The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-27
EARLY FORTIFICATIONS OF PORTLAND,
1t. Leary's Valuable Papers Read To
the historical Society.
Interesting Account OF the Ancient
Defence of the City.
History Of the Ancient and Modern
Fort Preble.

before the Maine Historical Society in the
Baxter hall. There was very cultivated
audience present who enjoyed 1t. Leary's
paper exceedingly. 1t. Leary said:
The first defensive work erected in Port
land harbor was the fortified house Of Cap
tain Christopher Lovett, an English GENTLE
man Of Somersetshire. He was one Of those
adventurous mariners who in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries carried the stand
ard Of England wherever ships could sail He
received his patent of six thousand acres
from the Council Of Plymouth on the fifth of
May 1923. He was himself member of the
Council which In 1920 when the charter was
conferred by James |. consisted Of the Duke
of Lennox, the Marquis of Rockingham, the
Marquis Of Hamilton, the Earl of Arundel,
the Earl of Warwick, Sir Ferdinando Gorges
and a number Of other gentlemen.
Alter sailing along the New England coast
in the summer of 1923 on a voyage of search
for good location. he fixed his habitation
on one Of the Islands Of casco Bay, one OF
four he speaks Of. (which make one good
haibor." His relation of the voyage to the
Council runs: "And thus, after many dan
gers, much labor and great charge, l have
obtained place of habitati0n In New Eng
land where have built house and fortified
it in reasonable good fashion, strong enough
against such enemies as are these savage
people,"
That Levett was humorist as well as an
explorer is evident from his succeeding OBJ
servatiOns to the Council. 81 viii not dc, -
he writes, therein as s0r 9 have done to my
knowledge, speak more than Is true: | will
not tell you that you may smell the cornfelds
hafn an ha
think that corn doth grow naturally Tor on
trees) nor will the deer come when they are
called and stand still and look on man un-
til he shoot him, not knowing man from a
beast NOR the fish leap into the kettle nor on
the dry land neither are they so plentiful
that you may dip them up in baskets" &c.
The identity Of his island Is an open ques-
ti0n among the historians OF Maine. Mr.
James Phinney Baxter In the valuable
"Irelawney Papers" makes it House Island
on which Fort Scanned now stands. Mr.
William Goold in Portland In the Past
makes 1t Hog Island now euphemistically
known as Great Diamond Island and Mr.
William NJ. Sargent in San Historical
Sketch. Guide Book and Prospectus of Cush-
ing's Island" fixes II upon that beautiful
surmise That Levett had no confidence in
any permanent peaceful relations with the
Indians Is evident from his prompt action in
putting the new house In defensive condi-
t10n. he writes OF them:
''They are very bloody-minded and full of
treachery amongst themselves therefore
| would wish no man to trust them, whatever
they may say or do, but always TO keep a strict
hand over them and yet to use them kindly and
deal uprightly with them."
At the time OF this settlement plantations
had already been established at Portsmouth
and Dover, New Hampshire, and further
eastward on Mnnhegan Island. 1t is not
likely that he would build his fortified home
on an Interior island and so, In the event Of
hostilities which he manifestly looked for,
cut himself off either from giving aid by sea
to or receiving it from either flank of the line
of settlements. AS all three were holdings
under the Gorges and Mason patent, it Is
reasonable to assume that they were under
instructions to keep one another In the event
Of war. From the standpoint OF strategy,
the principles Of which endure from age to
age almost unchanging. either House Island
or Great Diamond Island would have placed
him at disadvantage with the enemy on
Cushing's Island; but holding the latter he
would have had certain strategic advantage
which is obvious. This island has been
known at different times as Portland Island,
Andrews Island and Gangs Island. As
Andrews Island it was the refuge of the set
tiers in King Phillips war in 1916, who fled
from Munjoy's garrison on the meek" and
constructed some sort Of a defence on the
inner slope of the picturesque rock Of White
Head 1t Is probable that not only was this
island chosen as an asylum for facility of
relief by sea from other settlements to the
westward, but because some part, II not the
whole of Levett's fortified house still stood
where his trained hand had built it and gave
them safe refuge; and relief accordingly
came during the summer from Black Point
and Boston.
FORT LOYAL.
The first fortifcation constructed in Port
land was Fort Legal. 1t was Fashioned
fort, built Of stockades and stood on rocky
bluff at an elevation of about thirty feet
above high water mark near the foot of India
street near the ground now occupied by the
round house of the Grand Trunk Railroad
Company. 1t became the centre and rally
was begun by order Of the General Court OF
Massachusetts by. English soldiers under
command of Captain Hawthorn in Septem-
Der 1876. The site had a gradual slope
toward the water front and contained about
one-half acre. 1t consisted essentially of
number Of log buildings used as barracks,
guard house and shops all surrounded by
palisades. Wooden towers in the interior
served as stations for observation and de-
fence. The whole was loop-holed and had
for eight pieces of ordnance,
which composed its armament In 1890 a
about one mile west Of the fort on an ele-
yati0n in rear OF a swamp which extended to
the water front. Ingersoll's block house
stood half mile southwest of the foot and
Lawrence's block house, built Of stone and
timber, stood about three-quarters of a mile
north on Munjoy's Hill. The first notable
use Of Fort Loyal was as prison for some
twenty Indians who were treacherOusly
seized at Saco and sent there for safe keep
ing. They we're subsequently released by
Governor Andres and afterwards attained
greater or less celebrity as relentless foes of
the colonists. Among these was Hopegood,
a chief Of the Norridgwocks. 1t served its
first legitimate use in 1859 when Major
Church Of Massachusetts saved the town and
fort from destruction by his timely arrival
by sea from Boston with several companies
of troops, consisting Of whites and negroes
and friendly Indians from Cape Cod. He
found the French and Indians four hundred
strong about to attack the town and to CON
ceal his presence landed his troops at the
fort after dark. The action was begun
early on Saturday morning the 21st of Sep
tember, 16S9 Church was embarrassed by
finding that the musket balls he had brought
in his supplies OF ammunition were gener-
ally too large for his guns. With the aid Of
the people Of the town he had them ham
mered with slugs, and so after a hard fight
drove eff the invaders. This engagement
was fought near Deering Park, about two
miles from Fort Loyal.
A glance at the state Of Europe at this time
will show what relation its men and events
bore TO the obscure little outpost in the Pro-
vince Of Maine. The English Revolution
of 1888 had deprived James III. Of his crown
and put his son-in-law, William, Prince OF
Orange and Stakeholder OF 1.-THE Netherlands
and his daughter Mary, upon the English
throne. 1t was the age Of Louis the Four
teenth and the brilliant soldiers, scholars
and politicians, who, in that era, made
France glorious. Vendome, Catlnat and
Turenne were leading the troops Of the great
monarch in the campaigns which made their
names dear to Frenchmen. but hateful to the
people Of the Netherlands and the Palati-
nate. Bossuet was preaching those wonder
full sermons which marked him as one Of the
foremost pulpit orators of the Christian
Church. Louvois was at the mead Of affairs
the greatest war minister Of his time.
James III. had left his mimic court at Saint
Germans and was setting what force t0geth-
er he could In Ireland for the recovery of his
throne. Schonberg was collecting an army
land who were destined to beat the French
and Irish at the battle of the Boyne on the
first day of July.
Macaulay tells us that the cause Of James
was the cause Of France and under this pre-
tence, Count Frontenac, the able governor of
New France, quick to second his sovereign
IN his ambition for the glory of his reign,
planned campaign in America to force the
English boundaries to retreat as far south
ward as possible. Frontenac had returned
as Governor and Lieutenant General of New
France in October 1859 charged with instruc
tions to initiate campaign against New
York and Boston. to operate with his land
forces from Montreal and with his fleet from
Quebec. Looking at the map of America of
1850. the territory OF England embraced AT
that time only the present States Of Maine
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland and
virginia. a colony OF Swedes held Della