The Portland daily press., 1899-07-29

CAPT. Noses Parsons Company
at Siege Of Louisburg in 1745.
Fragment. ofporuand's EARLY rrstor,
Reviewed by Mr.. Nathan eooid.

The Massachusetts Historical Society
has lateiyspublished the papers OF Sir
William Pepperrelf they have In their
possession. In the volume are come
items Of interest In the history Of Port
land, as relating 20 the Lcuisburg expedi-
ton Of 1745. We sent Capt. Moses
Rearson's company. 10 Hon. H. r.
Kings First Parish Records, rage 1876. Is
given q copy Of a roll Of that company,
which Is In the possession Of Hon. An
drew Hawes Of 5sroudwater, q descend
ant, which shows forty men and that par
haps may be the full roll. although St has
been stated to have had about atty men.
The fortress at Lonisburg, Cape Breton,
had cost the French about six million Of
dollars. and Maine has reason to be proud
OF It's part Ia the capture. The expedition
was proposed by Col. william Vaughan
of Matinicus and Damariscotta, IL was
commanded By Gen. William Pepperrell OF
Kittery and Maine sent two eEtirs regl.
ments with their officers. Com. Edward
Tyng, who at tirss was appointed TO COM
mand the iieet, but afterwards was put
under the oriersof Com. Warren Of the
royal navy. and particularly distinguished
himself during the Siege, was Portland
born boy. The first document Is letter
from Capt. Pearson Under date OF Fet
~, i7a4. which was, no doubt, intended
for 17i4-5, as the war was not declared by
France against En gland until M lrch Is,
17sa, and the surrender of Lonisburg took
place June 10, I745. after siege of forty
six days. The letter is as follows:
Falmouth, February 9th, i74i.
Hon'd Sir,-In obedience to yonr
honor's command. l take this, being
the ilrst. opsrtunity to let you know
got home the s5sh instant; since which
haye Unlisted twelve able bodyed men.
ny being from home, Opt. Noble, Opt.
Moody, and Opt. Gutter with some others
telling people got full company at
Nswbury aud did not intsnd to return to
Falmouth, but proceed to Boston. induced
nomfer on whom most depended TO
list with the sd Captens. SO thai men are
not plenty; but hope within or i've
days to make up the nofnber thirty or
more, and take tho first opportunity to
Boston l am Yr. Honours inost
MOSES PEARSON.
Pos. Scrip Colonial wsIdow at Bideford
informed mo Opt. Gutter void have no
communion and incuteige me had oper-
tunity to take the men he Unlisted az Fai-
mouth. II so shall be abls TO uase up
company In short time. l an, Hond
Sir, Yours,
MS. PEARSON
The Capt. Noble mentioned was james
Noble who commanded company In
Col. Samuel Waldo's regiment ara WINS
commissioned Feb. 8, l745 Capt Mooiiy
was in command Of conn any in the
same regiment and was commissioned
the next day after Notle. Capt Gutter
was Amml Ruhamah Cutter, q captain
in Col Moulton's regiment. He preached
at North Yarmouth In 1929 but afterward
was chief surgeon at Louisburg where he
died In March. l746. lie wanted to go as
the chief surgeon of the exped ition but
was unable 20 secure the position SO raised
company of about sixty msn and was
made their captain. Mo Q Person WAS
the captain OF the Tenth company in Col.
Pepperrsil's First Regiment and was
commissioned Feb. 6, 1745. George
knight, of Falmouth Neck, was the first
lieutenant and james Springer was the
ensign. Capt Pearson remained at
Louisturg until 1916 and was the agent
OF his. and the treasurer of the nina regi-
ments employed in the siege, to receive
and distribute the "piunder money"
Several of the mems receipts for this
money are among the Willis papers 10 our
Public Library. Being joiner, he was
employed in experimenting the building
OF barracks and repairing the fortlfioa-
tion' Before the Revolution he lived on
Fora street about opposite our Custom
House. he left no sous, but six daugh-
tiers who the wives of benjamin Tit
comb, Joseph Wise, Timothy Pike, DIR.
Dsane. Daniel Dole and Joshua freeman.
Lieut. GEORGE Knight came here from
Nan y .t.r.sa IL
at what Is now vailed North Dsesing.
Has farm of 90 aorea was mile westerly
of the Presumpsoot river. he became
one OF the proprietors of Pearsonstown,
now Standish, and gave his share to bis
grandson, Zeoalon Knight. In 1175,
short time before his death.
Lisut. knight was great grandson of
John knight who came from Ronsey.
England. In the ship James, In 1885, and
settled at Newhury. The old saying
"blosd will tells' is illustrated in the case
OF George knight. His SOIL, George Jr.
was Revolutionary soldier, Amos was a
soldier, Samuel was captain in the
Revolution and the daughter, Hannah,
married Capt. Joseph Pride, of Prine's
Bridge. Capt. Sainuel knights sons,
stephen, Zebulon and Samuel, IT., were
soldiers OF the. Revolution and the daugh-
ter Mary married Joseph Pride, Jr., an
other soldier. stephen went to Otiffisld
and his son, Samuel, marched in the Otis
field company to Portland in the war of
1912. He was on the staging az Stage Is
land, In 1925, when it gave way and
AbneT Lowell was killed. They fell 81
feet aud struck on the rocks. Mr. Knight
had bis spine .dislocated and ever after
wards was bent over He afterwards fell
20 feet, but he lived until be was 40 years
of age. HIS son, Zsbulon Knight, So. we'd
three years In the First Maine Cavalry
and grandson, Samuel W. knight died
In the Both Maine Rfgt and his brother
George Ii. Knight, after serving two
years in the 10th Maine Regt. In the Re- |
bellion joined Clusters famous 7th u. S. |
Cavalry and for i've years was In the In |
dian campaigns in}the Northwest lsaying |
ths service just before the massacre when |
Gen. Custer and his men lost their lives |
He is living at Otistisld caring for his |
aged father, Benjamin w. Knight who |
Is In his eighty-sixth year, who within |
year has sent contribution to the
PRESS. How many more of Lieut..
Knights descendants have served In the
army | cannot tell, but this is sample
line.
The following document is OF consider
tNnI arses