The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-08-24

lor from WaI0O 20. IN 1903, and Lieu
tenant in the 26th Maine in the Civil
| War. Chas. P. Rich of Frankfort was
Quartermaster and Reuben S. Smart of
Swanville, Major of Staff. Ephraim K.
Smart of Camden, famous politician
and Frank S. Nckerson, a Brigadier
General in the Civil War. Adjutant,
Reuben S. Smart was recently deceased
and General Frank Nickerson survives
at Roslinda)e, Massachusetts, at the age
OF III years. He is most remark able
man, with wonderful vitality, and has
greatly distinguished himself in war and
| IN his profession of attorney at law.
The military history of Waldo county
was largely operative from 1880 to 1912,
the latter year having brought about
the virtual disarmament of all compa-
MES except the two organizations in
Belfast, the war spirit receiving a Sc
we're jolt that year by clash at Brooks
between the militia and a large organi-
cation of men who sought to cast ridi-
cule upon the tinselled soldiery, and
which was known as the battle of
Brooks.
| The State forces were regularly en-
rolled in companies. All of the officers
were commissioned by the Governor and
were obliged to attend muster when or
dered by their division commander, with
two f1intlocks, printing wire and brush,
| and other arms and accoutrements.
! Their musters were usually in the fall
and were great events in the neighbor-
hood where held, that drew the population
from all over the country. Gingerbread
and hard cider constituted the main re-
freshments, and feature was the
wrestling matches between the cham
pions of various localities. The general
muster was ordered in September. 1912.
in large field in Brooks owned bv Tim
othy Thorndke, Senior, north of the viii
| lage about mile, where the soldiers as
sembed on that fateful day for drill and
began their evolutions under the admir-
ing gaze of hundreds of men, women
and children. They little realized that
there was conspiracy by the Young
men of Brooks and Jackson, assisted hv
the virlle youngsters of Waldo. Knox
and Monroe, to humiliate them. Cant
James Paul commanded the regular
Brooks company of go men, which, how
ever, had a minority of Brooks men in
its ranks. The much larger number of
Brooks men were enrolled in two com.
panies who were looking for trouble.
commanded respectively by Allen Davis
Captain, John Wright of jackson and
Charles Thorndike Of Brooks, lieuten-
ants. The other, James S. Huxford
Captain, Andrew d. Bean LIST Lieutenant
and Cyrus Boynton, End lieutenant
Huxford and Bean, with their POSITIONS
reversed, went to war in 1861 in com
mand of Brooks company, in the 9TH
Maine. The two companies, with num-
bers sWeled by arrivals to witness the
muster, armed with pitchforks, scythes.
hoes, brooms, etc., dressed as Indians
and in all descriptions of irregular and
fantastic apparel, marched upon the field
in perfect order and began their move.
ments in imitation of the soldiery. Can't.
HuXford was field commander, Leuten-
ants Wright ard Boynton field officers.
When General Sargent would command
in his sharp voice, "Shoulder arms. -
the Captain would order his ragamufins
to shoulder arms and most comicaI
shoulder it was with their varied imple
ments of warfare, and SO they continued
all sorts of antics in imitation of the
military, drawing the crowd all awav
from the soldiers, exciting the greatest
merrlment and confusion, until General
Sargent boiled over with rage and or
dered his command to charge the rebels.
experimenting his order to shoot them
min; shoot them, min. The Brooks bows
were game at first and put up stiff
fight, but the number and arms were
against them and they finally broke into
Bull Run panic and scattered in all
directions, pursued by the men they had
made ridiculous. Two men stood their
ground behind Allen Davis stone wall
near his house-W Wellington Roberts and
Loren Rose, where, armed with stones
from the wall, they repulsed the men
who had chased them from the battle
field. The soldiers chased the three
Ham boys, Tom, Ben and Joe, into their
house, which was near, when Mother
Ham appeared on the scene armed with
one of the fashioned, long iron SHOW
els and threatened to brain any man who
stepped across her threshold. There were
numerous encounters, but no one was
seriously injured. But the muster was
broken up before it was fairly begun and
that was the last muster in Waldo county
until 1859, when special one was held
In East Belfast to welcome jeff Davis.
General Sargent left the ground and
galloped to Belfast, but it was MANY
years before he dared to go through
Brooks except py rapid driving. M4ny
of the soldiers and Brooks irregulars
participated In the war of 1861; also the
sons, but few individuals are alive who
witnessed that day.
A WOMAN'S KINDLY ACT