The Portland daily press., 1895-03-09
REVOLUTIONARY PORTLAND.
Hope, Courage, Patriotism and Prices
Were Very High.


Sufferings and Rejoicing of the PeopIe of
Old acknowledgement Abner Low
ellis Matross Company-Stars and
Stripes First Raised in Portland-Pri-
| vateers Make Lively Times in the Har.
| bor--Soldiers Raised for the CONT
mental Army.
| The winter of 1775-6 must have been a
dreary one for the people of Falmouth
| Neck. Their little town of less than nine
| teen hundred inhabitants had been burned
| by Mowat the October before. and the fam
| lilies were trying to 1--we in the remaining
buildings, being as cheerful as they could
among the scenes OF such desolation. They
did not dare to build new buildings or re-
pair their old ones, and their only prospec:
was wa. The spirit of those people. under
such distressing circumstances, should
| command the admiration of their successors
| for all time. and some permanent memorial
| should be erected in our city to keep alive
their spirit of patriotism.
| When the news came that WASHINGTON
| needed more men for the siege of Boston.
every available man marched to his relief
| James Sullivan writing from Falmouth,
January 81. 1875 said. every man who can
leave home is gone or is going to Cam
briIge." But after the evacuation of Bos-
| ton by the British in March. they came home
| and some attention was given TO the de-
| fence of their own town.. 1t was very evil
dent that a matross or artillery company to
garrison the forts was needed, and in June,
| 1.TR r Gon
| a company of fifty men for Falmouth Neck
There were forts, on Free st. where the
Anderson house now stands, in Monument
Square. on the spot where the Grand Trunk
Engine House now is. and Fort Allen Park
| and later one at Fish Point.
| Capt. Abner Lowell was given command
of the company and he commenced to en-
| list men the very day that independents q
was declared, July 4, 1776. There were sent
| for this company from Boston 10 cannon.
| 1000 ball, 900 pounds of powder and 1000
| f1ints. which arrived in a vessel about the
middle of the month. The guns were
| mounted by the company at once
| On some Of the Revolutionary enlistment
rolls the men agreed to furnish themselves
with "a good effective frearm and if possi-
| Bile, a bayonet fitted thereto, or in lieu
thereof a Ratchet or tomahawk, a cartridge
| box and blanket and from settlement
| with the writer's ancestor in Ibis company
January /, LIT, it seems quite evident that
| these men signed such a roll, Tor there was
deducted from his wages SIX shillines for
| the "yuse OF gun belonging to the State"
The company was enlisted to serve until
December, then continued to April l, l777
when they were dismissed by "a disc barge
of cannon and three yollies of small
! arms"
In March beacon was rised on the Neck
for use in case of alarm at night. On an
psarance OF a British cruiser guard at
Portland Head, would fire gun to sound
the alarm, and then one would be sounded
on the Neck calling every body to arms
There was beacon also at the Cape
On April 9Th, Capt. Lowell had orders to
continue his company one month longer
and May 5th, he received al order to enlist
a company for eight months service, and
his service may have ended January LIST ,
l719. but on July 49, 1879 he fred an IS pond
or as signal given for ali ON board for tie
Bagaduuce Expedition then just sailing
from our harbor.
The following general order dated Septen-
Der 10. 1916 will give some idea Of the duties
of the company.
''It is understood that Capt. Lowell with
his comma nd is at all times with the ca nnon
and that he keep sergeants guard at the
lower battery foot of Hancock ST.. Their
duty is one sentinel on the platform day
and night to hail all vessels coming into
the harbor or going out and let no vessel
pass the battery without showing a pass
GiOp ed hy OpAar nj ha - %bo
town of Falmouth, in which case they may
pass without further orders"
Daniel Ilsley Commanding Officer"
Of course, at this date. we have but slight
ledge of the movements of this com
pany during their service. but we have
items that will give us some ideas of the
times. About the time they had got their
cannon mounted and the powder and shot
10 the magazine, which was in Monument
Square, the militia came into town ana July
30, they drafted men to go to Canada Au-
gust LIST, ship appeared off White Head
and an alarm was sounded by the drums
The men manned the guns ready for action,
but the ship proved to be one of our vessels.
OF sixteen guns, under Capt. White. of
Salem, with prize ship having on board
five hundred barrels of sugar and Other ar
ticIes.
On August l, the news came of the battle
of Long Island, between the Americans and
the g Ministerial Rebels"
During at least a part of this year there
was battalion stationed on the Neck, con-
ssting of four companies, under Captain
Hooper, Crocker. Lord aid Lithgrow. and
company stationed in the fort, where
Fort Preble now is, under Capt Bryant
Mort on. all under the command of Major
Daniel Ilsley; but in November Col. iona
than Mitchell was in command November
%, the field officers and all companies were
discharged excepting Capt. ioweI's.
During this all the privateers were busy
sailing out after prizes and bringing and
sending them in. There was the Retrieve.
Capt. Joshua Stone and the Putna m, Capt.
Joseph Bailey, who were here with their
prizes in October and November.
November 18th, Col. Mitchell sounded an
alarm and all was hustle and excitement
until it was found TO be without cause. but
the 18th. they were alarmed again and with
the rumor that Mowat was coming again
which greatly excited the people: but he
failed to appear.
January Sth 1777 tbs news of the battle of
Trenton WAS received by tba nao,,1 have