The Republican journal., 1913-05-08
Annals of Belfast tor Half a
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
(Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER VII. (lS07.)

tended with much buster ana SUR. 1he
Company of Artillery and Cavalry turn
ed cut, and there was public dinner at
the Hall of T. Whittier, Esq. General
Ulmer and Major iona. Wilson made
their appearance in uniform !-Gener-
ais. Colonies and Majors were not as
plenty as IN these days. All the terri
tory embraced in the present counties OF
Waldo, Hancock, Penobscot, and Wash
ington was within the limits of the Tenth
Division of the Militia of Massachusetts,
and General George Ulmer was the first
of that rank, probably, who ever made
an appearance in uniform before the
eyes of the good people of the place.
Gen. Ulmer was man of note in his
day. He resided in. Lincolnville and rep
resented that town in the Legislature.
He was a Senator from Hancock before
the Separation, and in the first Legisla-
ture that convened after Maine became
a State. He was once Sheriff of the
county, and early in the war OF 1872 he
resigned his office as Major General on
being appointed by President Madison to
the command of the troops at Fort Sulll-
van, Eastport, with the title OF Colonel
commandment. He was succeeded as
Major General by Gen. David Cobb of
Revolutionary fame.
For some years prior to 1907 consider
able antagouism had existed between
the Projectors of the wild lands, as they
were termed, lying between the Penob-
scot and kennebec rivers and the settlers
on those lands. Some of those settlers
had gone into possession under convey
ances from individuals who assumed to
be the owners of the soil, but in reality
were mot; others, under verbal license,
or contracts to purchase, the conditions
of which they found themselves unable
to perform; others had taken up lots and
made Improvements not knowing what
parties held the title, acting on the be-
lief that when the rightful owners did
appear they should be able to procure
title to their land at fair price; the
last named class were denominated
"squatters 1t was not always an easy
matter for the settler to decide, in the
multitude of conflicting claims, what
party really held the title, with whom he
might safely negotiate. In many in
stances the proprietors of lands were
not disposed to trade with parties who
had taken up lots and made improve
ments on terms which were regarded
fair and reasonable. Next in course Of
time followed suits at law brought by
proprietors to eject settlers from their
lands; and next, opposition and in some
instances organized resistance to the
service Of legal process, and to the ex-
ercise of the ordinary acts of ownership
by proprietors. Surveyors sent on by
them to make surveys of lots, officers
attempting to execute legal process,
We're resisted and in some il stances as
saulted by parties disguised as Indians
Some Of the earlier settlers of Greene
Plantation We're of one or the other of
the classes before named, and were
known as ''Greene Indians" An agent
Of some of the proprietors was assaulted
by parties thus disguised and severely
beaten; the horse of an officer who was
attempting to serve legal process was
shot under him The lawyers who
brought these suits OF ejectment for
Iroprietors, and the officers employed to
serve them, resided in this place, and it
was not strange that they We're regard
ed by the squatters as in league
with the proprietors who were
adopting measures which in their
view were unjust and oppressive; neither
was it strange under the circumstances
that there should exist to some extent a
feeling of hostility against Belfast This
very brief and imperfect statement is
citement which pervaded the little COM
nunity here for the greater part of a
night ard which is still referred to oc-
casonaily as the "Greene Indian War"
it might, with much greater propriety
be styled the "Greene Indian Scare. -
There is some slight difference in the
recollection of our oldest inhabitants as
to the time when it occurred; the con-
clusion arrived at is that it was in 1907.
One Of the most prominent of the set
tiers in the Plantation had been ARE sted
by an officer residing here for an alleged
breach of the peace, or violation of the
law, and brought here on his way to the
jail at Castine. 1t was late in the day,
and the wind being unfavorable for the
packet TO cross the Bay, he was placed
in charge of keepers for the night. Such
an event was not of frequent occurrence
and of itself created some little excite
ment; that excitement was increased by
a report which began to circulate about
sunset that men disguised as Indians had
been seen skulking in the woods and
stealing across the road just beyond
Wilson's Hill. Fuel was added to the
fire by still another report, purporting
to come from tout back" that the
Greene Indians were coming in to rescue
the prisoner and burn the village A