Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-01-14
For the Ellsworth American
A Visit to Bucks Harbor and Neglected
Burial Ground.

Only few days ago | visited Bucks
Harbor. The steamer Castine now calls
at the wharf there regularly and am told
they call it one of their best landing places,
as there is good quantity Of freight land
ed there. This causes the steamboat
hands to inquire, Where is the village?
Is there not one back of here somewhere?"
Only part of the little settlement can be
seen from the harbor, but many fine new
houses are being built. few yards from
the wharf one will notice if observant) a
few old fencing poles, and one old post
standing. While waiting for the Castine
there few minutes, improved the op-
portunity long wished for, to find the
grave of my grandfather The memory
of visits that | made to this spot when
child, and the few old poles in pile on
the ground, served for guides and l am a
very good pilot where I've once been,
though long ago it was that | was there;
so in few short seconds | found myself
scrambling through a thick shrubbery Of
alder, thorn and blackberry, amidst many
gravestones, most of them black slate
At last | saw one which l thought might
be the one l was looking for. 1t was ly
ing in the grass half buried and, think,
somewhat broken, but found the letters
T. c. which stand for Timothy Condor.
"No. said |, this is not the one, 'and after
more scrambling through thorn and black
berry, which often struck my face leaving
the scars (Which still reman) and threat
ening to tear my clothes in shreds, l
reached the tall black marble slab which /
remembered so well. The headstone bears
the inscription:
CAPT. BENJAMIN GRAY,
Died April 26. ls45,
Aged 66 years.
l was very glad to find it standing so
erect, though the footstone was years ago
broken off. 1t was the earnest wish of nv
grandfather to be buried in this very spot.
Why man who had lived in Newport,
Boston, Cambridge and other beautiful
places. and had sailed over quite a portion
of the earth's surface as master of fine
vessels, should have wished to be laid in
this place for his last sleep, is beyond my
ken. 1t happened before my birth. and it is
enough for me to know that he was buried
there by his own desire. A few years ago
some ladies from the Redman family of
Ellsworth (who have relatives buried
there), called on Mr.. E. C. Chatto who pur-
chased the land, think, from Mr.. Erastus
Redman, father Of Hon. J. B. Redman,
and asked him to have fence built around
this graveyard. This, think, be did, but
no trace of the fence is to-day remaining,
unless the old post is part Of 1t. II Mr..
Chatto or any member of the Redman fam.
lily can and will kindly inform me through
this paper who holds the deed of this buri-
al ground, shall feel obliged to him. The
white flowers of the thorn and blackberry
| must make q sweet and beautiful covering
for these sleepers, in June weather, bnt
at this time of year such shrub6ery does
not look well, and is not agreeable to pass
| through, should we wish to visit the
| graves Of the friends Of old who are sleep.
| ing here. A fine chapel has Just been erect
ed only few rods from this graveyard, and
the contrast between the new and beauti.
ful chapel and the old and neglected burial
| ground is too great. NAB.
! Nov. -, 1891.