summer morn
ing at the log house in the clearing over yon
der? said the little maid.
Well, very early Simon Mugg came bring
ing party of Indians with him, and told
Bracket they were the savages who killed
his COW. These warriors at once rushed int
the house and seized all the guns. Whel
Bracket eXpostulated Simon told him h
must submit or be killed. Bracket submit
ted. and they bound him. his wife, their fv
children and their negro servant, and carrlet
them along with them. But Nathaniel Nit
ton. Mrs. Brackets brother, resisted, AM
was instantly killed. Then the savages fol