Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-05-01
CAPTURE OF CAsTlNE.
Story Told by An Eye Witness Who
Died Recently.

Story Told by An Eye Witness Who
o Died Recently.
Mrs. Mercy Jordan, OF Portland, who
died last week at the age of ninety-nine
years, was living witness of the British
invasion of American soil in the latter
part of the war Of 1912. Only short time
before her death, Mrs. Jordan gave q de-
lightful interview on the thrilling incl
dents Of the war.
Mrs. Jordan passed her declining years
at the home Of her granddaughter, Mrs.
John O'Donnell. She had no living chill
dren, but is survived by five grand
children and nine great-grandchildren
Her maiden name was Mercy Bucklin
Murray. She was born In Frankfort,
April 8, 1908.
Aunt Mercy Jordan came of.a decidedly
military family. Her maternal grand
father, Timothy Barnes, . Massachusetts,
patriot, fought and was killed at Bunker
Hill. Her father, two OF her brothers,
Levi and Benjamin Murray, and her hus-
band, Asa Jorian, were soldiers of the
war Of 1872, her father and Levi losing
their lives in the service. Moreover, she,
with her mother, her sister Abigail and
little brother Abram, from the top of
high ledge Leside the Penobscot river and
near Penobscot bay, saw the arrival Of the
British invading feet, under command Of
Sir John c. Sherbrooke-ap powerful squad
ron, with transports bearing nearly 1000
men, which had come from Halifax to
devastate the coast towns-and witnessed
the enemy's capture Of the town Of Cas-
tine, on the opposite shore.
That was in the first week Of September,
1914. The capture Of Castine was followed
by visitations OF British raiders at her
widowed mothers home and the houses Of
their neighbors. They, however, did
little else than appropriate eatables and
drinkables and terrorize the people-the
old men and women and children who
were unable to leave the place. She also
saw the squadron sail by their house up
the river, on its way to Belfast, Hampden
and Bangor, where it made valuable cap
lures of property and did great havoc.
From these expeditions the enemy came
back fortnight later and sailed out of
Penobscot bay, nevermore to return.
Mrs. Jordan's story opened at Fort
Point, opposite Castine, on the west side
OF the water which separates it from
Stockton Springs, in what was formerly
the town Of Prospect. And here it was,
on high ridge, on memorable forenoon
Of September, 1914, that the heroine Of
this narrative, little Mercy Murray, alert
and observing, nestled by her mothers
side as she saw in the distance the dread
squadron Of the enemy round up the Cas-
tine shore, where it anchored and de-
tachment of troops took possession of the
place. Mrs. Jordan's story, as she told it
only few weeks ago, was as follows:
although I was only small girl at the
time the British came up the Penobscot, I
| well remember what an excitement and
panic it produced" said Aunt Mercy.
"Weexpected nothing but that our houses
would be burned, all the other property
destroyed or stolen, our men killed, and
the women and children driven from
home. 1t was a terrible state of things,
you may well believe.
| 81 can still in fancy see in the distance
the British feet as it came up the river
and anchored at Castine. Mother and ]
and the two other children were up on a
ridge in Prospect that overlooked the
water. There were more than 100 of us
there, including squads of men armed
with guns. A portion of the fleet did not
stop long at Castine, but came up the bay
and river. As one Of the big men-ot-war
came up, with its stately masts and brist-
Berry Pierce, a thoroughbred Yankee,
swung his hat and shouted loud enough to
be heard by the ships officers: Hurrah
for the British! Hope you'll succeed in
taking the country" This SO outraged
his companions that they would have
mobbed him on the spot had not better
counsel prevailed.
| Next morning two British officers, in
quest of couple Of deserters, came to our
house and drawing their swords, threat
ened mother with ''instant death" if she
secretsd the men and should refuse to dis
close their hiding place. Mother assured
seen them. Whereupon they searched the
house from cellar to attic, but all to no
purpose.
"rhen seeing some cows grazing on the
| hill back OF US, they told mother to have
them driven down to the yard and MIXED,
as they were 'deuced hungry But mother
| told them she'd have them understand she
wasn't in the habit of milking her neigh
bors' cows!' Which answer greatly
\ amused them. We had a COW of our own
| on the hill, and mother compromised
with the officers by having the cow
for their pleasure. After having drank a
quart of milk they went away to search
other houses. They soon returned to their
| ship, followed to the water by Abraham.
Their boat, small wherry, got loose and
drifted ashore, and one of the two officers
sung out to Abraham to accept the boat
| 'as payment for his Yankee milk.
t'rwo weeks later the feet came back
and sailed out to sea, to the great relief of
| us ALL"