The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-08-24
The Battle of Brooks.
+ Written for The Journal.

The early days of the country found
the military spirit very much alive.
Prominent citizens cultivated the war
like profession and every State had
strong militia organizations and were
prepared to answer to the call to arms at
any moment Preparedness was popu-
lar in those days of British domineering
and Indian aggression, and although the
State of M aine was exempt from danger
of the Indians at the time | write the
spirit of ITS was still dominant in the
minds of the inhabitants and every coun-
ty had a strong armed force in proper
ton to it's population, and Generals,
Colonies and minor officers of rank in
abundance. Waldo county numbered
many of her leading men and politicians
upon the muster roll and had several
regiments within her borders. 1t would
appear that the design was to have as
many regimental organizations as permits
sible in order to secure as many officers of
high rank as possible. SO looking back
seventy-five years we find Generals and
Colonies galore. Among them were
General Jonathan Merrill of Frankfort,
with Adams Treat his A. D. c., who in
later wears was himself colonel and
prominent Democratic politician and ora
tor. Then there was General Robert
Sargent of Monroe, with staff of aid
de-camps, consisting of Asa Thurlough,
Geo. K. Thurlough of Monroe, Lewis
Richardson OF Belfast, with rank of 1st
Lieutenant Upton Treat of Frankfort,
Brigade Major, and Sherburn Sleeper
of Belfast, Brigade Quartermaster and
Lieutenant. The mild hammered and
good Freewill Baptist, Deacon William
Higgins of Thorndike, was Brigadier
General, with Ephraim Higgins of the
same town A. D. c., and J. B. Murch of
Unity, Quartermaster. William Aver
of Montvllle. a WING politician, and Sam
uel S. Heagan of Prospect, Democratic
leader, were Brigadler Generals, who
in the general political break up in 1855
found themselves in the same party and
were both Senators from Waldo Co.
Prospect had Colonel Abel Watherton,
Troy had Colonel Jesse Smart, both ia
nous politicians. Col. Smart went to
California to reside in 1860. Knox had
Colonel Benjamin Vose, Montville, Lit.
Col. William Stevenson, Major Bradford
S. Foster, and Adjutant Rufus S. Vose.
Thorndike had Elijah Gordon for Colonel,
Mark Hale, 1t. Col, Paul Baker, Major,
and Joseph Whitcomb, Adjutant. One
luldIllIy dCSu d pOI VI
Penobscot county, with John Fuller of
Carmel Colonel, and William Treat Of
Frank fort 1t. Colonel, Stephen E. Len
fest, Swanville, Major. and Tisdale D.
Clements of Monroe, later a prominent
Free Will Baptist clergyman, and Free
Soil member of the legislature, as ad-
jutant. The Belfast regiment was COM
manded by Col. j. W. Webster, who
twenty years later was Adjutant Gen
eral of the State, at which time Jeffer-
son Davis visited Belfast as Secretary of
War, and the last muster was held in
Waldo County. Moses H CHM was 1t.
Col. of the Belfast regiment, Benjamin
Kelley, Major, and George R. Sleeper,
adjutant. There was also a regiment
of Cavalry, commanded by H. W. Cum
ningham-who then resided in Swanvllle
and thirty years later was Colonel of the
10Th Maine in the Civil War-Lt. Col.
William Ellingwood of Frankfort, John
C. Black of Prospect, Major, and Miles
Staples of Swanvllle, Adjutant. The Ar
tillery Company was commanded by
Major N. H. Hubbard of Frankfort, who
was Colonel of the 18th Maine in the
war of the rebellion. His Adjutant was
Otis Kaler of Frankfort, who was Sena-