The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-30
MApocKAWANDo.

lowship With the English cOlonists,
! He had ordered the Penobscots to pre-
serve such peace, and he loyalty re-
lied on a treaty his adopted father,
AssaminasQua had long ago made
with the settlers. And now those same
settlers were behaving toward the
Penobscots in away that the widest
stretch OF Imagination could not con-
strue as friendly or even neaceahie.
It is not pleasant to be forced to eat
ones own words OF praise; and Ma.
dockawando rebelled at the task. In
stead, he broke into history with a
series of dramatic deeds which made
his name terror along the Maine
frontier.
Madockawando was born In Maine,
about 1890. His peoples lands for
the most part lay TO the east OF the
Penobscot river and were part OF the
much harassed province OF Acadia.
The French had formerly owned Aca'
dia, lost It to the English and, in 1867,
recovered 1t. The English, however.
still claimed the territory between the
st. Croix and Penobscot rivers. Boun-
Diary disputes arose; and in these dis
putes Madockawando and his Indians
suddenly found themselves involved.
BetweeH the French and the English,
they were as the luckless cloth be-
tween the blades OF pair OF shears.
Tho Man With Grievance.
The English especially raided them
and seized much Penobscot land, and
there was more than one conflict be-
tween savages and settlers. The In.
dams crops were destroyed, their
hunting grounds overrun. The Penob.
scots could not understand. They sent
ambassadors to Boston to protest
against these outrages and to demand
fair treatment. The ambassadors were
seized, disarmed and thrown into pris-
on. The English took, indeed, some
perfunctory steps toward reconcilta
ton. But, as they could make no def
mite promises OF restitution or OF bet"
ter conduct, AFFAIRS only grew worse
Madockawando made fervent appear
to the English commissioners at for
NAL council wherein he set forth his
grievances. and ended BY asking:
What are we to do for winter sup
plies, now that our crops are gone?
How can we buy powder and shot?
Shall We die OF hunger or appeal to
the French for aid?"
The commissioners evaded the ques.
lions and advised him to wait until
they could confer with the colonial
governor. But the sachem replied:
I'VE have already waited. Now We ex-
pect our answer"
AS the commissioners could-or
would-grant him no satisfaction,
Madockawando threw aside his peace
full intentions ana went on the war
path. During his Wholesale ravages
he seized sixty settlers and held them
as hostages for his own imprisoned
ENJOYS. But these white prisoners did
not suffer as did most colonists who
fell into hostile Indians hands. Ma
dockawando forbade all torture or
other ill.treatment of prisoners and
would permit no unnecessary brutality
in any OF the wars campaigns.
Every English settlement in that
part of Maine was destroyed, and tho
whole region was terrorized by Ma
dockawando. The English, to curb
the fighting spirit they had aroused,
tried diplomacy where force had
failed them. In 1878 they consented
to a new treaty whereby the Maine
settlers whom Madockawando had
driven away might return to their
farms on the condition of paying rent
to the Indians for the land they had
once sought to seize by right OF
strength. This was triumph for
Madockawando and few years OF
peace followed. But other warlike in
fiuences were soon at work. The no.
torious Baron de st. Castine married
one OF Madockawando's daughters,
and thus helped not only to draw the
Penubscots toward the Flench, but to
strengthen sort of feudal power he
himself was building up.
A War Of Vengeance.
Tho English governor Andres, sailed
to Penobscot in 1858, burned and plum
dered st. Castine's castle" there and
destroyed his fort. Madockawando
flew to arms in his son-in-laws be.
half; and new border war set in.
The chief event of this war was
MadockaYanuos attack on the town
of York, Maine, in 1851. He burnt the
town to the ground, killed n Of its
inhabitants and carried away IS pris-
oners. This was but one of number
OF raids wherein Madockawando, with
his braves or with their French allies,
made the frontier a place OF ever
present peril. He was paying his
debt OF grievances against the Eng
fish with usurIous interest.
In 1898 Madockawando died. Some
historians believe he was treacherous-
ly murdered, with other Indian chiefs.
by Capt, Pasco Chubb during peace
conference" at PemaQuid. He was al
together the most humane savage of
his century and one Of the bravest OF
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