The Portland daily press., 1896-12-19
CAPT. CROCKER'S MEN.
4 Gallant Company Of the War Of
the Revolution.
HOW PORTLAND WAS FORTIFIED
AFTER MOWAT'S VISIT.

County's Generous Response To the
Calls For voIunteers-Men Were Sent
To the Army Until There Were None
Left To Go.
History seems to be repeating itself in
regard to the certifying Of our harbor.
The government of Massachusetts, Bay,
in the last months of the year 1775, re-
allied the Importance Of defending 1t by
making provisions for garrison and the
building of forts. Gen. Washington
wrote in November, ITS. to Col. Ed
mund Phinney. then here, OF the impor-
tance of Tot allowing the British to
will. therefore, use every possible method
to prevent their effecting that or pene-
trating into the country" Then it was
decided to fortify our town and the en-
trance to our harbor. On Jan l, 1915, the
following men were chosen for the Off
GERS of the garrison: Joseph Frye.
Colonel; Daniel IlSley, Major; James
Sullivan, Commissary.
First Company-Daniel McCobb, Cap
tain; Ben jamin Pattee. LIST Lieutenant;
William Lithgow, Jr., Cd, Lieutenant.
Second Company-William CROKER.
Captain; John Shelton, LIST Lieutenant,
Ebenezer Morton, I'd Lieuteant.
Third Company-Benjamin Hooper,
Captain; Humphrey Pike, 1st Lieuten-
ant; Joseph Chadbourne, I'd Lieuteant
Fourth Company-John Rich, Captain;
Jocioh Davie LET I,iG1tananf;. LAVi lIOr.
ing, End Lieutenant.
Fifth Company-Tobias Lord Cap
tain; Nathaniel Cousins, 1st Lieutenant:
Edmund Webber, End Lieutenant.
For reasons unknown, but part of
these officers served here. Col. Frye
having joined the Continental army,
Jonathan Mitchell was appointed March
29th, colonel, to command this depart.
ment. The companies were of eighty
men each, were enlisted in the early
part of the year, and served until about
Nov. 23d, when the whole battalion was
discharged.
The following is the roster of the bat.
TALON as 1t was constituted while in the
service: Jonathan Mitchell. Colon. J.,
North Yarmouth; Daniel Ilsley. MAJOR,
Falmouth; James Sullivan, Commissary,
Biddeford.
First Company-Benjamin Hooper,
Captain, Biddeford; James Foss, 1st
Lieut.; Robert Edgecomb, I'd Lieut..
Biddeford.
A roll of this company was published
in the PRESS June ], 1895.
'econd Company-Tobias Lord, Cap
/ u, Arundel; Nathaniel Cousins, 1st
T<Iv univ, Liz
A roll of this company was published
in the PRESS Feb. s, 1896.
Third Company-Willinm Croker,
Captain, Falmouth: John Skillings, LIST
Lieut., Scar borough: Amos Andrews,
Sd Lieut., Scarborough.
Fourth Company-Willinm L1tb grow,
Captain, Georgetown; George White,
LIST Lieut., Topsham; Richard White,
Cd Lieut..
A roll of this company was published
in the PRESS Jan. IS, 1896.
Fifth Company-Briant Morton, Cap
tain, Gorham; Josiah Davis, 1st Lieut..
Gorham; Ebenezsr Morton, I'd Lieut.,
Cor ham.
A roll of this company was published
10 the PRESS May 25, 1895.
Nearly five hundred men were connect
ed with this battalion during their term
of service. In juno provisions were
made to raise mntross or artillery COM
pany here, and John Preble, son of Gen.
Jedediah Preble, was appoint ed captain
but the company was raised by Abuer
LOWELL and he was commissioned cap
tain, he existing his first man July 4.
This company was not discharged with
the OF hers, but was continued in the Ser
vice here through the winter. The next
year the number of men was increased
to eighty and the organization was gar
risoning the forts in 177T and 1878. Capt.
Lowell's men, at first, were only enlist
e1 to serve until December. The first
Lieutenant was Levi Loring, and Isaac
Battles was the second. A roll of this
compa ny was published in the PRESS
March 9, 1895.
The soldiers of the garrison built the
Notifications known as the Upper. Hay
market and Lower batteries, and the
Great Fort on the Hill. Capt. Morton
company built Fort Hancock, where
Fort Preble now is, and garrisoned it
through their service.
p blmUuta MUM Attu blou UuU dUOue
one hundred dwelling houses left, and
here were the blackened remains of over
four hundred buildings, the result of
Mowat's wanton destruction of the
town, the October before, which the in
habitants had not attempted to rebuild.
There was great restitution among the
people, and their prospects were gloomy
indeed. The garrison, from July until
November, consisted of over four hun
dred and fifty men, and the little settle
ment was but IN Hillary camp. This
was not all, as this county sent, about
February first, two companies of ninety
men each, under Captains Winthrop Bas-
ton and Paul Ellis, to reinforce Wash
ington's army at the Siege Of Boston,
where they served two months Poor
Paul Ellis, he hoad his leg shot of at
the battle of Monmouth. and bled to
death During the year 1776 this ooun-
- rvust hava had ovar two hundred