Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-22
ANCIENT PEMAQUID.
Report of Commissioners in
Charge Of Notifications.
Interesting Information Concerning
the Historic Fort William Henry.
Memorial Of Hon. r. X. Sewall, One of
Names Historians.

boE hiil ilds JUST received the report
of Commissioners John Marshall
Brown. Joshua L. Chamberlain and
john NJ. Glidden. who are in charge of
the ancient Qualifications at Pemauuid.
known as Fort William Henry. The
report is as follows:
To The Honorable John F. Hill. Governor
of Maine:
The undersigned Commissioners
charged with the care of the remains, of
the ancient fortifcations at PemaquId re
Gently conveyed to the State by the Penn
aquid Monument Association, respectful
~ report their action and recommended
tons OH the matters entrusted to them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY.
We found the property thus conveyed
to include the site of the two forts last
built on the commanding eminence which
forms the southeastern shore of the}nar-
row entrance to Pemaquid Harbor, IN the
town of Bristol. 1t embraces the ruins
Of the walls, baStionS and towers and
the relics of military occupation lying
about them much as they have lain
since the last destruction of the fort dur
ing the War of the Revolution, and still
for the most part covered with earth and
oVergrOWn with grass.
HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF THIS
POSITION.
1t is well known that this was a
gathering place for VoyagerS, fishermen
and temporary sOjourners from the later
years of the sixteenth century. The re
mains of a well populated and well-buiit
town with paved streets now quite be-
low the surface of the present cultivated
soil,-thc date of which establishment has
not yet been discovered.-show that this
was also in every early times occupied
with intention of permanence. The COLI
tinuous or ever-renewed establishment OF
fGrtiticdtionS commanding this harbor.
evidences the Importance of the position
France or England should dominate
these shores. Not TO refer more particu-
larly to the rules still conspicuous a lit
tie distance above the site now under
relics OF Spanish occupation here. it is
of interest to mention in order the sever
al structures once occupying the ground
now taken in trust by the State which
outpost, as Castine was the most west
ern French stronghold, in this long con-
tention.
1925. A blockholse. or stockade. FOR
protection especially against marauders
of several nations infesting this coast.
1871. This was replaced b. a regular
military work named Fort Charles. built
by Sir Edmund AndroS governor Of New
York. including then Pemaquid. for rem
devious and defence from hostile parties
of all kinds. This was destroyed by In
dians III 1853.
1892. Fort William Henry, an extensive
and well~equipped fort. built ny Sir Will
liam Phpps. a Maine-born' man, and first
native royal governor Of the colony of
MASSACHUSETTS, BaS, including both Ply
mouth and 4 large portion OF southwest !
ern Maine. This fort is described in fG.li
by the celebrated Cotton Mather H.
says it was l5I feet in compass; the wall
on the sel front, - feet high, and more;
than Six feet thick: the walls on the other
sides, from Is to 10 or II feet high. The
round tower at the northwest angle. q
feet hi@h. The fort had y ports ard Il,
guns mounted, Whereof six were IS
Founders, with a garrison of Mt least 50
men. But in 1896 this fine fort was taken
and destroyed by a combined force--the
French fleet commanded by the distin-
guished Sieur D'Iberville Cwho afterwards
performed such exploits on the MissiS-
Sippi and Mobilel, and the land force of
French and Indians commanded by the
Baron De Castine. Shot from this bonn
bardment are still found in the buried
ruins OF the fort
1729. The government thought it neces-
s1ry to rebuild the fort. and proceeded
apparently on the same lines those of
the former This was named Fort Fred
eric. 1t stood as the frontier post OF the
English. .erving good uses although some
what neglected by the government until,
in 1883, Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham
before Quebec settled the fate of France
on these shores ana Fort Frederic was no
longer needed as an advanced guard be-
tween the nations. From that time IL
stood, reminder of great things blt itself
unable TO defend it against the power OF
the English. themselves destroyed it. The
ruins we find there now have had part
in the eventful and tragic history OF this
region 4or $50 years; and the grasses anu
herbs from the old world springing up in
the crannes around The crumbled tower
tell of the life which overpasses that of
man.
We submit herewith an interesting plan
Of the fort civilian Henry destroyed by
DIberville. with a tracing on the same
sheet Of n more extensive and elaborat c
fort proposed to replace this in 1899. Il
to be made for Governor Dudley
by Colonel Romer, a distinguished ensi-
neer of that time. This was procured
from the archives of England by the
Hon. James Z. Baxter Of Portland. The
proposed plan was not followed in Fort
Frederic, but the former lines were built
upon. except that we have recently dis
covered that the southeast angle laid
down or the plan of the old fort as wha
appears to be a gun platform, was. as the
foundations reveal. bastion-shape in
stead, giving flank fire of musketry
along both curtains of the Wallace. We
have here also a profile of the ruins al
that time. The snetch of the castle and
front wall given on this sheet is not so
authentic: but drawn in accordance with
the verbal description and the military
architecture Of that time. We submit
CONTINUED on page c.
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