The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-25
HISTORICAL.
Two Men Of Our formulation Slock.,,

course OF Time, got so far away from
the bt beginnings of our nation that we do
not fully realize the origin of the New
England characteristics. We know
that they were, at bottom, English
characteristics; but we are apt TO think
they had to go through several genera
tons before they were fully develoned
We see, however, that the typical
Western man is made out of a Yankee
in less than one generation; and facts
exist to show that the original Yankee
was not long a-makiDg, in the old COLO
nial days. The Maine Farmer has
lately printed some interesting sketches
OF Public Men Of the O.den Time.,t
written by j.. w. Lang, Eso.. from
which we take the followil e sketches Of
original Yankees:
WILLIAM PHIPPs
was born in Woolwich, on the Sheep
scot river, in 1860. He was the son of
a Runsmith, being the tenth child in a
family OF twenty-five. His father died
when william was about sixteen years
old, leaving little else but a small farm
for the support of his large family. He
remained at home two years. and was
then apprenticed to a ship carpenter. to
learn the trade, for four years. He
served his time, then went TO Boston
aud worked at his trade in the wards
there, and also learned to read and
write. In a few years he married. and
soon returned to his old home in Wool
wich. Here he built a shin on q n
tract for some Boston men, On com
pleting the vessel be bought a load of
lumber to take in her to Boston. but the
Indian war coming on he abandoned
the lumber, at a total loss, took the set
tiers all on board and carrit d them to a
place of safety. He continued shin
building and making voyages for s4v-
eral years. 10 company with the Duke
Ut A bemarle he procured one of the
kings ships, and engaged in searching
for a sunken Spanish ship, laden win
treasure, near the Bahamas. The first
voyage was not a success, but the Sec
ond was, aud they obtained from this
wreck thirty-four tons of silver, beside
gold, pearls and jewels worth some
1880 900. Phipps' part amounted to
7 $1,000. For this service and other
good qualities he was ~knighted, and the
duke and duchess gave his wife a golden
cup worth 81 900, as a special mark of
esteem. He was at home when the COL
onies lifted out the expedition against
Acadia, or the French possessions of
Maine, and what is o Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick. He was made
commodore of the fleet, and sailed from
Boston in May, 1890, with a forty-gun
frigate ard eight other vessels. He
swept along the coast and captured
enough property to pay all expenses of
the expedition. A second expedition
uHder Phipps went as far as Quebec.
but was there repulsed. In 1862 Sir
William Phipps was appointed over
nor of Massachusetts and Maine. He
built a great stone fort at Pemaquid.
The Salem witchcraft delusion broke
out and ragged from 1860 TO 1893. Mrs.
Phipps, while her husband was in
III zine, reprieved a woman sentenced
as a witch. Then she was accused of
being a witch herself. 1t opened Sir
Williams eyes, and he soon put a stop
to witch persecution. He went to
England in 1904, and there died. He
was q wise and prudent statesman and
a brave sailor, and a successful COM
mander.
COLONEL WILLIAM PEPPERELL,
afterwards baroDet, or Sir William Pep
perell, was born in 1896, and died in
1853. He was a large merchant. The
old mansion and the family tomb are
curiOsities of the town of Kittery of to-
day, and one OF its quaint and venerateG
landmarks. He was colonel of the York
militia, a gentleman of unblemishet
character and untarnished reputation.
He had great wealth for the times, a.
commanding intellect, and great infiu-
ence. He was made commander of the
land forces sent against Louisburg,
Cape Breton island, then held by the
French, and considered impregnable,
being termed the Gibraltar of America.
TIE expedition Consisted of 4 1000 men
and thirteen war vessels, with trans
ports and stOreships, carrying about zoe
guns. The fleet was commanded by
Commodore Tying of Falmouth (now
Portland.) The place %capitulated the
fourteenth of June, after a siege and
blockade, and this paved the way for
the further overthrow of French power
in the Canadas, and towards closing
the Indian wars. The old Pepperell
mansion at Kittery Point, built over
two hundred years ago, hes probably
i seen more splendor aud sheltered more
famous individuals than any other pri-
vate residence on this side of The sea,
Mount Vernon and Monticello excepted
The house was built by the first Will
liam %Pepperell, the great merchant and
ship builder of his lime. He accumu-
lated vast wealth by trade and his man
sion IT Effected the boundlessness of his
means. Grand as any old English
castle, it stood looking out to sea, girt
by a great park where droves of deer
sported. His son, the famous Sir Will
liam Pepperell, enlarged and adorned
it at the time of his marriage in 1874
This Pepperell, the only American bar
onet, was a remarkable man. He was
The richest merchant in the colonies
and had at times two hundred vessels
of all kinds at sea. His success at
Louisburg proved him a successful gen
eral, and his political influence was sec
ond to that of no man in the colonies.