Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-20
CASTINGS STORY IN BRONZE.
Tablets Concentrating Events in q
Struggle of Centuries.


Struggle of Centuries.
49,. ..h,a. :. 49,. -.
'o"n ~ coln "ernorate Some Oh its import
ant historical events.
Castine's history reads more like a
romance than does that Of anv other town
on the Atlantic coast Prior In 1656 IL Ia
believed that there was a fishing and
trading station located there. At the head
of Penobscot bav. it was the outlet for an
Indian country from which came many
valuable furs, and it was the refuge OF
some OF those adventures and traders
who frequented the Maine coast from 1855
to the time Castine finally came into the
possession of the English towards the last
of the Itch century.
Castine was probably visited by Cham
plain, by Capt. John Smith. by Myles
Standish, by Capt. Kidd, the pirate. and
many others whose names appear in the
early settlements on the New England
coast. The Baron Jean Vincent de St.
Castin, a French adyenturer. who had
come to Canada with his regiment, came
into possession of this TERRITORY and estab-
lished a fort and trading station. He
married the daughter of Madockawando,
chief of the Tarratines. as the Penobscot
Indians were then called. and although
beset by pirates, lawless English and
other adyenturers. maintained himself at
his station until he returned to France
early in 17O1.
The Baron was the terror of the English
colonists along the Maine and Mass
achusetts coasts. He held dominion over
the Indian tribes, and during the wars
between France and England was be-
lieved to have instigated many expeditions
which had for their purpose the massacre
of the settlers in this part of New England.
Castine, or Bagaduce, as the town was
called by the English, changed owners
many times. 1t was at first in the hands
OF the French, then Of the English, for
time was held by the Dutch, then was
taken by the French again and finally by
the English. When the War of the Revo-
luton came, Castine was settled upon as
! the rendezvous Of British sympathizers in
the Eastern part OF Maine.
| Against this town sailed the greatest
naval expedition ever QUILTED by the
United States up to the that time. Com
and Gen. Solomon Lowell was in COM
mand Of the 1000 poorly equipped troops,
the greater part Of whom came from
| Cumberland, York and Lincoln counties.
The expedition sailed from Portland.
Gen. Peleg Wadsworth, who built the
Longfellow house in Congress street,
Portland, was second in command OF the
land forces.
In July, 1779, the troops made an attack
on the fort at Castine, which was COM
manded by Gen. Mclean. The Maine
men made gallant attempt at its capture,
but were repulsed. Commodore Salton-
stall proved to be obstinate and incom-
petent. He would not cooperate with
the soldiers. and finally, when British
fleet came to the relief, he retired in con-
fusion up the Penobscot to Bangor, where
(having lost several vessels by grounding
on the way) he set fire to and sunk the re-
mainder OF the fleet to prevent 1t falling
into the hands OF the British.
Several OF the old cannon that composed
the armament OF the destroyed heet have
at various times in the past thirty years
been recovered from the river, the first OF
these being mounted on granite base IN
front OF the postoHice.
The sailors OF the expedition he'd
through the woods to the settlements OF
the Kennebec, many dying OF hunger and
exposure on the way and others being
captured.
The English planned to make Castine
the seat OF new government where the
Tories, who had been driven out OF the
New England and Southern states, were to
be installed and given land to make up for
their losses in other parts OF the country.
DIR. John Calef, OF Ipswich, Mass, who
was Tory, OF prominence, left journal
in which he has related all of the plans OF
King George and his ministers concerning