The Portland daily press., 1895-05-25
GAIT. MORTON,S COMPANY.
Stout GOrham Patriots Who Mustered
to Defend the Coast.

~
to Defend the Coast.
More Facts About the Men of the Revolu
tion-Old Muster RolIs-Resolution OF
Town of Gorham.
Capt Briant Morton's company of
eighty men was raised during the last of
January and the first of February, 1776,
for service on the seacoast of Cape Eliza
beth and Scarborough. The commits
stoned officers were from Gorham, and
the men came from the towns in Cumber-
land county.
Capt. Morton was a committee of Safe
ty and Correspondence at Gorham in
1772, and of course concerned in passing
the following preamble to their resolu-
tions to the town of Boston January 18th,
1773:
'.We find it is esteemed an argument of
terror to set of basest of men, who are
attempt ting to enslave us, and who desire
to wallow in luxury upon the expense of
our earnings, that this country was pur-
chased by the blood of our renowned fore
fathers, who, flying from the unrelenting
rage of civil and religious tyranny in
their native land, settled themselves in
this desolate, bowling wilderness. But
the people of this town of Gorha,n have
an arrangement still nearer at hand; not
only may we say that we enjoy an inner
itance purchased by the blood of our fore
fathers, but this town was settled at the
expense of our own blood We have those
among us whose blood, streaming from
their own wounds, watered the soil from
which, we earn our bread Our ears
have heard the internal yells of the saw
seen our young children weltering in
their gore in our own houses, and our
dearest friends carried into captivity by
men more savage than the savage beasts
themselves! Many Of us have been used
to earn our daily bread with our weapons
in our hands p
"We only add that our Captain John
Phinney, the first settler) is still living,
who for many years has been our chief
officer to rally the inhabitants OF this
town from the plough or the sickle, to de-
fend their wives, their children and all
that was dear to them, from the savages
Many of us have been Injured to the ia
tigue and danger of flying to the garrison
Many of our watch boxes are still in
being, the timber of our Fort is still to
be seen; some of our women have been
used to handle the cartridge or load the
musket, and the swords we sharpened
and frightened for our enemies are not
grown rusty"
1t falls to the lot of but few men, while
they live, to have such an expression of
confidence and trust. from their fellow
citizens as had Capt. John Phinney,
then eighty years of age, in this preamble
He had been their leader and patriarch
for thirty years they had seen him
under every circumstance of settler
life, and when this tribute to his fidelity
fell on his ears he was as full of fight as the
youngest, and was at that town meeting
to give expression to his feelings against
the expressions of the King. He was SO
thoughtful that when he went to make
the first settlement at Gorham, he let his
son Edmund fell the first tree and his
son John plant the first hill of corn, SO
that they in after vars yajght have the
feelings of satisfaction that they were
identified with the beginning of the
10 hano,,o1 Io. -
well rounded man. He died Dec tn,
1850, aged 81 years The history of Cor
ham says of him, he was man of sa-
gacity, steadiness, courage and integrity :"
This little settlement at Gorham had in
the service in 1775, a colonel and ten other
comm issioned officers, at least, besides
the non commissioned off Ger and pri-
Yates.
AS early as Jan. 5th, 1775, the town
"voted to lay out ten pounds in powder,
balls and f1ints to increase the town
stock" and donated a quantity of wood
to the suffering poor of Boston.
Capt. Morton was commissioned early
in January, and while raising his COM
pany was given the following ORDERS
January 18th.
''To Briant Morton.
Your commission gives you the
command at Cape Elizabeth, you will
take your post forthwith and keep such
guards on the sea coast as the number of
men under your command will admit of
agreeable to the General Courts order.
On the approach of an enemy to fire an
alarm with three guns on Spring Point"
See that your men are at their barracks
at nine O'Clock in the evening and at
roll call; and obey such orders as may be
given from time to time by the officers
in command :"
"DANIEL ILSLEY, Com'd Officer.
The officers at Falmouth in 1776, were
Col Jonathan Mitchell, who was chosen
March 90 177e in nI.oo IF Cen Joseph