The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-13
FIELD DAY AT FRYEBuRG.
Maine Historical Society Visits the Country
of the Pequakets-President Bakers
Address on LovewelIs Fight.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J

party visited the historic sites in the
Barrows, who entertained the guests al
his house, filled with relics and antiquities
of interest and value. DR.. S. @. Gordon
also opened his mansion formerly occu-
pied by Governor Dana. beautifully fur
nished with ancient furniture. After
bountiful repast at the new Hotel Oxford,
the party took carriages, furnished by
the generous Hospitality of Dr. Gordon
and were driven to Loveweli's Pond,
Jockey Cap, the Fessenden farm ana
other points of interest. The party also
became the guests of Mrs 6. +. Shepley
at her beautiful highland retreat. In the
evening meeting was held in the Con-
gregational church, and addresses were
made by the presidents, Mr.. Baxter, Mr..
Barrows, Rev. Dr. Allen and DIR. Gordon,
thus closing another successful and very
pleasant excursion.
President Bakers address was as fol-
lows:
John Loyewen and the Pequakets.
On former occasions, I considered at
length and with some PARTICULARLY, the
campaign against the Pequakets. its causes
and results, and were it not expected that
| should have something to say on the
subject on this occasion l should hold my
peace. As it is, I shall be brief. 1t doubt
less occurred to many of us to-day that
had we passed 120 years ago over the
ground which we were traversing, we
should have beheld very different scenes
from those upon which our eyes SO greed
lily rested this bright September day.
Instead of the evidences of civilized
occupation, of peace, and prosperity, we
should have beheld what few years
later Walter Bryant of Bow describes as
having seen. He says that he "discov-
cred Indian camps large enough to hold
80 men: saw the spot where Lovewell
was killed, and the trees full OF bullet
holes having also limitations of mems
faces cut out upon Them" All this has
changed, and the memory OF the events
which took place here seem distant and
dim. and have but little influence upon
the life of the present.
And yet, the struggleBwhich took place
here exerted an important influence upon
our history. 1t followed in orderly
sequence events which in the scheme OF
Providence, were to shape the conditions
which exist to-day. From the moment
when the standards of France and Eng
land weresplanted upon the North Amer
lean continent, conflict between them
was inevitable, and it was inevitable
too, that the savage tribes, within the
should be involved. Later, when emigra-
ton had made it possible for considerable
communities to become oragnized, and
New France and New England confronted
each other, representing different phases
of civilization and dominated by religious
faiths unreconcilably hostile to each other,
the conflict assumed bitterness which
could only end IN the exhaustion OF one
or both parties.
The French affiliated with the sayages;
married their women, and adopted many
of their modes of life. Their religion,
with it's eternal pomp and glitter, partic
ularly appealed to the savage imagination,
and their priests, under the pressure OF
what they regarded as an imperative
duty, labored necessarily to impress upon
them the necessity of roofing out their
heretical neighbors.
On tho other hand, the English regard
ed the savages with i'll concealed con-
tempt, almost with adherence. Mather
denominated them wolves with mems
brains, which was by no means a wholly
wrong description of them.
1t was difficult for puritan TO believe
that they possessed enough spirituality
to enable them to become real Christians,
and their belief was not groundless.
The influence of the French, then, over
the savages, was potent, and they ex-
erted it with a zeal which was kept ever
bright by what they regarded as spirit
of patriotism and piety.
In August 1924, only three months be-
fore Loyewell's first expedition against
the savages Norridgewock had been
destroyed by the English and Pere Ralle
slain. He had been an unrelenting foe
of the English and had melted the saw
ages against them whenever occasion
offered. The English therefore, believed
that self preservation demanded the sub
iugation of the savage community over
which he presided, hence the strenuous and
costly attempts which they made to sub
due it.
The destruction of this stronghold of the
savages and the loss of their priest whose
death, although he had persistently courted
it was not intended by the English COM
mander, added new fury to the rage of the
sayages which the French eagerly encour-
age and it became evident to the English
settlers that war must be waged unrelent-
ingly against foe who spared neither
age nor sex; who were inspired not only
by revenge, but by lf-interest to destroy
them for the French had long before estab-
lished market for English scalps and
English captives for both of which they
literally paid The English did not re-
taliate by placing a bounty upon French
scalps but they did enlist men for the
war then being waged, one of the induce
ments for enlistment being bounty for
Indian scalps.
Early in 1725 Captain John Lovewell
organized force of thirty men with the
intention of penetrating the Indian
country and making reprisals upon the
Pequakets whose principal settlement
was within the limits of the present town
of Fryeburg. The Pequakets were danger
Gus neighbors to the English and it was
believed that unless they could be severe
" punished they would on the approach
of Spring attack the frontier settlements
and inflict serious injury upon them.
Undertaking a campaign in an enemy's
country is always attended with extraoT-
binary hazard and Lovewell's first expedi-