The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-28
To the Editor of the Daily Press:

To the Editor of the Daily Press:
Those who, were born before the
"Arostook war" have but an imperfect
idea of what war means. 1t is true, that
in the loss of life, especially OF persons
killed in battle-this war will not COM
pare with the great Rebellion, or with
any of Bonaparte's great wars-but for
red hot patriotism. intense loyalty to
country, loud boasting among the SOL
diers of what they would do to the
Britishers if they could get Il chance to
fight no other war can compare with
this great Down East" conflict.
The Casus belli was the North East
ern Boundary" dispute between this
country and Great Britain. The two
countries differed as to the true boun-
Diary line under the treaty of 1883. The
question was which was the true" st.
Croix river" mentioned and intended by
the treaty. Pending this question New
Brunswick lumbermen commenced
operating in the disputed territory on
lands claimed by Maine. This raised
the war spirit all over Maine, especially
in Bangor. On the 5th day of February.
1889, war was declared in Bangor. Major
Hastings Strickland, the sheriff Of
Penobscot county, with one hundred
men, full of fight" started for the dis
puted territory to arrest the plunderers.
1t was long march of 225 miles to
meet the enemy, whom they supposed
would run on the first approach OF the
doughty sheriff and his posse. But
Major Strickland's war path" expedition
was not very satisfactory for he returned
on the 14th of February and reported he
found the enemy 1900 strong" in strong
position armed with muskets.
Hon. Rufus McIntire, the Land Agent
of Maine, had gone to look after tres
passers, with Col. Webster. The blue
Noses" who held the enemies fort"
asked for a parlev, and then seized Nc
Intire, Webster and four or five of our
men and started for Fredericktown, n.
B.
An amusing story is told of McIntire,
off they put him on to logging sled
but he was SO long they had to build
"anneX" to their sled, upon which to
locate his legs and feet.
Mai. Strickland however, reported
four or five of the enemy captured by
his men, and made prisoners of war"
But the dramatic part of the expedition
was the statement that the Major was
shot at when starting for home, and his
horse shot in the flank. Although there
was no truth in this story, the Major
for years was the butt of many jokes,
based on the shooting of Strickland's
horse" Strickland's ride" back to
Bangor for years after was almost as
famous as the celebrated ride of John
r Inv hot tip1oo
of reading some doggerel verses descrip-
tive of 1.-TWO lines of which L can re-
peat:
Run, Strickland, run, fire Slower, fire,
We're the last words of McIntire."
1t was learned the next day that Nc
Intire and those with him were sur
rounded with forty armed men and
marched to Frederickton, and with this
report came the news that Lieut.. Gov.
Harvey. of New Brunswick, had called
out his troops. The eXcitment became
intense, the war spirit spread out from
Bangor all over the State. The Maine
boys were on hand ready to "render one
good turn for another" SO when Nc
Laughlip, the warden of the Province
of New Brunswick, came on to the dis
puted territory to warn Off the Yanks,
they seized him and brought him pris-
oner to Bangor on Sunday, Feb.17. This
brought into the public square in Ban
gor an immense crowd of people to talk
war and exhilarate over McLaughlin's
capture. Maj. Gen. Isaac Hodsdon re-
ce lived orders to draft 1000 men to
redezvous at Bangor, ready to march to
Aroostook on moments warning.
The old general was every inch soldier,
and among the Penobscot boys. Zone
blast from his Alpine horn was worth
thousand men," On this Sunday night
messenger to Gov. j ohn Fairfield from
Sir John Harvey arrived at Augusta