The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-07

ers and the servants of none
There is a little passage in the old diary Of
the great General Knox, whom George Wash
ington loved, which interests us more than
ii does all the rest Of the world. when the
brave General was sent to Tieonderoga to
bring cannon for the seige OF Boston he re-
cords on the first day Of the year 1776 that
he wrote letters to General Washington "and
Lucy dead now long years ago was the
daughter yof Hannah Waldo, the spirited
girl who tired beyond endurance, and anger
ed beyond repression at the indecision and
procrastinatiOn of her lover refused in the
presence of all the wedding guests to marry
greatest magnate there ever was IN an new
England. The ''lovely Lucy hau al ner
mothers temper, and morel Inan neI HoIh-
er's pride, and tine greas senerai mi.ose az
and on many field was not always master
of the stately mansion he built in the wilds
of Maine.
The town of Falmouth was twice destroy
ed. Twice was it sacked and left desolate.
One scene in the first destruction, in 1876, al
ways laid strong hold on my imagination.
When the savages swooped in, killed the
brave grandson of George Cleeve and carried
the Brackets into captivity, George Bur
rOughs, the minister ON the Neck, escaped TO
Cushing's Island, with ten men, six women
and sixteen children. On the north slope
towards Peaks Island, can perhaps vet be
seen the remains of the rough stone breast
work behind which these poor people await
ed death or rescue. What blessing it was
to George Burroughs that the prophetic Wis
ion so l0nged for in the earlier ages Of the
world was not vOuchsated TO him. Over
those long nights of vigil and those weary
days OF waiting, with the Implying ocean
on the one side and the merciless savages on
the other, there hung no black foreboding Of
the shameful death on the ScaffOld to be in
flicted on him by his fellow Christians, more
cruel in their Ignorance than the heather in
their wrath. Death by tomahawk and scalp
ing knife he was TO escape, only to meet
sadder doom at the hands of his fellow
Christians. George Burroughs was executed
for witchcraft at Salem in 1892. 1t was
shameful death; but not to him. he died as
brave man should. steadfast, prayerful
and high OF heart. Neither religion nor inf
deity, neither faith nor science nor the wit
of man hath ever explained that mystel ious
way of God so often manifest in human his
tory, when the brave, upright, truthful, man
ly man is driven ANONYMOUSLY from the
world, leaving it with all its honors and de-
lights to the victorious miscreant the sinu-
Gus schemer and the crawling coward. Yet
in the great cycles of the Almighty the
wicked flourish only for season, while
righteousness is like the stars, forever and
ever.
Falmouth was destroyed the second time
in 1890; but the year before it narrowly es-
capped destruction. In the old 0 richard, Op-
posite Deering's Woods, near which the boys
Of my day and neighborhood used to spend
many a holiday, unconscious of tho tragic
events which marked its earlier history,
was fought the greatest Indian fight
in the district of Maine. On the
18th of September, 16S9 there had landed at
Peaks Island: two hundred sayages who
awaited until the goth, reinforcement,
which doubled their number. During those
three days the people could have expected
nothing but destruction. They were few in
number, utterly unable to cope with their
enemies. 1t must have been joyful sight to
them, when at o'clock on Monday after
noon, Major Benjamin Church came sailing
into the harbOr with the lOnged for but un-
expected reinforcements. At night fall the
Major, having carefully concealed his forces
meanwhile, drew close to the shore, landed
his soldiers, made his dispositions, ordered
himself called two hours before daylight and
then like prudent man went to bed. The
Indians during the night padded across
Back Cove and landed in the rear of the
Bracket farm. Promptly the next morning
at half an hour before daylight Captain
Church, not knowing where the eaenay we're
stationed part of his forces half mile
from the town, probably in Deering's pas
ture, had them send out scouts and oln himself sal
breakfast an alarm called him back
and he learned from BrackettS sons the
POSITION of the enemy. Captain Hall APP
Pars at once to have marched against the
Bridge and to have been hotly engaged,
while the two other captains remaining on
the cher side fired at the Indians over the
head. of Capt. Halls company. Church
who lad returned again to town 10 cause
the mlsket balls, which were too big for his
guns tG be hammered into slugs, found a
few bullets and three knapsacks OF ammunl-
tion and norryinG back had them transported
with tie eye of good soldier, ne demanued
howAe could cross the creek farther up.
Wh.n he was told there was a bridge,
probably near where the railroad now
crosses Portland street. he took the two COM
pinies remaining on this side the stream
and ran shouting to the bridge. Crossing
and leaving there an ambuscade of six men.
he ordered Captain Southworth with
his company of English to go down
the edge of the, marsh to the as
sistanee of Captain Hall, while he, with the
company of Indians, would go through the
brush and attack the enemy in the rear.
After much ''bad travelling" through the
matted brush, he had just got into position
afn In1 the g,, word came thaI tne enemy were
intercept them and his aInnusoeSto- -s~sa-a.i---
the enemy were skirting the swamp at the
head of the creek, further up, on tnelr way
tn the Neck. Not knowing the country, ne
scattered his men and started IN pursuit ,Iif H9
seems To have gone around Bramnall hlll
to Thaddeus Clark's farm, where tne peace
full undisturbed cattle, grazing IN Tue l9iu;
showed MN IllaC no luuldlto peNo.SN
way. Hastily retracing his steps TO the neld
of battle, he found the victory had been Won'
that ibis march to the rear, though apah-
doned, had done its work, and tne lnuians
had disappeared, carrying Win tnehl ensla l.
dead. Church's forces lost twenty-one
killed aud wounded. Among tthem were
two soldiers from the fort and two townSnen.
But the town, which had thus happily es-
capped, was not long to enjoy lts securnt'
The next year witnessed the sueeessIui az
- II, Ealmontb Neck an uu-
inhabited wilderness for six and twenty
wears. Fort LOYAL, of which all traces nave
now disappeared, was built Just Dei0Ie l0oV,
by the aid of Massachusetts Ihere mas
been left us no description OF TINS l9rt; 9us ~
must have been large. sor the town sss1gs
were within the walls, which were made or
logs. Besides Fort Loyal, there were the In
gersoll garrison at the foot of Exchange street
and the Lawrence garrison on MunJoy
Fort Loyal was built near where tore
street crosses India, and stood on what was
then a bluff fifteen feet or more ABOVE tne
water. an elevation which did more tnan
ANYTHING else to ensure its downfall: during
the wear 1890 the Massachusetts authorltlesl
DESPITE the protests of Major Church and
the nravers of the people, had been gradually
withdrawing the troops which garrlsoned u.
Only few days before the fatal attack the
captain in charge, Simon wizard, departed
for Boston with the soldiers OF his company,
leaving behind him less than seventy men.
While Massachusetts was thus rendering
onr little settlement helpless, the enterprls-
ing Frontenac the Governor OF canada, was
organizing destruction for the whole Dlstrlet
Of Maine Early in January small force
started from Montreal, and gathering re-
ernits as it moved, reached the banks OF the
Kennebec at Winslow, where they were
ioined by the Baron Castine and by Hur-
tel with his forces red-handed from the mas,
sacre at Salmon Falls All these Iench ~ tInS u.,u
Indians were gathered together carry IN May
under command of the Count de fortneul
From the Kennehec they marched 70 Merry
meeting Bay, and came to the Islands. Inc
defenders of Fort Loyal seem to have had
no conception of the numbers to be arrayed
against them. When the enemy first made
| their appearance, climbing over Mun1oy
| Hill and planting themselves in ambuseade,
| Lieut.. Thaddeus Clark, gallant lrishman,
| with thirty of the stOutest youth, stepped
| out as bravely as gaily to drive away the
| lurking foes. But as they rushed up with loud
| hurrahs the enemy poured in one Yolley and
| sprang upon them with sword and hatehet
| with such fiercenesS and In such numbers
| that only five all wounded escaped to Law
| renee Garrison near by That night, the 10Th,
| Fort Loyal was summoned to surrender ana
| the answer came that they should defend
| themselves to the death" That night also,
| the men from the garrisons came into FOrl
| Loyal where had been gathered the people
| of the town. 1t must have been a doleful
| company that sheltered itself behind those
| frailpaiisades Thirty Of their best and brav,
| est Law killed and wounded and their wives
| and mothers and companions knew thatlthey
| themselves were cut off from all succOr anC