The Portland daily press., 1897-06-08

UnOught to be a posi- OF Danger, anu as
modesty and diffidence, which strongly
urged me to decline it, might have been
deeemd cowardice, and tended to the dis
couragement of the people, | accepted 1t;
4 and instantly determined to break ground
on an eminence on the Neck, which over
| looks the land for twenty miles round
but as Captain Symons had sent proc,
lamat1on on shore that if we were to erect
any fertilization he would fire upon us,
thought he might annoy the people
and finding that there was then in town
thfee hundred weight of powder besides
small stocks in the adjacent towns, and
TWO good double fortified six-pounders,
tolerablly we'll mounted, l ordered the
people IN the night to throw up battery
on an advantageous point near the ship,
IN order to combat her if she fired on the
people, who were to entrench on the emf
nence. The zeal and resolution with
winch the people set about the execution
OF this plan was much beyond my expec-
tat1on, but just as we drew to the de-
signed place, the Cerebus, though in the
dark, weighed anchor and put to sea,
put put apprehendlng that she might return
Gne next morning, we continued our la
bour all night; but she has not returned.
On the 9TH instant the Convention of
Z qmmittees of this County met, and
though their proceedings may want some
accurac1es, yet the spirit obvious in them
does honour to the County; and /, there
fore, take the liberty of enclosing a copy
of them. "a
Since that time we have erected two
batteries, cannon-proof, one bearing two
| double fortified six, and two ditto nine
Founders, and one three-pounder; and
the other battery bears four double forti-
lied long nlne-pounders; all which, ex-
cept the slx-pounders, have been mounted
| since came here, and we have gratefully
received some guns and powder from the
General Court. Upon the eminence we
| have got fort in great forWardness and
| should before now have completed the
parapet of it, had not the severity of the
weather prevented US. This is all done
by the Militia of these two counties, with
some assistance of the sea coast men. The
Militia readily attended with their pro-
vision, tools, etc.
There is still wanted redoubt or two,
and ssother advanced works on the hill :,
which with finishing the citadel, must be
deferred until the weather is more fa-
| yourable.
| We are much pleased with the appoint
ment of General Frye, who arrived here
yesterday, and have the highest expecta-
tion from his acknowledged ability and
integrity, provided he was in such sit
uation as would render him active; but I
am sorry to say that the General Court
has commanded him to fight with his
/
the Militia he is confined to the County
OF Cumberland, and all his operations are
limited to that place, while the County
1 OF York are as much interested in. and
| anxiously concerned for the defense of
Falmouth Neck, as is the County of Cum
berland. This seems an effectual bar to
that union of the Counties, which at this
| time is absolutely necessary; he, therefore,
should have been, and l hope yet will be
| appointed Major General of the Militia in
these two, ii not in the lower County
And when this is done, unless the Militia
is organized, as hope it will be, he had
| as good try to command the sea- as them
in time OF action. In his other depart
| ment, as commander of two hundred and
fifty sea coast men, whose time expires
in one month, he can do nothing to the
| purpose, but if there should four hundred
| marines be landed, must fall sacrifice
before any considerable number of our
scattering Militia could be collected to
reinforce them. Besides this, when he
| calls the Militia (and if they should obey
him) he has no way to find them pro-
vision, or any authority to provide one
single necessary for his formidable army
OF two hundred and fifty men, This is
the situation of this honourable gentle
man, which l should not have mentioned
| if had not the honour to belong to the
Assembly.
Now, sir, what remains is to show YOU
why apprehend that there is danger of
the enemy's taking. this post, and what
l supposed to be a rational plan to pre-
vent so great calamity; but must beg
your pardon for this prolixity, which is
not occasioned by love of writing, but by
the regard I have for the people and the
cause they are engaged in.
This is undoubtedly one Of the best
harbours in the Continent and the only
one for the space of two hundred miles
between Boston and Sheepscot, where a
ship can now lie in safety in winter, and
could they be kept out of this harbour,
our privateers might cruise in safety; but
| II they hold this post our navigation is at
an end and famine is the consequence.
If an army of fifteen hundred men
should be lodged on the eminence before
mentioned, with a proper train, ten thou
sand would not force their lines; and as
provision for our sustenance cannot be
raised here, we must come to them for
bread; and when there is no army, or
command, the slaughter of few persons
will bring many to submission. This
observation take to be founded in htl-
man nature; and it is in vain for people
to talk of dying rather than to submit,
for when we are famished, overpowersd,
or disarmed, we must submit, and are
criminal in not doing it; and an entire
submission of these Counties when the
enemies are possessed of this ground can
be prevented only in three ways, to wit:
by forcing their lines, destroying their
navy, or watching their motions, with an
army much superior in numbers to
theirs.
If the Importance of these Counties are
held as tritiing by an Assembly (as I am
sensible they are not), they will be SO
with the Continental Congress, and the
possession of them by our enemies will
make vast odds in war; for besides the
distress of the people here, the Ministe-
rial army will be able to furnish the
West Indies with lumber, their several
detachments with beef, wood, greens,
roots, etc., etc., and the Tories, now
starving in Boston, with comfortable
dwellings and farms. These things ap-
pear to me to be of sufficient inducement
to the Regulars, while they can gain and
hold SO important post with thousand
men to do it; and if they do. we must
inevitably submit, or carry famine with
us to the westward of Merrimack River.
This can never be prevented but by an
expense which ought to, and I doubt not
will be, borne BY the Continent. 1t
would be cruel to expect the Militia.
either to complete or defend the works be-
gun, for in a small space of time after a
fleet aDDe0rS in SIGHT with q oood vr-;rd