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

BIDDEFORD.

chief sachem, became deeply incensed against the English, because of
an experiment made by some English sailors, who overset the canoe
containing his squaw and child in the river to see if the infant would
swim,—according to the reports of Indian children. The child died
not long after, and Squando determined on war. In September, 1675,
warned by the burning of a house on the Saco side, the inhabitants
gathered into Phillips’ garrison. A body of savages soon after made
an attack upon the place, wounding Major Phillips, and burning his
mill and one of his tenant houses. Failing-to effect anything by direct
assault, they, on the second day, prepared to burn the garrison by
thrusting against it a cart loaded with combustibles. One of the wheels
stuck in a mud-hole, swinging the cart about and exposing to view the
Indians who were moving it, when a discharge from the garrison
killed 6 and wounded 15 of them. At this repulse the Indians
left the place for some days ; and the 50 persons in the garrison house,
lacking supplies, retired to Winter Harbor. About a fortnight later
the garrison-house and all the houses up the river from Winter Harbor
were burned by the Indians. In 1693, Major Converse, under direc

tion of the Massachusetts government, built a stone fort a short dis-
tance below the Falls; but at the firsl attack in 1703, it appears to
have been taken, as 11 of the inmates were killed and 24 carried cap-
tive to Canada. The garrison at Winter Harbor had previously sur-
rendered. A month later, while the fort was undergoing repairs, a
body of Indians attacked a garrison near by and were repulsed. In
1707, an engagement occurred at Winter Harbor between a fleet of 50
canoes manned by about 150 Indians, and 2 small vessels, manned only
by Captain Austin, Mr. Harmon, Sergeant Cole, 5 other men and a
boy. One of the vessels was captured, but its crew escaped to the
other, which they held. The action lasted three hours, and the Eng-
lish lost but one man. In 1708, the garrison was removed from the
stone fort, and a new fort commenced near the entrance of the Pool.
It was named Fort Mary. Remains of it are still visible, and the point
where it stood is yet called Fort Hill. These were all the consider-
able engagements within the limits of Biddeford ; but numerous per-
sons were at one time and another killed or captured by the savages
all along the river. In 1744 the old garrisons were repaired and sev-
eral new ones built. The town records show a vote to build a strong
frame garrison about the parsonage, sixty feet square, planked