The Portland daily press., 1886-01-28

COllecI6u Oo.OO
Total. l.,.................- SS5.35
Expenditures.
Paid for advertising, printing, pos. son 20
age, frelghts etc ....'.,.Sa9. ~ 90
Subscriptions to the English research
fund OF the New England Historical
and Genealogical Society. 1000 %
Balance. nce...............t........... Sz1.Io
1t was voted that the report of the treas
urer be accepted.
The secretary reported these donations;
twenty-five copies of Jenks's Portland Gazette
by Andrew Hawes.
True Relation concerning Estate of New Eng
land, by DIR. E. c. Banks.
Edinburgh Almanaek, 1741, by Deroma Bates
One volume Chemical Journal, by Millard f.
Hicks.
On motion of Mr.. Conant it was voted that
those who have in times past or who in the
future shall read papers before the society
be requested to deliver copies to the secre-
tary to be preserved among the archives OF
the society
On motion of Mr.. L. B. Chapman, it was
voted that the bylaws and list of the men,
bership of the society be printed in the
Genealogical Recorder, and the expenses be
paid from the funds in the treasury of the
society.
The business Of the meeting concluded,
Hon. F. NJ. Ray delivered his paper on
''A BATCH OF OLD PAPERS"
The old papers, as enumerated by Mr.. Ray
and which be had brought with him, were:
A vellum bound account book-William Luntis
ledger
in camp at West Point.
A leather wallet containing the papers OF a
private journal.
A folio of old papers.
These papers are the property OF Mr.. Henry Il.
al M n
WeStbrOok.
The diary of Captain Daniel Lunt is by far the
most interesting of them Daniel Lunt was the
son of Samuel Lunt of Kittery, and was one of
three brothers who settled in WeStbroolS during
the latter half of the eighteenth century Daniel
eventually became large land owner, and was in
many respects man of parts. He served during
the Revolutionary war ia a Massachusetts regi-
ment of cavalry, and rose to the rank of captain.
Mr. RAY read extracts from Captain Lunt's diary
which recorded events of which the writer was a
witness or a participant, such as the treason OF
Arnold and the hanging OF Andre
A copy of the oath of allegiance which Captain
Lunt took at Valley Forge; an invitation to din
ner sent to the captain by Washington himself
the muster roll of the company which followed
Captain Lunt to the war; and finally the honor
able discharge which he received from the ser
vice, of MASSACHUSETTS,, are among the papers
exhibited by Mr.. Ray
Captain Lunt was member Of the Society of
the Cincinnati and an extract from the records OF
that society recounting his services was read by
Mr.. Ray
Another interesting paper was the discharge Of
fsS Of Washingon Himself IS appended to this paper
Mr.. L. B. Chapman read paper on the
following subject:
ANCIENT MILITARY Al, ,sTRoUDwATER.
The history of Stroudwater, antedating more
than two hundred years, is interesting and should
be preserved, Its mills and those of the vicinity
believe, furnished the lumber for Fort Loyal
and ground the corn into meal for the Inflated set
tlement around it. But for lack of time | cannot
refer to the grand old military Chief Col. Thomas
and whose grave is unhonored because 1t is moi
known, but whose name shines brighter and
| brighter as research exposes his record to the
| light.
In 1888 the Indians were troublesome. Poln,
the chief of the Presnmpscot tribe, who was killed
| by one of the ancestors of John F. Anderson and
| others at Windham in 1855, went to Boston and
| complained to the governor of the State that in
| consequence of Improvements on the Presump
| scot river they could not pass down in their ca
| noes with ease to get rum, and his tribe were
| threatened with starvation because fish could moi
by the governor as to the size of his tribe replied
twenty-five, besides women and children" The
inhabitants appealed to the general government
and serious trouble was prevented till 1746, when
| the inhabitants became thoroughly aroused All
| "alarm list" was organized, and Capt Samuel
| There were eighty-seven privates in his company
| Capt. Skillin lived at Long Creek. He died il
| 1898, aged 93 years, after having hunted indians
| in many expeditions against them, besides Sery
ing as Seectman, inn keeper, Saw-mill tender, etc
| In the pasture bordering upon the mill pond may
| De seen Jle DufylDB STOuDu OF UUe OlQ lam
| lily, where there are fully hundred graves, and
| half score of which bave lettered headstones The
| fence is gone, and cattle roam at will over the
| graves. Though the remains of a military cap
tain and two lieutenantS rest there representing
three generations, no person finds the way to the
secluded spot on Decoration Day, and there plant:
| the miniature flagstaff or drops rosebud. Shal
| it always be thus?
Previous to this date preparations for safety
had been made in case of savage attack. Capt
| Skillin had garrison house at Long Greek; there
| were two block houses at Presumpscot Falls; ont
| at Stroudwater falls about mile from Saccarap
| pa; one between there and StroudWater, besides
| Col WeStbrookS garrison at the village, and Ons
at the easterly end of the bridge over the river.
| The Neck outnumbered the inhabitants O
Stroudwater district two to one, but did less fol
self-defense. In 1888, the parish (Which included
Stroudwate) built a palisade around Parsor
| original papers are now in the possession of An
| drew Hawes, ESq.-and later block house wher'
ee Sy ia G Wnea IF d famout
voted at public meeting to purchase some f1ints
| balls, four barrels of powder, and borrow tw'
| cannon of one of its citizens.
AT the Neck now Portland, the land speculator
| the Shylock and the dude made their homes.
| ANYTHING was to be obtained by vote of the town
| or otherwise they were present. The selfsl
| spirit then manifested now shows its grasping
hand in the attempts to appropriate Old City Hal
full of the just claims of others and the names o
those who sacrificed their lives In Indian time
and the dark day Of 1873:
The news of the fight at Lexington arrived be
fore light April 21st, 1875, but before dark 0
that day company Of minute men," under com
| mand of Copt. John Brackett who lived at Sacea
Kappa where the old Conant house stands, started
| on foot for headquarters, and had got thirty miles
away when they were ordered back, but on Jul
| Sd following, Capt. Brackett had recruited a ful
| company for the war, and left for Boston,
July 4th, 1905. was day OF great ioy-the da
on which the ladies OF the village presented tn
| infantry company with fine silk standard, whcI
has been well preserved at the old Broad taveri
house, where it has been seventy-fve years, bu
| the names of the company at the time are no
| known. John Wat6TlOuSe cantain. DAME
Lunt was of the Falmouth cavalry company, oil
ganzed in 1879. that took part, The presenta
daughter of Capt. John Quinby, who married Maj
Ezekiel Day, and lived many years on Elm street
a 6v Rev. M hnoeh ad dGner
Mai. stephen Webster's, person cannot locate
In 1914, in the fall the Infantry were on duty
when an attack was expected on Portland fron
the English fleet lowering upon the coast, and ha,
taken possession of part of it. Then there wer
five thousand citizens and soldiers under arms
| From Stevens Plains and Back Cove one hur
| dred and thirty men, accompanied with oxen
carts, pows. shovels, and martial music, unde
command of Capt Isaac Stevens assisted i
throwing up breastworks on Munioy Hill
In 1915, the Infantry disbanded, when the ell
barge had laid It's weighty hand upon the busines
| of the village.
Mr.. HULL's PAPER.
Mr.. Hulls paper was No. 2 of his sketches Q
the Eastern Cemetery, and was entitled ~
Strangers Grave James Bannatyne." 1t was
condensed history of a distinguished strange
who came to Portland, and died after a short il
ness far from the heaths and highlands of his ns
tive Scotland, in October, 1912. On the left G
the main carriage road near its turn in the East
ern Cemetery, is to be seen an imposing stone 0
white marble, which bears the following inscrir
tion
4 Strangers Craze.
JAMES BANNATYNE,
Scota's gifted child
man of rare worth, in simplicity, gentleness
natural talents and acquirments and OF
eloquenee unsurpassed.
Died Oct. 20, 1912,
dIt. 34
Erected by the Young Mems Temperance
Society.
James Bannatyne was born in Scotland, Fe1
IL ,llnA l.f