A HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1832, by WILLIAM D. WILLIAMSON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Maine. PREFACE. An authentic History of this State has been long and much desired. Maine is a corner-pillar in the American Republic. Its territory equals one half of New-England,—its natural resources are great and various-its climate is good-its population now considerably exceeds 400,000,-and only two individual States have a greater extent of seaboard or more shipping. Several settlements have existed within its limits, more than two centuries; through which period, as plantations have spread and multiplied, it has been the destiny of successive generations to struggle with wars and difficulties reiterated and uncommon, and to wade through sufferings deep and indescribable. The last age, however, particularly since the American Revolution, has been a period of remarkable prosperity, apparent in the improvements, wealth and numbers of the people. To present, in a general historic view of such a State, the circumstantial details of facts and events, so as to meet with universal acceptance, cannot be anticipated. Approbation, or censure, often springs from the motive of perusal; nay, what affords entertainment to one, may be more than toil to another. All are never equally pleased with the same repast, for men as often differ in taste and opinion, as in feature and character. As to parts and arrangement, it is presumed the Introductory Sections need no apology for their length, as they give a history of nature, little less entertaining than that of culture and society. Should any one raise objections to the long Narratives of Indian Wars interspersed, it is believed, he must, on reflection and review, be fully convinced, that any considerable abridgement of them would occasion an unsatisfying void;-so much have the fortune and fate of the country, depended upon the amity or hostilities of the natives. Nor by any means could the early history of this State possess the attribute of perspicuity, without frequent allusions to the annals of Nova Scotia; as the political affairs and current events in that Province, and in the eastern parts of Sagadahock, were for a century, blended too entirely and perpetually, to be kept separate and distinct. The topographical notes upon Towns contain facts which could not with propriety be incorporated with the text, and yet were thought too valuable to be lost; for descriptions of these municipalities are not only interesting to their respective inhabitants,-they are collectively the local chronicles of the State itself. This production, though it has cost the Compiler many years' unremitting labor, is presented to an enlightened community, with great diffidence: For he is sufficiently aware, that the arrangement, the style and the correctness, are to pass in review before many in. vidious bystanders, disposed to censure rather than to commend; while the more alloyed parts are to be severely tested in the crucible of the critic. Nor perhaps ought any one in the present age to expect a better destiny, who relates facts for the public eye,-designed for the perusal of all classes, under the responsibility of his name, The Historian, in short, is the devoted recorder of truth; authentic annals are his stories; and facts monumental as marble are the only materials allowed in his employment. It is a departure from duty and an imposition upon his readers, to give reins to his imagina. tion and freedom to his pen-permitting them to play with figures, flowers and phantoms in the fields of fancy, The Compiler's research for materials has been thorough, in the Libraries of the Capitol at Washington, the Boston Athenæum, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Massachusetts' Historical Society. He has also made extracts from more than twenty volumes of the Massachusetts' Public Records, and from letters of 150 correspondents, residing in different parts of the State. The works of the oldest and best Authors have been carefully consulted ;-a list of whose names will be submitted.-Availing himself of all these and some other sources of information, he has written, with great care and assiduity, a General History of the State; and the Public will determine, whether any expression appears, inconsistent with what is chaste and correct in religion, sentiment or fact,— or whether such an amount and variety of matter, distributed through a period of 200 years, could have been judiciously compressed within a narrower compass. The plan chosen may not have been the best; for like surveyors and settlers in all new Countries, he has been obliged to traverse an unexplored region, where the footsteps of no predecessor to any considerable extent could be traced. Should the work possess the humble merit of being a useful compilation, he will not have labored in vain; for man subserves the purposes of his moral existence, when he does what is a real benefit to his Country. Bangor, March 1832, LIST OF AUTHORS CITED IN THIS HISTORY. A. Allen (William) Biographical and Historical Dictionary, ed. 1809. American and British Chronicle of War and Politics, from A. D. 1773 to 1783. B. Barton (Benj. S.) New Views, &c. of the Tribes in America. Belknap (Jeremy) History of New-Hampshire, 3 vols. American Biography, 2 vols. ed. 1694-8. Bigelow (Jacob) American Medical Botany, 3 vols. ed. 1817. Bouchette (Joseph) Topographical Description, &c. of Canada, ed. 1815. Bradford (Alden) History of Massachusetts, 2 vols. ed. 1822. British Dominions in North America, from A. D. 1497 to 1763, ed. 1773. British Empire in America, 3 vols. [J. Oldmixon.] C. Chalmers (George) Political Annals of the United Colonies to A. D. 1686, ed. 1780, 4to. Charlevoix (Pere de) Historie et Disc. Gen. de la Neuville France, &c. from A. D. 1504 to 1731. 6 vols. 12mo. Paris ed. 1744. [In 4th vol. plates and description of 98 plants. See remark in vol. 5 upon M. L'Escarbot, S. Champlain, J. de Laet, M. Denys and Baron la Hontan, as authors.] Champlain (Sieur de) Voyages, &c. de la Canada, [from 1603 to 1629,] Paris ed. 1632. Church (Benjamin,) 5 Expeditions Eastward, in second Indian War. Cleaveland (Parker) Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology. Collections of Mass. Historical Society, 10 vols.-2d series, 5 vols.-3d series, 3 vols. New-Hampshire Historical Society, 2 vols. [for 1824-6.] D. Denys (M.) Geog. and Hist. Description of North America, and Natural History of the country, 2 vols. Delaplaine (Joseph) Repository-Biograph. of American Characters, with plates. Douglass (William) Summary, of British Settlements in North America, 2 vols. ed. 1749. E. Edwards (Dr. Jonathan) Observations, &c. on the Muhhekaneew Indians, ed. 1736. Eliot (John) Biographical Dictionary, ed. 1809. European Settlements (Account of) in America, ed. 1760. Gordon (William) History of the United States, 3 vols. ed. 1789. Greenleaf (Moses) Survey of the State of Maine, Statistics, &c. ed. 1829. (Jonathan) Sketches of the Ecclesiastical History of Maine, ed. 1821. Gorges (Ferdinando) Description of New-England, ed. 1659. H. Halliburton's History of Nova Scotia, 2 vols. Hazard (Ebenezer) Historical Collections, 2 vols. 4to. ed. 1792-4. Heckewelder (John) Writings as to the Indians, &c. A. Phil. Soc. Philadel. ed. 1819. Holmes (Abiel) American Annals, 2 vols. Hubbard (William) General History of New-England, ed. 1815. Narrative of the Indian Wars, &c. A. D. 1607-77, Worces. ed. 1801. Hutchinson. (Thomas) History of Massachusetts, 2 vols. ed. 1795. J. Jeffreys (Thomas) History of the French Dominions in N. & S. Amer. ed. 1760, folio. Joscelyn (John) Account of two Voyages to New-England, ed. 1674. L. Laet (John de) Novus Orbis, seu Des. in. Occ. ed. 1633. La Hontan (Baron) New Voyages to America, 2d ed. 1705, 3d ed. 1735. Letters, from 1683 to 1696, 2 vols. Laws of Massachusetts, Colonial, Provincial,-State, General and Special, and Charters, 10 vols. L'Escarbot (Mark) History, 8vo. A. D. 1609. M. Mather (Cotton) Magnalia, or History of New-England, 2 vols. Hartford ed. 1820. Memoirs of the War, &c. from A. D. 1744 to 1748, Treaty of Aix la Chapelle, ed. 1758. Minot (George R.) Continuation of the History of Massachusetts, 2 vols. Moll (Herman) Geography, 3d. ed. 1709. Morse (Jedidiah) American Universal Geography. Morton (Nathaniel) New-England Memorial, ed. 1772. N. Neal (Daniel) History of New-England, ed. 1742. 0. Ogilby (John) America; or Description of the New World, London ed. 1671, folio. P. Palairet (John) Description of the English and French Possessions in N. A. ed. 1755. Penhallow (Samuel) History of the Indian Wars, A. D. 1703 to 1713. Prince (Thomas) Chronological History of New-England, ed. 1736. Purchas (Samuel) Pilgrimage. R. Records, Resolves, and Journals of Massachusetts Government, 30 vols. Remembrancer, from 1775 to 1784. Reynal (Abbe) Historie Phil. et Pol. &c. 5 and 6 Tome, ed. Hague, 1774. Translated ed. 1782. Rouchefoucault Liancourt (Duke de la) in United States and Canada, 1795–7. S. Sketches of New Brunswick. [Chubb and Sears] ed. 1825. Smith (John) History of North and South Virginia. (Thomas) Journal of Falmouth, &c. A. D. 1720 to 1787, ed. 1821. Sullivan (James) History of the District of Maine, ed. 1795. Williams (Samuel) History of Vermont, 2 vols. ed. 1809. Winthrop (John) Journal from 1630 to 1645, ed. 1790. Wynne's History of the British Empire in America to 1763, 2 vols. Y. Young (W. A.) History of North and South America, 2 vols. 12mo. |