Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-11-24
She Sang to the English.
A story of Red Coat Times in Maine brought
out by the Death of an Old Lady in North
OrIan,I.


A North Orland correspondent recently
announced the death Of Mrs. Wardwell |
at that place. This recalls to my mind
some "reminiscences in that womans life
that may be interesting to the public.
Mrs. Mercy Wardwell was the daughter
of William Hutchins of the town of Pc
nobscot, Maine, the last survivor, but one,
of the Revolutionary soldiers. He died at
Penobscot in May, 1866, aged nearly l02
years. Mrs. Wardwell was about 95 years
old. One sister, Mrs. Charlotte Veazie of
Belfast Me, is the only surviving child of
the once numerous William Hutchins
family, and so far as the writer knows the
only surviving child of a Revolutionary
soldier
Mrs. Wardwell married Methodist cler-
gyman and became the mother of large
family of sons and daughters. -Four of
the sons entered the Methodist ministry,
one of whom subsequently, enlisted as a
private in our late civil war, and was pro-
NOTED to the chaplancy of the regiment.
He died iu the service and was buried In
the South.
She was noted in her childhood for vi
vacity and a bubbling with music and un-
fiinching courage in times when her elders
were timid. When the English army and
tine. In 1914. Mrs. Wardwell was then a
young girl at horne. Her fathers house
was situated about six miles from Castine
village on the road to Bluehill. The Eng
lish officers sometimes called at her faith
ers house as they passed to and fro on
their duties. On one occasion, two of
them, having learned that little Mercy"
could sing, importuned her for a song
She was very shy at first, bat upon the
promise of 4 silver dollar, which would be
a fortune to her, she lightly sprang upon
the dining table, and to the CONSERVATION
of the family. began one nf those almost
unending patriotic ballads of the day, in
which the English came in for some Sc
we're reflections, and tongue castigations.
The memories of the Revolution had not
died out, among the older people, and lit
tie Mercy stood where she could see the
spot, where, thirty-five years before, her
grandfather's home was burned by the
English, while he with his wife and eight
| children fed under its glaring light, to
save his life for his sturdy defence with
his rife.
Little Mercys mother and her older sis
ters attempted to stop her singing, for
they saw the brow of the younger officer
darken, and heard him mutter what sound
ed like angry expressions, but the elder
officer laughed and said. "Oh. let her go
on. l like her courage" She did 60 on
till she had sung more than fifty verses.
When the original lacked appropriateness
to the then present circumstances, she i'm
proyised with q skill and daring that
brought out angry expressions from the
| younger officer, but q laugh and ''Hear !!
Hear !" from the elder. When she finished.
the elder officer tossed to her silver dol
lar, at the same time remarking, you're
brave little girl. If you were a man, we
should feel it our duty to"-but the last
part of this remark was not spoken.
He was gentleman, and called upon the
family several times afterward, and always
greeted little Mercy with smile and
courteous bow. Two of Mrs. W's broth
ers were then In the American army. and
she took especial pains to let the English
know It. E. s. W.