The Republican journal., 1913-09-11
around the docks. and / should be unable


I. W. Pitcher, Moses W. Rich, Abne,
and John Gilmore.
But for the monument on Steele's
ledge, and the Castine lighthouse, l should
think | was in strange city; and on q
hot summer day, as it was the DAY that
l visited Belfast last, and by the attire
of the ladies on the streets, should
mistake it for a southern city, a city
IN the tropics, city mighty near the
equator. AS sat in front of the Windsor
Hotel l saw young ladies' with hobble
skirts which enabled them to step but a
few inches. Many of them were dressed
i'll white, and could liken them to moth
ing but perambulating spermaceti can
dies, and as they wore no head covering
the brunettes resembled candle after
the wick had been lighted and extin-
guished, but the blondes were still
ablaze. There were dresses of various
hues. the meagreness of which caused the
first line of a popular gospel hymn to
come to my lips: "Only thin veil be-
tween us!' AS | sat there | could not
help contrasting the ladies' skirts of to-
day with those of half a century ago
remember at the great militia page
ant in Belfast, in 1858, think it was,
at any rate, Lot M. Morrill, of Augusta
was Governor, and James W. Webster
OF Belfast was Adjutant General, and he
1t was that caused all the military COM
panleS of the State to assemble at Bel
fast for three days encampment and
there was mighty concourse of people
assembled for those three days. A grand
military ball was held in Plerce's hall on
that occasion and it was the time when
the ladies' hoop skirts We're the biggest
and the loudest. | remember it was
said that while the late DR.. N. P. Mon
roe was escorting two ladies of his house
hold to this ball and as they were COM
ing down the Crosby hill under full sail,
wing and wing, the Brewer company
was marching up that hill in columns Of
four. Seeing that he could not pass
without collid.ng the captain of the com
pany gave sharp quick order: "By the
left flank, march, ana marched his com
pany by the left flank into the ditch to
give the doctor and his two ladies room
to pass.
l am not good at comparisons, but if
called upon to give the outward appear
ance and form of the ladies then and
now, should say that it would be about
the difference between an inflated bal
loon and an angleworm. AS to the mill
tary pageant in Belfast in 1858, it was
the grandest and biggest affair ever held
there, but | knew but little about it,
for at that time my home was not in
Belfast, but on the ocean wave. | was
mate of brig sailing from Rockport,
and my vessel was taking in cargo of
lime at that port at that time, and, it
was my privilege to have a day and
night off to attend that celebration, and
all | know about it is what | saw, and
what heard. But | expect that when
Crosby Annals of Belfast, now in course
of publication in The Journal, reach
that period tull and interesting &C
count of the affair will be given. saw
Gov. Morrill,, and heard him speak, but
remember only one sentence Of what be
said, which was this: ''The city of Bel
fast is renowned for it's hospitality to
strangers. | saw Jeff. Davis, then
Secretary of War under President Bu-
chanan, who was present and reviewed
the troops. remember how the officers
and men, We'd with each other to do him
homage, and know that within three
years many of those officers and men,
with arms in their hands, were after the
scalp of that arch traitor and singing,
We'll hang jeff. Davis to sour apple
tree
remember that there were two mill
tary companies in Belfast at that time,
the Belfast City Greys, Captain Thomas
H. Marshall, and the Belfast Heavy Ar
tillery, Captain Henry W. Cunningham.
| remember men who were there who
later become noted for their bravery,
and gave their lives on the altar of their
country early in the war of the Rebellion:
Gen. Hiram G. Berry of Rockland, Col.
Jameson of Bangor, Col. Marshall of
Belfast. Col. Cunningham of Belfast
went to the war, and though his life was
spared until the close of the war he was
known as TIE bravest of the brave.
Mattocks of Portland, then STRIPPING in
his teens, was a private in the Portland
Mechanics Blues. have no means of
knowing how many of the then members
of the two Belfast companies went to
the war and lost their lives there, but
can mention two, viz, Sheridan Miller,
then private in the City Grey's, who was
killed when a Lieutenant in Company K. !,
4th Maine; and my brother, Ralph John
son, then private in the Belfast artil-
lery, who was killed at the Battle of the
Wilderness when 1st Sergeant of Co.
D., 10Th Maine. But the things that in
terested me most at that encampment
were the pranks of the Portland Me-
chanic Blues, who were clearly out for
fun, and had it. There were some very
fine singers in the company, and among
them one DR.. Mason, the surgeon;
Tom Loring, a druggist on Exchange
street, and Charles P. Mattocks, all of
whom l knew very we'll in later years.
They had chorus of fine singers and all
of the songs of the day, and one evening
they gave all impromptu concert on the
veranda OF the American House that
was delight to all who heard it, myself
in particular. | have since listened to
very many of the popular singers of the
day, have attended all of the high-up
musical conventions in the State with
the exception OF Chapmans. Have re-
ceived instructions from earle Goran, and
was called good tenor singer for twenty
years; but | was never thrilled to my
| fingers ends as l was in listening to a
big colored man who was attached to
the Mechanic Blues, as baggage master,
mess cook, or valet, or something of that
nature and who sang The Soldiers Fare
WE'LL" A quartette composed of DR..
Baker, Tom Loring, c. P. Mattocks and
the darkey sang " Larboard Watch
Alloy" with much vim. Though l had
been calling larboard watch ahoy for
several years, had never heard it sung
| before Thew sang manV SONGS some