Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-12-04
A Sketch of the Life and Character Of
William Hutchius,

IN" last surviving soldier Of the Re, olutiou
IN Ne" England, and the last but one in
the nited states. including n brief sketch
OF his Father. Charlie. Hutchins. and 9th
"rs OF III. Family.
William liutchins whose name, for the
last quarter Of a century, ha> been prom.
lnentiy connected with the Revolutionary
ar a the last surviving representative ia
New England Of that band OF patriot, who
fought 10 secure our independence. wss
born in York, Me, Oct. c. l1G4 He was
the son Of Charles aud Mary Hutchius.
and the eldest OF fifteen children all Of
whom hfed to mature years but one.
Thomas. who was drowned when ten years
OF age. Their names We're William,
Charles Daniel. James, Ebcn, Samuel. Ab-
bic, Hannah, Debora. Matilda. Judith
Sally, Tempy comprising a long list of
were ever mingled In the memory Of our
ancestors with a certain degree OF yenera-
tion, but now 80 rapidly dropping out of
our modern nomenclature. Back OF his
parentagc neither history nor tradition af-
fords Us any trace Of the family OF Hutch
ins in which the patriotic blood OF Charles
Hutchins crops ont in five generations.
Charles Hutchins. the father of William,
the subject Of this sketch, was born IN
York, Me, oct. 10. 1912. His mother dy-
ing during his infancy, he was brought up
by his elder sister until he was seventeen
years Of age, hen he enlisted in the army
raised for the reduction of Loul.bur2 Cape
Breton. He was with Lord LoGdon at
Halifax. After the failure Of this eXpe-
dition, lie sailed for Boston and was
wrecked on the Loudoner Of Cape Ann
He was afterward at Albany New YORK.
Here, though man of small stature, he
lar strength. and agility OF movement.
/ He was 4 particular fayorite of his Colonel
| who was ever willing To put Charlie
! forward to test the championship IN al
athletic exercises. He was honorably dis
charged at the close of the war and re
turned to York. where he married soor
afterward Miss Mary Perkins. He movet
t) Plantation No 3, now the town Of Pen
obscot in l-G-, and took up the farm fo
many wears occupied by his son Eben. bu
now the property of Eben Joyce Of Brock
ton, Mass There were but nine familie
then living within the present limits o
Penob>cot
Everything was in a primitive condition
The age Of invention had hardly dawne
scattered over the vast domain of our en-
bryo country, from the Atlantic to the ia
ciIic. from the Canadas to the Gulf o
Mexico. scarcely exceeded the present POI
ulation of New York City. Our means
transportation and intercourse We're the
few and slow. 1t would take longer I
traverse this continent than it would no
take TO travel around the globe. The fe
feeble, widely separated colonies wei
struggling under the shadow of British Of
preston for higher life, and fuller libert
The supremacy of the English speakr
people on this continent had been secure
by the French and Indian war, and at
sacrifice to these feeble colonies of thir
thousand of their vigorous young men, b
sides untold sufferings to the settlers
the exposed frontiers, for hundreds
miles, and at a cost of SIG, 900 900 in INC
ey.
The fires of the Revolution had alrea
been kindled aud were rejecting th
crimson shadows on the heavens abO,
the star of liberty was rising in the ca:
the hearts of the people were bursting W
, Indignation against the indigrities and Z
; pressions of Old England, and shoot
out aspirations for liberty and indep
- deuce. America was soon to shake
ra- Youthful locks at the hoary head of
'' British lion and contend for the mast
T. on this continent. In this atmosph
Charles Hutchins grew to maturity,
r., in nature had SO shaped the elements OF
being, that he would rather suffer aud
p like a patriot than live like cringing 81
.! beneath the heel of despotism.
@ uat The first years of his settlement in
ale obscot were marked by those many dis
yantages and hardships which the pion'
of new country, without means,
everywhere experienced. To say tina
and was poor would convey very inadeq'
ani ,un idea of his condition. When he laid
any cellar wall for his house he carried ste
rre. in his arms for that purpose from III
NOR the shore, distance of forty rods
(. more, and to get money with which to
- glass and nails, he cut and carried 10
shore on his shoulders freight OF W
ore. some forty cords, which he sold fo'
lure cents per cord. They were often so SC
axe ily supplied with food that to lengthen
for their little store Of Indian meal the
al n