The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-01
"PoRTLAND IN THE PAST"
Some Extracts from the Hon. William
CooId's Book.
The Burning of the Town by Mowatt's
Fleet.
Old Public Buildings of Cumberland
County.

Captain Samuel Coulson had been for sew
eral years engaged in the mast business pc
tween Falmouth and Bristol, England, from
whence he came, and had married daughter
of the elder DR.. Coffin, of Falmouth, ana re-
He had built very large ship for those days
at the foot of his street. She was OF one
thousand tons. To ship masts required large
vessels.
Captain Coulson was violently opposed to
the popular sentiment of the colonies, and
On the second of May, 1775, a vessel Of Coul-
sons arrived from Bristol with rigging
sails, and stores, for the new ship. There
was a committee of inspection, composed of
leading men of the town, one. of whom was
Samuel Freeman. This committee was called
together at the library chamber the same day
of the arrival of Coulson's vessel.
There was compact between the colonies
called the american Association the pro-
visions of which may be understood from
what took place in the committee meetings
Coulson by vote was desired to attend on
the committee. In answer to questions ne
stated that the vessel was from Bristol, with
stores and materials for his new ship. sub
committee was chosen to go on board ana
see if there were any other goods there.
At an adjourned meeting of the committee
the next day, it was voted that to allow Cap
tain Coulson to land his goods. and appro-
pirate them to fit out his new shiss would be
violation of the american Association"
and directed that they be sent back to Eng
land without breaking the packages. This
was communicated to Captain Coulson by
subcommittee. Couls0n Immediately attend
ed, and said the vessel must be repaired be-
fore she could go to sea, and in order to do
that the freight must be landed; but the vote
was adhered to, and the proceedings OF the
meeting were, by vote, posted up in public
place in the town. Instead of obeylng the
order to return the goods to England, Coul.
son left for Boston, under the pretence OF
asking leave of the provincial congress 10 rig
his ship, and procured the assistance of Cap
tain Mowatt in the sloop-of-war Canceau, to
aid and protect him in rigging and Loading
his ship, and proceeded to land his materials.
During the excitement caused by Coulson's
bringing the vessel to assist him IN violating
the provisions of the Association, on the
twenty-frst of April news arrived of the bat
tie of Lexington. On the twenty-thlrd town
meeting was held, and spirited proceedings
were adopted, Notwithstanding the Canceau
was lying in the harbor, whose commander
Coulson and others were constantly urging
to make some demonstration. Inc news OF
the battle of Lexington, set the whole coun-
try in blaze of excitement AT Falmouth
company of sixty soldiers was raised and
hurried off to Cambridge.
Next came what Mr.. Freeman calls,
"Thompson's War" On Tuesday, the ninth
Brunswick, with about fifty soldiers, came
in boats and landed secretly on the north.
side of the Neck, and encamped in grove OF
pines. Each man had a small sprlg OF spruce
in his hat, and a small spruce tree with the
lower branches cut off was their standard.
They seized and detained several persons
who happened to pass that way, IN order TO
conceal their camp from the townS-people.
About one o'clock in the afternoon, Captain
Mowatt, his surgeon, and the Rev. MI. Wis
well, of ST. PauPs church, were walking for
pleasure in the vicinity, when they were
seized and made prisoners. AS soon as Lieu
tenant Hogg, then in command of the Can
ceau, heard of the captur e0f Captain Now
att, he sent threatening letter on shore:
General Preble, in letter to the provincial
congress dated ON the fourteenth, says, he
clapped springs to his cables and swore II
the gentlemen were not released before SIX
O'Clock he would fire on the town. He fired
two cannon, and although there were no shot
in them, it frightened the women and chill
dren to such degree that some crawled I'M
der the wharveS, some down cellar, ana some
out of town."
Some of the prominent men of the town
visited Thompson's camp to urge the release
of the prisoners. Thompson and his men
were inflexible, but night coming on, they
concluded to march the prisoners to Mars
toms tavern for more sheltered consulta-
ton The soldiers, including a Falmouth
company which had assisted in the escort,
were paraded in front of the house. IhOmp-
son argued that open hostilities between the
colonies and the mother country existed; that
Providence had thrown the prisoners in his
way, and that they were rightly held. he
finally found that the whole town was against
him, and at about nine o'clock he concluded
to release them, by their giving their parole
to come ON shore the next morning; General
Preble and Colonel Freeman pledging them
selves for them. The principal reason given
by the Falmouth men for urging their re-
lease, was that several vessels were daily ex-
pected with corn and flour, of which the
town stood very much in need.
Parson Smith, in his journal, under date
of the twenty-sixth of June, says: People
are apprehensive of famine, there being
scarcity of corn and -four A few days af-
ter, he mentions the arrival of three vessels,
with corn and flour. 80 we are PLENTIFUL
ly relieved from all fears OF famine. Blessed
be God"
At the appointed hour of nine, on Wednes-
day morning, Thompson began to look for
his prisoners, but none came; whereupon
his men became furious, and seized their
sureties Preble and Freeman, and kept them
ali day without dinner In the afternoon
they sent to Mowatt to know why he did not
keep his parole His reply was, that one of
his men whom he had sent on shore to his
washerwoman, had overheard several threats
from soldiers to shoot him as soon he made
his appearance, and he declining coming.
During the afternoon large force of militia
from the country, numbering five or SIX hun
dred, arrived, and being greatly enraged on
hearing of Mowatt's release, threatened vic
lence to Gen. Preble and Col. Freeman, the
Sureties.
All the officers of the militia, including
those of Falmouth, next resolved themselves
into board of war, for the examination OF
tories, and summoned several persons before
them. Some came. The Rev. Mr.. Wiswell
had not gone on board the ship, and attend
Of ho tod n n
tions, he declared his adherence of the doc
trine of passive obedience and non-resistance
and was released. Several Others were ex-
amined, but none were punished. 10 keep
peace and secure his release with Colonel
Freeman, General Preble was obliged to fur
nish the troops with several barrels of bread,
a quantity of cheese, and two barrels OF rum
for each company.
The soldiers entered: Captain Coulson's
house and took what they wanted, and used
the house for barrack. Some OF them be-
came eXhilarated by the liquor found in
Coulson's cellar, and one, named Calvin
Lombard, went down to the shore and fired
two balls from a musket, deep into the side
of the Canceau. The fire was returned from
a ''fusee," but no damage was done.
fast, which General Preble and Colonel Free
man were not prepared for, as the soldiers
had obliged them to fast the day before.
The soldiers seized one of COulson's boats
and dragged it through the streets, to place
of safety, and the next day they seized one
of Mowatt's, and hauled it to the same place.
Mowatt threatened to fire on the town if they
were not returned, but Mr.. Freeman's friend
writes to him at Watertown, that "he has
not fired yet, and here / sit writing at my
desk in the old place, being fully convinced
that Mowatt never will fire on the town in
any case whatever" He also writes: The
soldiers have to-day carried off Mr.. Tyng's
Bishop, a piece of plate worth five hundred
pounds, old tenor, and his laced hat" These
were afterward returned to Mrs. Ross, the
mother of Mrs. Tying, by resolve of the
provincial congress. The property destroyed
in CoulSOn'S house, and valued at one hun
bred and forty pounds lawful money, was
paid for by authority of the same resolve.
On Friday afternoon, the last of the coun-
try soldiers left town, much to the relief of
the people. On Saturday, Mowatt made
another demand for the boats, but ThOmp-
sons men had taken them away when they
left On Monday, Mowatt and Coulson
sailed with their ships for Portsmouth and
Boston.
On the eighth of June, the Senegal of six
teen guns, Captain Burlington, arrived
from Boston, and anchored near the islands,
and on the twelfth Coulson arrived again in
his new ship, and anchored near the Sene-
gals Sheriff Tying, who had taken refuge
with his friends in Boston, was with Coul-
son. In reply to a letter, Captain Burlington
of the Senegal wrote the committee that
"his orders were to protect the persons and
property of his majesty's faithful subjects
and not to distress them"
The wives of Sheriff Tyng and Captain