The Portland daily press., 1886-02-06
TIE EASTERN CEMETERY.
When Was 1t First Used as Burial
Place?

10 the Edltor OF the Press:
Adam Newbegin as a critic of historical
writings is shortsighted He attempts to
controvert facts with speculation In a re-
| cent issue of the PRESS, under the caption
| of ''The Eastern Cemetery" he asks, 'sDoes
| it seem possible that from 1888 to $780, a
| period of 81 years, the dead could have been
buried there and not a trace of the
grave of one of them be found now ?''
Most assuredly. In September of 1859
George Cleeves sold his homestead farm
to John Philips of Boston, and it was
occupied by his son-in-law, George Munjoy
Cleeves had but one child that can be ac-
counted for She and Cleeves's wife were
which was previous to 1910. So that previous
to that date it does not appear that there
were any dead, unless it were servants of
Cleeves. June, 1915, King Philips war COM
menced, and Munjoy's son was an early vic
tim. The whole Neck was now desolate and
remained so for three years, the inhabitants
having fled soon after the commencement Of
the war In April of 1878 peace papers were
signed. Massachusetts not only extended
her laws over the Province of Maine, but by
purchase came into possession of the very
soil; hence the appropriation OF the LAND OF
"Cleeves cornfield" by Gov. Danforth, the
erection of Fort Loyal, and the settlement
around it in 1880, at which time George Mum
JOY was dead.
From 1888 to 1886 it's seems from original
manuscript papers that but two families
llved In the vicinity of the site of the ceme-
terry, and but three deaths can be discovered
as occurring during the whole period OF oc-
cupancy. Had Cleeves died in possession of
the farm. he so long occupied it would be
reasonable to suppose that he was buried
upon it within the enclosure of the ceme-
terry now located upon it. Under the
branches of stately trees, at the side of his
forest clearing, looking down upon his
humble abode and the picturesque scene be-
fore it, what better place could have been
selected fol-, burying place, not only for
Cleeves, followed by Munjoy, but for the
dead of the settlement around Fort Loyal?
Had deeds been given of the grants by
Gov Danforth instead of vesting his title in
board of trustees, the location of the occu-
pants OF "CleeveS cOrnfeld' would be easy.
There were some twenty-five of them, but
in several cases the lots were only improved
it seems as places of retreat in case of Indian
attack by persons employed several miles
from the fort in mills, clearing the land and
planting. From the present standpoint in
time tAiS may seem strange, but George Mum
joy planted at Cumberland mills, six miles
away, and have plan of Capisic made in
1857 which shows the course of the "King's
Highway to Amacongo,-t track Travelled
by Cleeves, MunJoy, Davis and others, it is
presumed to the Indian planting grounds at
Cumberland Mills,-a course recognized in
deed In 1713, which course is the same as
that of the highway from the Bradley meet
ing house to Nason's corner in Deering,
proved by old documents.
During the ten years of peace succeeding
the fall of the Fort in 1890 there is no way
now, of ascertaining the number of deaths in
the settlement but it could not have been
large. After the fall of the fort the Neck
was deSolate for twenty-five years. Not a
record, inhabited it. The savage and the
beast roamed at will. The acorns prOuted
and grew into trees upon the graves of the
dead, beneath which the hazel and trailing
blackberry fourished and the woodchuck
burrowed, Is it to be wondered at that there
are no marked graves today made two hum
dred years ago? No! But it is evident that
those making the last settlement found evil
dences OF a burying place and continued the
practice of earlier occupants in this respect.
adam" alludes to the study of old GEM
eteries in other places. 1t is a melancholy
study. The very apparent neglect of the
places merits the severest censure. Take
those in the town of Deering, especially the
one at W0odford's corner, where the first
settlers of the place were buried Scouts
and captains in Indian wars, relics of the
Revolutionary army, selectmen of the town,
school teachers, church deacons and ship
builders, fill nameless graves, mounds are
leveled and the spots covered with noXious
herbage.
Now allow me to say to adam that Eng
llsh customs cannot be successfully used to
overthrow and dissipate recorded Ameri-
can practices in days gone by. He refers to
the fact that Willis, a generation ago, went
over the old burying place and found no
stone dated earlier that that of 1717 He
found much in his researches, but not every
thing. If, however, Adam will refer to Col
lections of the Maine Historical Society, vol.
1, p. 247, he will find this same Willis says,
speaking of Capt Sylvanus Davis house lot,
it extended back to the burying ground,
which occupied small spot in the south
westerly part of the presen Eastern cemete-
ry," which time was 1857.
Mr.. Willis has left conclusive and imper-
ishable proof of great industry and histori-
cal research, but he was not infallible nor
iId dId ne gather r, everything in his historical
Hull has grouped many in his account of the
siege and capture of Fort Loyal. 1t would
be strange if he has not made single mis-
take working such wide spreading field, but
as far as criticised by Adam he is correct
Theory and facts both point to the site of
the Eastern cemetery as the first burying
place Of our first settlers which cannot be
successfully overthrown by speculation.