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

WINDSOR.    593

Knight, Wiliam Bolton and Seth Webb were taken and held prisoners
for a short time. After a respite of peace and prosperity for three
years, Indian hostilities again commenced. Beside the defense of the
fort, many dwelling-houses had now been prepared as garrisons. The
last and most important attack upon Windham was made in May 14th,
1756, by about twenty savages led by Poland, the chief of the Rocko-
meko tribe. On the morning of that day, Ezra Brown and Ephraim
Winship, accompanied by four men and four boys as a guard, left the
fort for the purpose of working on Brown’s lot. In passing through a
wood, Brown and Winship being some distance in advance, were fired
upon by ambushed Indians ; Brown being shot dead and Winship
severely wounded, and both scalped. Four of the party in the rear
hastened back to the fort, while the others, Abraham Anderson,
Stephen Manchester, Timothy Cloudman, and Gershom Winship, con-
tinued on to avenge their companions or perish in the attempt. As
they approached the spot, the Indians sprang behind the trees, the
white men also dropped behind some logs, and the conflict began. As
the result, Poland, the chief, and two of his followers, were killed by
our four Spartan pioneers. After this, the people of Windham had
peace and prospered until the Revolutionary war.

With the zeal which springs from a consciousness of being engaged
in a just cause, Windham took all necessary measures to prepare her
citizens at home or abroad. Officers were chosen to impart military
I    instruction    ; ammunition and accoutrements were provided ; and many

of his townsmen served under Capt. Richard Mayberry through the
campaign of 1777, till the surrender of Burgovne in October of that
year. No less than seventy-two men from Windham served in the
Federal armies, and $2,280 in silver money were given by the town for
the prosecution of the war. The first church was organized in 1748,
when John Wight was ordained as pastor. The next pastor was Peter
Thatcher Smith.

Windham has produced quite a number of eminent persons. Among
these may be mentioned John A. Andrews, distinguished as governor
of Massachusetts ; and Mrs. Abby Goold Woolson, favorably known as
an author and lecturer. Her father, Hon. William Goold, still a resident,
has rendered useful service to the historical interests of the State.

V indham has two Congregational churches, one Free Baptist, one
Universalist, one Methodist, one Friends, and one Union church. The
number of public schoolhouses is nineteen, valued at $7,800. The
valuation of estates in 1870 was $1,014,877. In 1880 it was $819,839.
The population at the same date was 2,428. The census of 1880 places
it at 2.313.

AY indsor is one of the eastermost towns of Kennebec County.
It is bounded by China on the north, Augusta on the west, Whitefield
in Lincoln County on the south, and Somerville in the same county on
the east. The town is a square in its form. Its surface is hilly; and
from some of its elevations noble views are obtained. The principal
rock is granite; the soil is a clay loam, and the largest crop is hay.

Three-mile Pond projects a considerable portion of its arc into the
town at the north-west, Mud Pond lies at the middle of the western
side, and Moody and Longfellow ponds, lie in the south-western part,
Savade and Fox ponds at the north-east, and Donnell Pond a little

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