The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-08-20
HISTORIC CASIINf.
TPaper read at the meeting OF John Cochran
Chapter, D. A r., Belfast. Aug. 10. l9os'l


= Ghapter. D. A T., Belfast. Aug. 10, 190s.l
A casual visitor of these days to the
peaceful, sleepy town Of Castine,-our
neighbor just across the bay,-Would
hardly reailze that he had reached the
most historic spot of Maine, and-one
might almost say,-of the entire New
World, The walls of Fort George,
GROWING the hill, the traces OF many
ancient earthworks and batteries,
and-oldest of all,-the almost obliter-
atediwalls of the old French fort, ZEN
tagoet-all these might give that same
careless visitor some inkllng OF the ups
and downs of the old towns history;-,
and certainly if they could speak,
strange and wonderful would De tne
tales they would relate. From the
days when the daring voyagers TO Cne
Old World sailed up the waters OF our
own Penobscot in search OF the 1apa
lous city OF Norumbega which their
charts and map located IN. our near
vicinity, to the days OF the british &C.
cupation in 1914, the peninsula OF what
is now Castiue was considered a most
important strategic point in the eyes OF
the nations. and as such suffered the
yicissitudes common to frontier posts.
Indians. French, Flemish pirates,
Dutch, English and Americans held 1t
in their turns; naval engagements
took place in its harbOr, earrisons oc-
cupied its forts, until the year 1919,
which saw Castine abandoned as mil
itary post, to gradually settle down
| into its present place and quiet.
AS early as 1913 plans were being
| formed in France for the occupation
of Pentagoet, "a territory on the east
ern side of Penobscot Bay, and com
prising the modern towns OF CaStlne,
Brooksville and PenObscot, and occu-
pied by the Tarratlnes, later known as
| the Penobscot Indians. 1t was not
until 1926, however, that any perma
nent settlement WAS made,-and then
| one Isaac Allerton OF Maytlower fame
established on the peninsula a trading
post for the convenience and profit vi
| the Plymouth Colony.
| Located as 1t was on the borders OF
the French province OF Acadia, the
| Plymouth colonlsts, after FEW years
| of peaceful possession, found them
selves, as was inevitable sooner OF
later. in difficulties with the French.
They were long way from home, and
perhaps the result was inevitable as
we'll: at any rate the French were left
| in peaceful possession aud the Pilgrim
| traders, Notwithstanding the frettlng
aud Tuning of Miles Standlsll, were
compelled to go back to Plymouth, all
, their efforts, then and later, to reta ie
the place being fruitless.
From this time OH the story OF Pen
tagoet is the story OF place tossed
back and forth in a sort OF battle
dore and shuttlecock fashion be-
tween France and England; now be-
longing to the one, now to the other,
with a raid by Flemish pirates and
another by the Dutch thrown in for
variety and to make good measure.
For the greater part of the time, how
ever until the first part of the elgh-
teenth century, we may consider Penta-
goet under French dominion, and a
part of Acadia.
1t was involved to a great extent in
the dispute between D'Auluay and La
Tour. both Frenchmen. as to which of
them held supreme command in AGA
dia,-a feud which ended only with the
death of D'Auluay, when his widow, III
true romantic fashion. married La
Tour,-an efficient method OF settling
the disputed question, but one ordlna-
rily more in accordance with the man
ner of novelists than of real life.
In 1867 new factor appeared on the
scene. and one whose name was des-
tined 10 be associated forever with the
little settlement on Penobscot Bay.
| In his old age Whittier describes him
thus:
zone whose bearded cheek
| And white, and wrnkled brow bespeak
A wanderer from the sho, es of France,
| A few long locks OF scattering snow
| Beneath battered morton How,
A nd from the rlvets uf the vest
Which girds in steel his ample breast
The slanted sunbeams glance.
In the harsh outlines OF his lace
Passion and sin have left their trace;
Yet, save worn brow and thin gray hair,
No signs of weary age are there.
His step is firm, his eye is keen
Nor years in broil and battle spent
Nor tot, nor wounds, nor pain have bent
The lOrdly frame OF old Castlne.>
Yet | am sure that those words
would hardly have applied to him,
Wien, in the full vigor of his youth and
manhood, Vincent de st. Castin came
first to the Acadian land and settled
am, ng the Tarratines.
A few years earlier he had come to
New France with his regiment. This be-
ing d1sbanded at the close of the war
he decided, instead of returning to his
chateau in France, to wander south
word in search of adventure. He grew
so fond of the new country that he de-
cided to make it his home, became very
influential among the Indians, who
looked upon him almost as divinity,
learned their language, and later mar
rled a princess of the tribe. the daugh-
ter of Madockawando. His home at
Pentagoet is described as ''a safe and
commodious residence.-a long, low,
| irregular building, constructed partly
of wood and partly of stone, and had a
rather grotesque appearance. The win
dows were small and quite high, so that
no one could look in from the outside.
The fort surrounding it contained
twelve guns, a we'll, a chapel with a
bell, and several outbuildings; and a
garden containing quite number OF
| fruit trees was attached to it."
l. Historians appear to differ as to the
character of the Baron Castine,- per
haps on the whole we may call him
neither better nor worse than the 9TH
ers of his age and time. Young, adven-
turous,-ready to fight or ready to trade
as the association might Demand
band of an Indian princess, and SO
powerful in hi r fathers nation that he
could dictate peace or war as he Wllled;