The Portland daily press., 1897-10-23
(Number u

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Col. Joseph Primes regiment, raised in
1880, was made up nearly entirely OF
Maine men, for an eight months service
IN this state. They were detached 'r
drafted from the militia regiments ana
indications are that each regime Mt
IS required to furnish about fifty men.
lie situation of affairs at that time seems
10 have demanded their service and the
General Court of Massachusetts provided
for it.
The British forces occupied Bagaduoe,
now Castine, in June 1879 when Gen.
Cushing, of Pownalborough, at once ad-
visad an expedition to dislodge them be-
fore they had time to entrench. Massa-
chustts undertook the task and the
Bagaduoe Expedition arrived there for
that purpose July 25th. The American
fleet was destroyed and the troops driven
away about the middle of August. Then
the British felt secure, and the Tories
were rampant. Depredations were COM
mitted upon the inhabitants on both sides
of the Penobscot river. Matters went on
until the spring of 1850 when it became
necessary that an established force should
be provided instead of trying to depend
on the militia as the occasion required
The General Court resolved, March 25,
1850. that 800 men, in addition to two
companies previously raised. should be
detached from the militia of York, Cum
berland and Lincoln counties to serve
eight months. Those counties were the
whole of the province of Maine. These
men were to form one regiment. 100 were
to be stationed at Machias, 200 at Cam
den and the remainder at Falmouth
Gen. Peleg Wadsworth, then Of Duxbury,
Mass, who had been second in command
of the land forces in the Bagaduce expe-
dition, was placed in charge of the who le
eastern department. He came here from
Camden, in the ship Protector, April 9th
to hurry up the troops, he returned to
Penobscot Bay, came back here July 3D.
and Oh July 25th sailed for Camden.
In the organization of the regiment,
Lieut.. Col. Joseph Prime was placed in
command, but it is not known to the
writer. how many companies served un-
have been found, two of which have been
already published, and it is now proposed
to print the other six for the benefit of
whoever may be interested in them.
Nearly the whole regiment was dis
charged in November and December, and
the rolls give the dates. few, whose
time had not expired, were held in the
company roll, and that of company of
scouts, will be published with the rest.
When these soldiers were detached from
the militia for this service they were or
dered tc march we'll equipped within
twenty four hours after they were de-
tached or pay fine of sixty pounds cur
renoy, which was to be applied to procure
a substitute.
This service contained no BATTLE but
WAS an exciting one for the soldiers on
account of alarms that occur at suoh
tiraes. The oolonists were harassed
rnsre particularly by the Tories encour-
agSd it is said, by Capt. Mowat who was
there with the feet. 1t is also said that
Gen. McLane disapproved of the plunder-
ings of the British and Tories. a patriot
named Soule was killed in his bed and
his wife wounded, at Broad Bay. Gen.
Wadsworth issued proclamation making
the penalty death to any one secreting or
giving aid to the enemy. Soon after a
half witted Tory named Baum was con
next morning. This had the desired
effect of checking the intercourse with
the British at Bagaduce.
Gen. Wadsworth's headquarters at
Thomaston was at the house of Col.
Mason Wheaton, now on Wadsworth
street. In February 1881, he was prepar-
ing to leave the town and had but a
small guard with him, when Tory in
formed the British of the situation where
upon they surprised him in the night,
but he fought desperately until wounded
when he was captured and carried to
Fort George, now in Castine. His wife,
Elizabeth and two children were with
him at the time, also Miss Fenno of
Boston. He escaped from the fort, the
home. The bay where he waded in the
shoal water to avoid leaving tracks, back
of the fort. Is now called Wadsworth' g
Cove. A full account Of this capture can
be found in Dwight's Travels, Vol. Q,
Pages l74-2d0, the facts having been fur
nished by himself.
Col. Primes headquarters was on Fall
mouth Neck and five companies were
stationed here in June with probably a
matross company at Cape Elizabeth
The following companies are known to
have served in Col. Primes Regt.
Capt. Josiah Davis Company, AZ men.
Capt. Joseph Pride's Company, 81
men.
Capt. Daniel Clark k's Company, 81 men.
Capt. Thomas Bragdon's Company, 60
men.
Capt. Jedidiah Goodwin's Company, 40
men.
Capt. Jonathan Andrews Company, "a
men.
Capt. Isaac Parsons's Company, 56 men.
Lieut.. Ethan Moore's Company, IL
men.
Total number in all the companies 3S3
men.
Capt. Joseph Pride's Co. served at Fal-
mouth, and the roll of his company was
published the PRESS March 49, 1895.
Capt. Isaac Parsons's Co. served on the
Penobsoot Bay and the company roll was
published in the PRESS, March 30, 1895.
The following were the field and staff
officers of Col. Primes Regiment:
Lieut.. Col.-Joseph Prime, Berwick.
First Major-James johnson, Stroud
water.
Sncond Maior-philin Martin IIlrnon