The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-07


ships cargo began to come aboard, there
were many purchases for the captain"
so called, but could these packages and
cases have been opened and examined
these purchases" would. have seemed to
indicate a wild extravaganza, to say the
least. There was furniture of royal make,
and most elaborate design, with other
household decorations, and splendid court
gowns much too handsome to be suited
to the simple social requirements of the
Wiscasset DANES, even though they
belong to the family Of Stephen Clough,
gentleman and shipmaster.
WAIT IN VAIN.
At length everything was in readiness,
and the Sally waited only for the signal
which should tell her master that the
plot had succeeded, and the queen was
ready to embark The waiting was in
vain. Marie Anto'nette had been remov-
ed to a deeper dungeon, and when she
once more came cut from this it was not
to- journey by means of the broad At
lantic, but set out upon another sea which
we call eternity. For, after several days
of waiting, Capt. Clough formed one of
that crowd which on the memorable 10th
of October, 1893, saw the unfortunate
queen led to the scafford, where a tragedy
was ended.
It was not until early in the following
year that Capt Clough reached gain his
native shore and then it is said that the
Sally though deprived of one royal pas
Senger, yet brought no less a parsonage
than the prince and statesman, Talley-
rand Certain it is that he, with a COM
panion arrived in Wiscasset about this
time and no other Maine ship so far as
known was then in the French commerce,
and all other vessels. were subject to the
French inhibition.
When the Sally once more dropped an
Choir in the Wiscasset harbor, fabulous
stories were soon floating about as to
the cargo She brought, many of which
have come down to the present day. A
Boston man, named Capt. James Swan,
was owner of the lumber trade in which
the Sally and her master were engaged,
and If he had no other hand in the plot
for the rescue of the unhappy queen, he
at least, as contract owner was EMIT ed
tC a share Of the ships unclaimed cargo.
A little later we find him building fine
mansion in Dorchester, which, when COM
pleted was furnished in so elegant and
costly a manner as to become the wonder
and admiration as well as envy Of all
his nelghhors. This unprecedented dis
play of magnificence naturally caused no
little comment and. surn1ises; so great a
sensation, in fact, was created that
certain historian observes that between
and Swan, who took off their trunks, lit
tie was left of the French
A son CT Capt. Swan was an oftlcer on
board the Sally on her memorable return
from France, being, in fact, supercargo,
and portion of his share of the royal
belongings was the sideboard which tufn-
ishes the subject of the present sketch;
this young man, James Swan, Jr., not
long after his return, married Miss caro-
line Knox, daughter of the revolution
airy hero, Gen. Henry Knox, of Thomas
ton and the SidebOard went with him to
the Knox mansion, and was there pur-
chased by friend of the family, whose
ownership continued until its purchase
as already stated
The woman who called to tel its history
TO it's present owner had at one time been
the maid of Mrs. Thatcher, another
daughter of Gen. Knox and was well ac-
quainted with its story. With it, she said,
upon its arrival in America had been
a large silver urn, which in course Of
events had been lost sight of by those
most interested; learning of this Mr..
Baxter set about a search for It's recov-
cry, a search which was for several years
unavailing. At length, however, it was
traced to Chelsea, Mass, where it had be-
come known as the washington and La
fayette urn," and was used in serving
coffee at various church functions.
URN SECURED LATER.
The urn was purchased and brought to
Portland, where it was reunited to its old
time companion, and where it now stands
a handsome piece of silver, touched of
with ivory, surmounting the ancient side
board
A few years since, at a meeting of the
Portland Historical society, Mr.. Rufus K.
Sewell, of Wiscasset, exhibited a piece OF
white brocaded silk, said to be a bit Of
the robe made by the queens own hands,
in which she so bravely met her death,
and that this is vouched by so well-in
formed a man as Mr. SeWell, carries con-
viction to others less qualified to judge.
A house now standing on the east side
of the Scheepscot in the town of Edge
come, is known as the Marie Antoinette
house. this, according to tradition. having
been built for the occupancy of the
French queen upon her arrival in Amer
lea. In 1888 this house was removed from
It's original site to its present location.
Ones fancy is allowed full play in pic
turing the peaceful days that might have
been PASSED by the Queen within the
walls of this old house had not that dar-
ing plot failed. But, is It fancy alone
which, as darkness and silence fall
about the old sideboard, gives us n
glimpse of the moving figures, and fash
ing gems of lords and ladies, a breath of
perfume, the rustic of silks, the clink Of
glasses, or the echo of laughter long