The Portland daily press., 1899-04-04
YORK COUNTY REGIMENT.
History Of Col. scammsn's old Conti-
nentsIs of 1775.

nentsIs OF .1775.
Before the Maine Historical Society on
March, 81. Mr.. Nathan 6oold read an
interesting paper atont Maine Resolu
tionary Soldiers He said:
Dol James Scamman's S0th Regt. oil
Foot. was one of those regiments raised
In the Massachusetts, colony Immediately
after the return of the minutemsn &c
their homes, who had hurried away In
the Lexington alarm. These regiments
were authorized by the Provincial Con
gress, April 23. 1875, and three days later,
the organization was ordered to De ten
companies of fifty nine men each to be
commanded by a captain and two subal
terms.
Col. Scimman's regiment was raised
in York county, beating orders having
been issued to the officers. in the several
towns, the next day after the regiments
were authorized. The Indignation felt
by the people against the home govern
ment was SO intense, that these compa-
MES were filled rapidly, but they were
q molly crowd of men, lily fitted out,
and with scarcely any military discipline.
For this regiment. james Seaman oil
Saco was selected, by the Committee at
Cambridge, to raise the men and to be
their colonel. The militia officers Of the
county recomme Capt. johnson
Moulton, OF the town of York, as the
most suitable man for the command. He
| l.. "a a. ha E..auph and In
dian wars and had marched company
promptly in the Lexington alarm. After
consideration, the Committee of Safety
at Cambridge was convinced that, under
the circumstances, Capt. Moulton ought
to be the Colonel, and in letter dated
May z. 1915, they requested Col. Scam
man to withdraw In mis- favor which he
did not do, and Capt. Moulton was APP
pointed the lieutenant Colonel instead.
Col Seaman evidently believed that he
could fill the position to the satisfaction
of his oountrymen.
There WAS another appointment that
caused some confusion. James Sullivan,
then of Saco, recommended for Major.
Alexander Scammell The officers want
ed Daniel Wood of Berwick, who was APP
pointed evidently because Scammell was
a resident Of Durham, N. H., and not of
York county. Scammell would have
made AN efficient major rs his gallant
any question. He lost his life in tho SER
vice ut Yorktown, In October 1881.
About the middle of May, Col. Scam
mans regiment marched to Cambridge
and was there in camp the twenty third,
with 547 men. The Provincial Congress
ordered, June 2. i775, that all the officers
of Scamman's regiment, who had not al
ready bsen, should be commissioned.
Drake Gays Of this army:
"Imagins such an army without artil-
lery or effective small arms, with out
magazines or discipline and unable to ex-
ecute the smallest tactical manoeuvre
should their lines be forced at any point,
laying siege to town containing ten
thousand troops, the first in the world.
II was moreover without flag or a
commander having absolute authority
until Washington came.
"Picture to yourself grimy figure
behind a rank CT gabions, his head
wrapped in an old bandanna. short pipe
between his teeth, stripped of his upper
garments, his lower limbs encased in
leather breeches, yarn stockings and hob
nailed shoes, industriously plying mat
took or spade and your provincial
soldier of rs stands before you. Multi
ply him by ten thousand and you have
the provincial army"
Col. ccamman's regiment was at the
battle Of Bunker Hill, but unfortunately
their service was unsatisfac tory. The
movements of the regiment during the
battle have never been clearly statedin our
Maine history. The American army had
no supreme commander and but little
organization at that time Thtrs WAS
great confusion caused by the knowledge
that the British were making forward