History of Castine, Penobscot, and Brooksville, Maine; including the ancient settlement of Pentagöet;
Wheeler, George Augustus
fljfliff MMmm < K ' tfc: S ■K-" m Hi .. - % JT -\ > f — ^v^.>- \> %. ^ ^ -■"' ^Jl (r 1 ^fc..'-^^.;^ s> S nM: 'iv \ if* ^% ' : jf o^W c^' : 'VW .w ;i : >«• litffeM.* HISTORY GASTINE, PENOBSCOT, AND BROOKSVILLB, MAINE : INCLUDING THE ANCIENT SETTLEMENT OF ^entaofiei ; ^EORQE ^UQUJSTUJB -WhEELER, ^. *JVL, *JVl. J. " Owe <?/" Afcaye o/c/ Towns — wzY/z # History."— Holmes. BANGOR: BURR & ROBINSON. 1875. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by George A. "Wheeler, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. Ill PREFACE. The History of Castine, Penobscot and Brooksville, embraces no inconsider- able portion of the history of Ancient Acadia. This has led me to divide it into three parts. Part I, embraces the period from the aboriginal occupation of the territory to the close of the War of the Revolution. It relates more particularly to the ancient settlement of Pentagoet — or the peninsula of Majabigaduce. Part II, embraces the period from the incorporation of the town of Penob- scot, to the close of the War of the Rebellion. It includes the Municipal His- tories of the three towns. Part III, consists mainly of such historical documents — having a special interest in connection with this History — as have never before been pub- lished, or of such as have only appeared in newspapers and in works not easily obtainable, or that are not of an historical character, and which, though well worth publication, could not conveniently, or with propriety, be inserted in either of the other parts. A copious Index is also appended. Part I, relating, as it does, to the early settlement and occupation of the eastern portion of the State, will, I trust, be found of general interest by all citizens of Maine, who may chance to peruse it. Had my means been more abundant, and my leisure greater, there is no doubt but that, out of musty manuscripts and almost forgotten volumes scattered through the libraries of this country and of Europe, I might have gathered many additional facts of minor interest and value. I lay claim, however, to no other merit than that of having produced a useful and trust- worthy compilation from the various historical publications to which refer- ence is made in the accompanying list of authorities, and from such other documentary sources as were accessible to me, — and I shall deem it no dis- credit to have it said of me, in the language of Tkaddles, that " I am no bad compiler, but I have no invention at all." The photographs of Castine village, from which the illustrations were printed, were taken by Mr. A. H. Folsom, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and are considered to be, on the whole, excellent ones. The view of the Village from the harbor is so distant that it was found impossible to obtain, on so small a scale, a perfectly distinct .negative. The sketch of the landing place of the Americans, and the map of Castine, Penobscot and Brooksville, were drawn especially for this book, by Mr. W. C. Hodgkins, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are very creditable to the artist, and the view of the western shore is the first that has ever been taken. The map is a copy of Desbarre's — with some corrections and additions. The heliotypes are printed by James R. Osgood & Co., of Boston, and are very good specimens of this kind of illustration. They certainly compare favorably with the photographs from which they were taken. The wood-cut of William Hutchings, was electrotyped expressly for this work. The other porti aits were furnished me by the friends of the parties whom they represent. The diiferences in them; IV as to excellence, are due solely to the character of the original negatives, and not at all to the heliotype process. The wood-cut of the Normal School House was kindly loaned by the State authorities. The wood-cuts of the Forts were made by an amateur engraver of this town, and are his first attempts. I am, with regret, obliged to omit the valuable and well-executed Plan of the Cemetery, prepared by Mr. Alfred Adams, of this town. To the friends who have assisted me in the prosecution of this work, I take the present opportunity of acknowledging my indebtedness. I have received favors from too many individuals, to specify them all by name ; but it affords me great pleasure to acknowledge my special indebtedness to Mr. Alexander W. Longfellow, of the U. S. Coast Survey, for the many facilities he has fur- nished me in this undertaking ; to Honorable Joseph Williamson, of Belfast, for his almost unexampled generosity in furnishing me with many valuable documents and references, relating to the period of the French occupation of this territory— the fruit of many years of labor on his part, and intended for his own use; to Mr. G. H. Snelling, and- Honorable J. Wingate Thornton, of Boston; and Mr. Hosea B. Wardwell, of Penobscot, for many old documents preserved in their families; and to Messrs. Joseph L. Stevens, M. D., Samuel Adams, Honorable Charles J. Abbott, George H. and William H. Witherle, Samuel T. Noyes, Charles J. Whiting, Reverend Alfred E. Ives, and Philip J. Hooke, of this town, for their suggestions and aid. It is also proper that I should, in this connection, acknowledge to the pub- lic the great obligations that I have been under to my brother,— the late William A. Wheeler, of the Boston Public Library. It is in no slight degree due to his kindly interest that I have been led to persevere in my somewhat laborious employment, and his assistance and advice have been at all times freely extended to me— as they were, indeed, to all who sought them. Had he lived, this volume would have received, in its revision as it went through the press, the benefit of his experience and conscientious care. The task had but just been commenced when Ms earthly career was terminated. In preparing this History, I have had somewhat in view the benefit such a work would be to the rising generation of this town. I trust the perusal of its pages may tend to increase the already well known affection of its children for the place of their nativity, or adoption. Although not myself "to the manor born," my interest in the town in which I have taken up my abode, can hardly be surpassed. To the citizens of Castine, therefore, without whose liberality this book might never have been published, to whom I am indebted for many acts of kindness, and around whose beautiful town cluster so many ancient and inter- esting associations, I offer this volume as a token of gratitude and respect. Castine, Maine, January 20, 1875. G. A. W. LIST OF AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. Acadie — Murdoch's. Acadie — Whipple's. AccouDt of Capture of Castine — Sherbrook. Account of Centennial Celebration at Bangor, Maine. Ancient Dominions of Maine — Sewall. Annals of Warren — Eaton. America; or Description of New World— Ogilby. Belknap's Biography. British Plutarch. Boston Journal, November, 1850. Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution— Sabine. Castine Newspapers, Files of Champlain's Voyages. Courts and Lawyers of Maine — Willis. Collections of Maine Historical Society. Collections of Mass. Historical Society. Da Costa's Mount Desert. Drake's Book of the Indians. Drake's Dictionary of American Biog. Dwight's Travels. Early Settlement of Acadia by the Dutch — De Peyster. Farmer's Almanac, 1795 — Robert B. Thomas. Field Book of the Revolution-Lossing. Field Book of the War of 1812-Lossing. Geological Survey of Maine— Jackson. History — Botta's. History of Camden — Eaton. History of Hancock Lodge, F. & A. M. Webster. History of Maine — Sullivan. History of Maine — Williamson. History of Mass. — Hutchinson. History of the Navy — Peterson. History of Newbury — Coffin. History of New England — Coolidge and Mansfield. History (Geographical) of Nova Scotia. London, 1749. History of Plymouth Colony-Bradford. History of Portland — Willis. History of Thomaston, So. Thomaston, and Rockland — Eaton. History of Virginia — Smith. Historical Magazine. Incidents in the Life of Samuel A. Whitney. Journal of the Revolutionary War- Thatcher. Journal of the Siege of Penobscot — Calef. La Hontan's Voyages. Life and Writings of Washington — Appendix 3 — Sparks. Maine Register, 1874. Memorials of English and French Commissaries,concerning the Lim- its of Nova Scotia or Acadia. New France — Charlevoix. Niles's Weekly Register, 1814-15. Pennsylvania Journal, 1775. Providence Patriot, 1815. Remarks upon a Copper Plate — Read before the Am. Antiq. Soc. by Charles Folsom, Esq. Reports of Adjutant General of Maine, 1861, 1866. Statistical Views of Maine— Greenleaf. State Papers — Hutchinson. The Dutch at North Pole and in Maine, De Peyster. The Neutral French. Winthrop's Journal. Wisdom and Policy of the French — London, 1704. IN MANUSCRIPT. [In State Department at Boston.] Governor Pownal's Speech. Letter to Governor Hancock, 1784, by Mr. Cobb. Letter to the Executive, 1811, by Judge Parker. Documents collected in France, by B. Perley Poore. Massachusetts Letter Book. Massachusetts Records, Vols. 1 to 17. Penobscot Expedit'n, Vol. in regard to VI [In possession of Joseph Williamson, Esq.] "William Hutchins's Narrative of the Siege of Penobscot, &c. Lawrence's Orderly Book Perham's Letter from Colonel Brewer. Account of Burton's escape from Fort George. New Ireland — original paper. Topographical Sketch of Castine— Vm, Ballard. [Miscellaneous.] Church Records of First Parish. Church Records of First Trinitarian Church. Custom House Records. District School Records. Redhead's Journal of the Siege of Penobscot. History of Methodism in Castine. Peters' Field Notes of Survey Penobscot. Records of Castine Light Infantry. Reports of School Committees. Town Records. Sundry Letters and Memoranda. of Vll CONTENTS. PART I. PENTAGOET. Chap. I. Early Explorations and Settlements. Chap. II. Occupation by the French. Chap. III. Baron Castin and Family. Chap. IV. French Occupation from 1671 to 1759. Chap. V. "War of Revolution— American Expedition. Chap. VI. War of Revolution— American Defeat. PART II. Chap. I. Chap. II. Chap. III. Chap. IV. Chap. V. Chap. VI. Chap. VII. Chap. VIII. Chap. IX. Chap. X. Chap. XL Chap. XII. CASTINE, PENOBSCOT AND BROOKSVILLE. Topography, Natural History, Climatology, &c. Municipal History of Penobscot. Municipal History of Castine. General and Social History of Castine. Ecclesiastical History. Educational History of Castine. Military History— Since Incorporation of Penobscot. Commercial History of Castine. Ancient Buildings, Forts, Batteries, &c. Biographical Sketches. Municipal History of Brooks ville. Present and Future of the three Towns. PART III. DOCUMENTARY. Section I. Documents Relating to the Ante-Revolutionary Period. Sec. II. Documents Relating to the Revolutionary Period. Sec. III. Documents Relating to the Municipal Period. Shc. IV. Appendix. IX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. View of Castine from High Head * « . .Frontispiece. Map of the old Forts and Batteries Page 42. 54. 84. 148. 187. 188. 191. 192. 194. 196. 203. 212. 232. Map of Castine, Brooksville, and Penobscot. Castine Village from Normal School House. Eastern Normal School House Supposed Plan of Fort Pentagoet Plan of Fort George Outline of Battery Griffith Landing Place of the Americans, 1779 Facsimile of the "Castine Coins" Facsimile of the "Copper Plate" Portrait of William Hutchings * Portrait of Hon. William Abbott Portrait of Deacon Samuel Adams * . .. ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. Page 14, line 15, from bottom, for 'Agoucy' read 'Agoncy.' Page 19, line 1, from bottom, (also on Pages 37, 40, and 43) for 'Hutchins' read 'Hutchings.' Page 35, line 10, from top, for 'Ones' read 'One's.' Page 43, line 3, from bottom, for 'awaited tbe signal to retreat' read 're- mained until a retreat was ordered.' Page 55, line 17, from bottom, for 'Alemogin' read 'Algemogin.' Page 60, line 8, from bottom, for 'were' read 'was.' Page 74, line 15, from top, for 'town' read 'village.' Page 92, line 14, from top, for 'Jotban' read 'Jotham.' Page 99, line 7, from bottom, for 'Sopber's' read 'Soper's.' Page 103, line 2, from top, for 'pbthisis pulmonalis (consumption)' read 'Phtbisis Pulmonalis (Consumption) .' Page 103, line 4, for 'Stepbens' read 'Stevens,' (Also on Page 143, line 5, from bottom.) Page 107, several lines, and page 108, line 1, for 'doctor' read 'Doctor.' Page 107, line 21, from bottom, for 'appoited' read 'appointed.' Page 108, line 17, from bottom, for 'and Doctor' read 'and of Doctor.' Page 144, line 15, from top, for 'at' read 'a.' Page 152, line 10, from top, for 'County' read 'Country.' Page 166, line 7, from bottom, for 'Samuel' read 'Setb.' Page 196, line 9, from top, for 'Darnse' read 'Dominae.' Page 202r line 16, from top, for 'November 30, 1831,' read 'August 5, 1833.' Page 204, line 6, from bottom, for 'union,' read 'Union.' Page 306, line 18, from bottom, for 'constitution' read 'constitution.' Page 369, lines 1, 2, and 3, from top, Under " Co.," for " C " read B." Page 373, line 11, from bottom, under " Regt.," for " lltb" read " 18tb." Note. — The Portrait of Doctor Joseph L. Stevens has been heliotyped, and it was expected up to the present moment that it would appear in this book. It is fully as good as the other illustrations, but on account of their dissatisfaction with it — or for some other reason — the parties who offered to furnish it, now decline to do so. The author still hopes for its insertion — in which case it will be found on Page 222. PART I. PENTAGOET. " One's heart felt sorrow that it had ever heen destroyed." Pownal. PENTAGOET. CHAPTER L Situation and Tebbttoeial Limits. — Aboeiginal In- habit ants. — Advent of Eueopeans. — Early Ex- pectations.— Meaning oe the Names applied to Localities. — Settlement by Plymouth Colony. — Pillaged by the Feench. — Attack by Aulney. Ancient Pentagb'et, situated upon the eastern side of Penobscot bay and river, may be said to have embraced the territory now comprised in the three towns of Penob- scot, Brooksville and Castine. It composed a part of the ancient land of the Etchemins, and was occupied, before the advent of Europeans, by the numerous and powerful tribe of Tarratines, — as the Penobscot Indians were then called. The Tarratines are described as of elegant stature and of agreeable form. They are said to have been as tall as the Europeans,' and much better proportioned. After the arrival of the Europeans, they, like all other Indian tribes, adopted the vices more than they did the virtues of the white men. They have generally, however, been repre- sented as chaste, constant in marriage, and as much more peaceable than the other tribes. It has been said of them, " that no other eastern tribe had treated the English with so much forbearance and honor," and this too, though their sympathies and predilections must doubtless, have been for the French. On more than one occasion during the period of the Indian troubles in New England, they expressed themselves earnestly for peace, and in at least one war against them, our own people must have been the first aggressors. Owing to the labors and teachings of Father Lauvergat — who was a missionary to them about the year 1721 — and of other priests, they were converted to the 14 PENTAGoET. Catholic faith. They became ultimately the wards of the State, and were limited, territorially, to the islands at Old- town and in the river above, about the year 1796. Note- worthy among their chieftains was MacLockawando, both on account of his disposition and personal character, and on account of the influence he exerted over other sachemsr and more especially for having been the father-in-law of the Baron de St. Castin. AH historians agree, that, though brave, he was peaceably inclined, and that the prisoners, under his keeping were remarkably well treated. He assisted Pontneuf at the capture of Casco Fort, in May, 1690. He was also in the attack upon Wells, in 1692. In 1694, he went with Villieu to the attack at Oyster river,, Piscataqua, accompanied by two hundred and fifty Indians. They killed or captured nearly one hundred prisoners, and burned twenty houses. In 1736, an attempt was made to prove, by a deed to which his signature was appended, that he was not a sachem of the Penobscots. The weight of evidence is, however, the other way. He died in 1697, and was succeeded by Wenamouet, or Wenaggonet. Orono, who is represented as being a man of very exemplary char- acter, and who is reputed to have been a son of the Baron de St. Castin, was also at one time a sachem of the tribe. The town of Orono, in Penobscot County, com- memorates his name. The eastern section of Maine, was one of the first por- tions of the continent visited by the early explorers. Penobscot bay and river will be found quite particularly, though very curiously, delineated upon all the early charts. It went by the various names of Agoucy, Norumbegue, Rio Grande (the Great River), Rio Hermoso (the Beauti- ful River), Rio de las Gamas (Deer River), Rio de Gomez (River of Gomez), and Rio Santa Maria. Its appellation of Penobscot was given on account of its rocky shores — jyenojys, in the Indian dialect signifying rocky, and auk, j-tlace. [Williamson 1, p. 512.] The meaning of the term Pentagoet, called by the Dutch Pountegouycet [De Peyster, Dutch in Maine, p. 73], applied originally to the peninsula of Majabagaduce by the French, is not known with abso- lute certainty. Dr. J. H. Trumbull, however, is inclined to the opinion that it means " the entrance of the river." He has no doubt of its being an Indian name handed down through the French. The arm of the sea which runs up into the town of Penobscot, between Brooksville and PENTAGOET. 15 Castine, and which divided ancient Pentagoet into two nearly equal parts, and which now goes by the name of Bagaduce river, was in former times called by the name of Matchebiguatus. Although undoubtedly an Indian name, it is somewhat singular that no reference can be found to it earlier than the year 1644, [Winthrop's Journal, Vol. 1, p. 220, note], and that no such name is to be found in any of the English or French documents relating to the Castin family, or to Pentagoet. This name has suffered very singular corruption, unless, as is possible though not very probable, two separate and distinct Indian appellations have been confounded. In 1760, it was called Baggadoose ; during the Revolution, Maja-bagaduGe and Maja-bigaduce. [Me. Hist. Col., Vol. VI, Art. Castine Coins.] Williamson says in his History of Maine, [Vol. 1, p. 71,] that it was named for a French officer by the name of Major Bigayduce. He says subsequently, however, that it is derived from Marche-bagaduce, an Indian word meaning "No good cove. Eaton says, also, that it means " A bad harbor." [Annals of Warren, p. 20, note.] A . tradition exists, amongst some of the Penobscot Indians, that the upsetting of a canoe full of Indians, at some remote period, caused great sorrow and distress, and hence the word is thought by some to signify " a place of sorrow." Jacob McGaw, Esq., of Bangor, has stated that it was said by some of the old Indians, to mean " a river having large coves or bays." A Penobscot Indian told Mr. Alexander W. Longfellow, in the summer of 1872, that it was called by them, Ka-bag- a-duce, the meaning of which is, " your daughter is floated out by the tide." Mr. Longfellow also informs us that he has somewhere seen a reference to an Indian of the Kenne- bec tribe who was called Bagadusett. Doctor J. H. Trumbull, of Connecticut, — reputed to be the ablest living student of the Indian dialects — says, in a letter to the au- thor:— "That the original name was something like Matsi- abagawadoos-et, (Matsi-anbaga 8 atcos-ek, as Rale would have written it) and that it means ' at the bad shelter place,' i. e. where there is no safe harbor, I have scarcely a doubt." Of the various meanings given to this name, the latter is probably the correct one. Yet few who have ever sailed up and down the river, even in canoes, would dream of speaking of it as a river having no good coves, though it was doubtless a bad place for the landing of canoes upon this peninsula, especially in an easterly wind. 16 FENTAGoET. Champlain is commonly supposed to have been the first European to have landed (about 1604) upon these shores. If, however, any confidence whatever can be placed in the account of Thevet — -who is not considered to be a very trustworthy authority — -there must have been a French fishing or trading station, prior to the year 1556, in this vicinity, if not within the limits of what was called Pentag- oet. [Me. Hist. Col. (Doc. Hist.), Vol. 1, pp. 416 to 419.] 1605. The river and bay were again explored, in the year 1605, by James Eozier, the companion of Weymouth, in honor of whom the cape at the southwestern extremity of the town of Brooksville, received its name. [Me. Hist. Col., Vol. V, p. 384, note.] The Indian name of this cape was Mose-ka-chick, signifying a moose's rump. There is an interesting legend connected with this name. The tale is, that as an Indian was pursuing a moose over the pen- insula upon which Castine is situated, it came to the shore, and jumping in, swam across to the other side,. The dogs of the Indian were unable to follow the game, but the Indian himself pursued it in a canoe, and succeeded in killing it upon the opposite shore. Upon his return he scattered the entrails of the animal in the water, where they may be seen — in the shape of certain rocks strung along at intervals — even to this day. [Mr. A. W. Long- fellow, U. S. Coast Survey.] 1613. In the year 1613, "a new project was formed in France, to get possession of Pentagoet, a river which lies thirty leagues S. W. from St. Croix: with this view a col- ony duly furnished with missionaries was transported thither." This colony is, however, believed to have settled at Mount Desert. [Geog. Hist, of Nova Scotia, London, 1749, p. 53.] This year Captain Argall, of Virginia, was cast ashore here while on a fishing cruise. He did not re- main any length of time. The first French fort was prob- ably erected here about this time. [Ogilby, America, p. 137.] 1614. In the year 1614, Captain John Smith explored this coast, and refers to the French traders being in this vicinity. [Smith's Journal pp. 213-215.] 1626. The first permanent settlement of much conse- quence, however, was made here in the year 1626, by Isaac Allerton, under direction of the Plymouth Colony of Mas- sachusetts, who established here a trading house for the purpose of bartering for furs with the Indians. This trad- ing house, like all others of that period, was built for de- PEKTAGOET. 17 fense, and was probably surrounded by a stockade. The Plymouth Colony retained undisturbed possession of it until the year 1632, when it was pillaged by the French. 1632. Early in June of this year, a French vessel, pilot- ed by a wily and treacherous Scotchman, and commanded by a Frenchman from Nova Scotia, named Rosillon, visited the place. The captain pretended he had put into the harbor in distress, and requested permission to repair his vessel and refresh his crew. The crew, finding that the commander of the station was, with most of his men, on a trip to the westward after goods, first examined the arms of the fort to see if they were loaded, and then, seizing their swords and muskets, compelled the surrender of the few remaining keepers of the trading house. They forced them, moreover, to deliver up their goods and help put them on board the vessel. After taking property to the amount of <£500, they, upon leaving, said : — " Tell your Master to remember the Isle of Re\" alluding to the brilliant suc- cesses of the French at the Isle of Re, in France, in 1627. [De Peyster, Dutch in Maine, p. 50 — also, Williamson's Hist, of Me., Vol. 1, p. 249.] 1635. In the year 1635, Charles de Menou d'Aulney de Charnissy, who was a subordinate officer under General Razillai, the Governor of Acadia, attacked the trading house and .drove off its occupants. The Plymouth Colony soon attempted to regain possession, and Captain Girling, of the Hojie, a ship hired at Ipswich, Massachusetts, ac- companied by Miles Standish, attacked the place, but did not force a surrender, although it was only occupied by eighteen men. Had Captain Girling listened to the advice of Standish, and not commenced his attack until he got close in, he might have succeeded. He actually, however, used up all his powder before he got sufficiently near to do any harm. [Bradford's Hist, of Plymouth Col., p. 333.] From this time until the year 1654, the French held undisputed possession of the place. 18 PENTAGOET. CHAPTER II. quarrel between aulney and la tour. — severe Earthquake. — La Tour's Attack upon Aulney's Men at Mill. — Attack upon Farm-House. — Wan- nerton Killed. — Aulney's Death. — La Tour's Marriage to Aulney's Widow. — La Tour's Com- mand op the Fort. — Capture by the English. — Cromwell's Patent to La Tour. — Pentagoet Sur- rendered to the French. 1635. General Eazillai, commander of Acadia, gave the subordinate command of all the country to the eastward of the river St. Croix, to Charles St. Estienne de La Tour, and of all the country to the westward of that river — as far as the French claimed — to Monsieur Charles de Menou d'Aulney. Pentagoet, therefore, came under the control of Aulney.* After the death of Razillai, which occurred this same year, Aulney and La Tour quarrelled in regard to the supreme command in Acadia, which each claimed. This quarrel lasted many years, and during its continuance, a bitter contest was waged, with varying suc- cess, between these two leaders and their respective adhe- rents. La Tour applied for assistance to the government of Massachusetts. The rulers of that commonwealth gave their consent to his hiring ships and men to carry on his contest. He accordingly hired four vessels, and with eighty men attacked Aulney at St. Croix, who fled to Penobscot. 1638. With the exception of the " Great Earthquake," which happened June 1, 1638, — and the motion of which was felt for twenty days, — nothing of any importance oc- curred here until 1643. 1643. In this year La Tour attempted the capture of the place. Although the commander-in-chief of the ves- sels hired at Boston could not be persuaded to make any assault upon Aulney, yet thirty of the New -England men went voluntarily with La Tour's men and drove some of Aulney's force from a mill where they had fortified them- selves. Three of Aulney's men were killed in this conflict, *Comnionly, though less correctly, written D'Aulney. PENTAGoET. 19 and three of La Tour's men were wounded. [Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., Vol. 5, 2d Sec., p. 483.] They set the mill on fire, and burned some standing corn. They received a fire from Aulney, however, as they went on board their vessels. [Winthrop's Journal, p. 807.] 1644. In the summer following, La Tour, hearing that the fort was weakly manned and in want of victuals, dis- patched Mr. Wannerton, of Piscataqua, and some other English gentlemen who were with him at the time, together with about twenty of his own men, to take Penobscot. They went to a farm house of Aulney's, situated about six miles from the fort.* Wannerton and two of his men knocked at the door of the house. One of the inmates opened the door, when another at once shot Wannerton dead, while a third shot one of Wannerton's companions in the shoulder, but was himself immediately shot dead in return. The rest of the company now came in, took pos- session of the house, and made the two men who remained, prisoners. After killing all the cattle, they burned the house, and at once embarked for Boston. On the eighth day of October, articles of peace were concluded between Aulney and John Endicott, Governor of New England. Notwithstanding this treaty, La Tour was allowed to hire vessels to carry supplies to his fort at St. Croix. This gave offense to Aulney, who became trouble- some, and seized upon all the vessels he could, that attempt- ed to trade with La Tour. 1651. Aulney retained quiet possession of his fort from this time until his death, which took place in the year 1651. The history of this long-continued and bitter quarrel ends much like a romance, La Tour having married the widow of his foe within one year after the death of the latter. Aulney is said to have been the first to teach the Indians in this region the use of fire-arms. The French settlers at this time were very ignorant and depraved, and were also, excessive bigots in their religion. The government of the place was simply a military despotism. Under such auspi- ces no great progress in the growth of the place could be looked for. After the death of Aulney, La Tour exercised authority over the place for about two years. He was here in person but seldom, however, his principal residence being at St. John, N. B. *This farm house was probably situated at the head of Northern Bay, near what was subsequently called the Winslow farm. It was between the shore and where Mr. Perkins' store now stands.-See Hutchins's Narrative in Part III. 20 PENTAGOET. 1654. Pentagoet was taken, in the year 1654, by the English, acting under orders from. Cromwell. They re- tained undisturbed possession for thirteen years. The place was, however, still occupied by the French settlers. 1656. In the year 1656, Cromwell issued a patent to Stephen de La Tour (son of Charles St. Estienne), Sir Thomas Temple, and William Crowne, giving to them the territory called Acadia, which included Penobscot. Sub- sequently Temple and Crowne purchased all his right and title to the territory from La Tour. 1662. In the year 1662, Colonel Temple left, having surrendered the fort to Captain Thomas Bredion. The latter dismissed Edward Naylor,who had charge of"Negew," in Penobscot, and Lieutenant Gardner, in charge of the fort, together with all the officers and soldiers. [Naylor's De- position, Part III.] 1667. As a result of the war between England and France, the Province of Nova Scotia was, by the treaty of Breda, surrendered to the French, July 31, 1667. 1668. During the month of February, 1668, another article was added to this treaty, ceding the whole of Acadia to the French, and specifying "Pentagoet," or Penobscot, by name. 1670. The place was not, however, actually given up to them until the year 1670, when Captain Richard Walker made a formal surrender of it to Monsieur Hubert d'An- digny, Chevalier de Grandfontaine. [Part III, Deed of Surrender.] By the instructions of the French king, and according to the provisions of the treaty, the inhabitants were left ' entirely free to remain, or to leave and take away all their property. Grandfontaine was instructed to make this place his head-quarters, and to put it in a complete state of de- fense. Also, to promote business and traffic along the coast, especially the fisheries and preparing of furs. Stran- gers were obliged to have a special permit from the king, in order to do business here, though the English who were here were allowed to remain, upon taking an oath of alle- giance to the French crown. Nearly all the soldiers de- sired to settle here. The Lieutenant of Grandfontaine, at this time was the Sieur de Marson. [French Documents, PartJIL] PENTAGoET. 21 CHAPTER III. Aeeival of the Baron Castin. — His previous Life. His Character. — Description of his Residence. — His Marriage to Madockawando's Daughter. — His Family. — Description of Madame Castin. — His Submission to the English. — Departure for France. — Account of his Sons, Anselm and Joseph Dabadis. — Departure of Anselm for France. — Death of the Baron. — Latest account of the Family. * * * * One whose bearded cheek And white and wrinkled brow bespeak A wanderer from the shores of France. A few long locks of scattering snow Beneath a battered morion flow, And from the rivets of his vest, Which girds in steel his ample breast, The slanted sunbeams glance. In the harsh outlines of his face Passion and sin have left their trace ; Yet, save worn brow and thin grey hair, No signs of weary age are there. His step is firm, his eye is keen, Nor years in broil and battle spent, Nor toil, nor wounds, nor pain, had bent The lordly frame of old Castine. Whittier. — Mogg Ifegone, 1667. About the time of the treaty of Breda, Baron Jean Vincent de St. Castin,* came from Quebec to Penob- scot. The Baron Castin was born at Oleron, France, — a town situated near the borders of the Pyrenees. He is represented as a man of good abilities, very daring and en- terprising, of very fascinating address and manners, and as possessing a competent education. He was liberal and kindly in his feelings, but a devout Catholic in his religion. He probably possessed a fair knowledge of the military arts of that period. He was at one time a colonel in the king's body guard. He was afterwards commander of a regi- ment called the " Carignan Sali£res." About the year 1665, he and his troops were ordered to Quebec. At the close of the war (1667), they were discharged from the army. It is reasonable to suppose that he would feel chagrined and incensed at his dismissal. However this may be, it is certain that he determined to remain in this country, and *He is called, in one of the French letters, the Sieur de Badie, Baron de St. Castin. 4 22 PENTAGoET. to take up his abode among the Indians. Probably the grant from the king, of a considerable quantity of land, had something to do with his choice. [Wisdom and Policy of the French, London, 1704, p. 86.] He accordingly set- tled on this peninsula, where he erected a safe and commo- dious residence. His house is generally thought to have been situated near the site of Aulney's fort, and to have been not far from where the house of Mr. George H. Webb now stands, on Perkins Street. It was a long, low, irregu- lar building, constructed partly of wood and partly of stone, and had rather a grotesque appearance. [The Neutral French.] The windows were small and quite high, so that no one could look in from the outside. The fort surround- ing it, contained twelve guns, a well, a chapel with a bell, and several out-buildings ; and a garden, containing quite a number of fruit trees, was attached to it. This orchard was, according to the traditions of the place, situated on the upper side of the present street, and opposite the fort. There is now no trace of it, but some of our octogenarians well remember seeing it in their younger days. According to a pretty trustworthy account, some of the young trees from this orchard were transplanted to Sedgwick, and ap- ples were gathered from one of ' them as late as the fall of 1878. They are on the farm of Levi Gray. The entire grounds were encompassed by a palisade. [Part III, Deed of Surrender of Fort Pentagoet.] The character attributed to Castin, differs according to the various prepossessions of those describing him. He was generally held in high esteem by the French, by whom he is said to have been a man of sound understanding, and quite "solicitous of honor." His relations, however, with the Governor, Monsieur Perrot, were not very amica- ble, and, at one time, the latter detained him seventy days upon the charge of a "weakness he had for some females." By the Indians, over whom he had great control, he was considered in the light of a tutelar divinity. He was feared as well as hated by the English, who accused him of inciting the savages against them, and of providing them with arms and ammunition. They made several attempts to induce him to desert the French cause, and, at one time, Mr. Palmer, a judge at New York, offered him a grant of all the lands he claimed as his, upon his becoming a British subject. He always, however, refused to recog- nize the English, and thereby preserved the possession of PENTAGOET. 23 the place to the French. His letters show him to have been a very cautious man, and unwilling to avouch any- thing he might not be able to sustain. He was also a man of means, having come into an inheritance in France, about the year 1686, of 5000 livres a year. There is no doubt but that he was at one time quite licentious ; but he afterwards reformed, and about the year 1687 — or 1688 — he was married to a daughter of Madockawando, a saga- more of the Tarratines. [French Documents, Part III.] La Hontan (said to have been his personal friend), asserts that he never had any other wife, "showing the savages," as he says, "that God is not pleased with incon- stant men." [La Hontan's Biog., Vol. I, p. If we may credit the accounts of the poet and the nov- elist:— the latter of whom claims truth as the basis of her remarks — the daughter of Madockawando must have been a very lovely woman. She is described as being of a very light color, and is said to have possessed : — "A form of beauty undefined, A loveliness without a name, Not of degree, but more of kind; Nor bold nor shy, nor short nor tall, But a new mingling of them all. Yes, beautiful beyond belief, Transfigured and transfused, he sees The lady of the Pyrenees, The daughter of the Indian Chief." [Longfellow. — The Baron Castin, of St. Casting *In Catholic countries, like France, no marriages were legal except such as were performed by the Catholic priests. 24 PENTAGoET. Besides several reputed sons, Castin had two acknowl- edged sons, Anselm and Joseph Dabadis. He had also two daughters, married, as has already been said, with rich dowries, to Frenchmen. Father L'Auvergat, in a letter to Father de La Chasse, dated Panouamske, July 8, 1728, speaks of an unmarried son, and of "all the sons being continually drunk and insolent." [Historical Magazine, Vol. 2, 3d Series, No. 3, p. 126.] The "Robardie" men- tioned in Williamson's History of Maine, was probably Joseph Dabadis, a son of the Baron. 1692. In 1692, the Governor of New England attempt- ed the forcible abduction of Castin. The English having previously captured two Frenchmen, named James Peter Pau and St. Aubin, with their families, and brought them to Boston, the Governor sent • them, with two deserters from the French army, to this place, with instructions to seize Castin and take him to Boston. He also detained their wives and children as pledges for their faithful per- formance of this command. They, however, disclosed the whole matter, and gave up the two deserters. Sieur Vil- lebon, the French Governor, gave them 554 livres as a reward for their fidelity, and in order to relieve their neces- sities. He also assisted them in recovering their wives and children. [French Documents, Part III.] 1693. In 1693, the Baron and his family gave in their adhesion to the English. 1701. In 1701, Baron Castin left for France, taking with him two or three thousand crowns in "good dry gold." It is probable that he never returned to America, although it is not unlikely that he intended to do so. It appears from the French, letters, that he went to France to give an account of his conduct in regard to trading with the English, his justification for which was the necessity that he was under, he being unable to obtain the goods he needed, either at Newfoundland or at Port Royal. He also requested a grant of land upon the river de la Pointe an Hestre, and stated that he had a design of establishing a fishery at Molue, and of removing the Indians there. Anselm, the elder son of the Baron Castin, commonly, though erroneously, spoken of as " Castin the Younger," was, of course, a half-breed. He was a chief sachem of the Tarratines, and also held a commission from the French king, as 2d Lieutenant of the navy, with the pay and emoluments of the same. He had an elegant French uni- PENTAGOET. 25 form, but usually dressed after the mode of the Indians. He is said to have been mild, generous, humane, and mag- nanimous in his disposition ; to have possessed foresight and good sense ; to have been a cautious, sensible man, and a good talker. In the expedition against Port Royal (1707), he was sent, with others, from Annapolis, with dis- patches to Governor Vaudreuil, in Canada. He spent a few days with his family here, — -Levingstone, who accompanied him, receiving from him every mark of hospitality and attention. They then proceeded up the Penobscot river. When they reached the Island of Lett,* an Indian, who had recently joined them, attempted to kill Levingstone with a hatchet, and would have succeeded had not the noble-minded Anselm thrust himself between them, and rescued him at the risk of his own life. In the year 1721, on account of his having been with a party of Indians that had lately appeared in array at Arrow- sic Island, some eastern soldiers, under general orders to seize such Indians as were in arms, captured and sent him to Boston. They could not try him for rebellion or treach- ery before the Superior Court in Suffolk, as that would be putting him on trial in one county for an offense commit- ted in another, which would have been contrary to law. He was, therefore, examined by a Committee. He pro- fessed the highest respect and friendship for the English ; said that he had lately returned from abroad on purpose to prevent his tribe from doing mischief; solemnly promised to try to keep them in a state of peace, and was at last discharged. His arrest, imprisonment and examination, were alike unjustifiable and cruel. ' In 1722, he visited Be'arn, in France, to obtain possession of his father's property, honors, and seignorial rights, of which he had been deprived, under the pretense of his illegitimacy, by the "first chicanierf of Europe, and Lieu- tenant General of the town of Oleron, in Beam, who for long years enjoys this property." J This, too, in spite of the fact that he had the certificates of the missionaries and other evidences of the legality of his claim. [French Doc- uments, Part III.] Whether he ever succeeded in getting possession of his rightful property is not known. He must have returned from France, as Father L'Auvergat speaks of both the sons as being in this country in 1728, and *Probably Orphan's Island, now the town of Verona. tTricky lawyer. JThe Baron Castin must, therefore, have been dead several years. 26 PEKTAGoET. Murdoch, mentions his being in Acadia, in 1731. He left one son and two daughters. The latter are said to have been married to highly respectable men. Of Joseph Dabadis de St. Castin, or"Castin the Youn- ger," but little is known. He is represented, by Father L'Auvergat — who, however, was prejudiced against both him and his brother— as being frequently drunk and dis- orderly, but as having signalized himself in contests with the English. He was captured on one occasion, and had his vessel, and an English lad whom he had purchased of. the Indians, taken from him. The account of this capture is contained in the following letter, written by him to Lieutenant Governor Dummer : " Pentagoet, 23d July, 1725. Sir : — I have the honor to acquaint you that the 9th of this present month, as j rode at anchor in a small harbour about three miles distant from Nesket, having with me but one jndian and one Englishman whom j had redeemed from the salvages, as well as my vessel, j was attacked by an English vessel, the commander of which called himself Lieutenant of the King's ship, and told me also his name, which j cannot remember. 