Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney
BOSTON. PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from
BERWICK. HI
In 1723, another war, sometimes called Lovewells war, broke out. At this time there was not a house between Berwick and Canada. All those built in the town between 1690 and 1745 were of hewed logs, and an effectual defence against small arms. There was a block-house on the western side of Salmon Falls, a mile above Keays garrison ; and next was Wentworth and Goodwins block-house. In 1750 there was a fort of this period still standing on Pine Hill, called Hamiltons garrison. It was made of poles twenty feet high and pointed at the ends. A band of savages laid in wait about the town in May, but finding the English so well defended they forsook the place, carrying away two captives, and having killed six persons. In the French and Indian war which commenced in 1744, Berwick was garrisoned, but was not attacked. It appears that the town furnished 150 men and several commissioned officers for the capture of Louisburg, which occurred in 1745. Of this matter, Pepperell, commander of the expe- dition, wrote to Major Hill, under date of February 21, 1745 : Yes- terday I heard that Capt. Busteed had enlisted fifty brave soldiers in Berwick. This news is like a cordial to me. The commissioned officers of Berwick are as brave and as good men as any in the province. Please tell them all that I sincerely value and love them. If any of them wish to go, give them the offer and tell them to be with me to- morrow.
When the war of the Revolution approached, the people of Berwick were ready to support their brethren to the utmost of their ability. Meetings were frequently held during the war, in which large bounties were offered to encourage enlistments. Two full companies were sent under captains Philip Hubbard and Daniel Wood. A historian of the period writes: To their everlasting honor be it said that they furnished as many men, according to the number of inhabitants, as any town in the country. There are but few ancient homesteads in the town that are not honored by the grave of some Revolutionary soldier.
In the war of 1812 the government was well supported, although some in town held meetings in which they denounced the war as unjust and unrighteous. In the war of the Rebellion Berwick furnished for the Union army 138 men, mostly her own citizens, while 78 Berwick men enlisted in neighboring towns. Berwick paid out for bounties and incidental expenses connected with enlistments $44,802.
The town has had many citizens of eminence, while several distin- guished citizens of other towns and cities had their nativity within its borders. One of the most noted founders of families was John Sullivan, an Irishman by birth and education. He arrived in Maine in 1723, and opened a school in Berwick soon after. During the voyage from Ireland he made the acquaintance of a young girl nine years of age, named Margery Brown; who by some strange means was on board the vessel without friends. Neither had she the money to pay for her passage; and Mr. Sullivan assumed the debt, and took the girl as his ward. In 1763 when she was about 21 years of age and he was 44, they were married. He soon after purchased a farm in Berwick, upon which he lived more than 60 years. He died in 1796, in his 105th year; and his widow died in 1801, aged 87. On this farm were born to them 4 children, of whom were John and James Sullivan. The first was a leader in the first overt act of the Revolution, a general in the war, and a governor of
PREVIOUS PAGE ... NEXT PAGE
This page was written in HTML using a program written in Python 3.2
|