Fort Kent Maine Historic Blockhouse

8/3/2019 Fort Kent Maine Historic Blockhouse

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Historic

Blckuse

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This sto of a war that started with a peace trea and endedwithout a shot being red in anger has been specially written for

the Sunday Telegam by the noted Maine historian, and Telegramcommunist Fred Humiston. The article has involved a great dealof painstaking research delving as it does into events so obscurethat even the principal gures involved in the confusion werethemselves so confounded that they tued for arbitration to personalities as divergent as (aj an Indian chief and (bj aEuropean monarch


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THE AROOSTOOK WAR

THE SHOOTING was about to start, but before a man

took down his muset, primed and charged it, was itunreasonable for him to expect a mite more information asto the whys and werefores of all te ruckus?

To Mainers in general, the long controversy over thenortheastern boundary between the United States andCanada was old hat, and even in 1839, to those who lived farfrom the scene of possible conflict, and separated from it bya great belt of wilderness, the time-honored philosopy ofwait and see" ooked inviting.

But thats what we've been doing, for moren fiftyyears," te proponents of direct action pointed out And

besides that, were being put upon"

This last assertion was the clincer to the argument Forif there is anything a Mainer cant abide, its beingputupon" Especialy when the put uponers" are misguidedand misbegotten foreigners andBoody Lobster backs" toboot

Of course, the people on the other side of the trouble"were not actually Lobster backs In fact, they looked andacted like the Mainers, which had a lot to do with it all, oneway or another Yet they were inabitants of the newProvince of New Brunswick, and loya subjects of te BritishKing

But the worst offense to the ankee mind was that of beingdescendants of the Amercan Toies n the Revoution wo hadtaken off with Howe when he eacuated Boston


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BOILING OINT

SO NOW TH broth of discontent that had been simmering inthe uneasy cauldron of nternatona relations for 56 years hadfinay reached the boiing point

Many hands had stirred the unsavory mess, but t took twodetermined ndviduas, a Maine prvate citzen and a NewBrunswick petty offical, to add the necessary ingredients thatbrought the ugy froth of volence overfowing onto thewiderness trais

olce action was defnitey caled for, and Governor Fairfiedof Maine, in Genera Order No 5, drafted 1000 militiamen forspecial duty

It was a document that informed the Congress of the nitedStates, the Brtish mpire and the world at large, that the State of

Maine was weary of dipomacy that talked al around RobinHoods Barn, and got nowhere

Genera Order No 6 qucky dissipated any lingering doubtsthat the State meant business. The mmedate response of Sir JohnHarvey, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, was aproclamation on February 13 839 that was an actual decaration

of war

Governor Fairfied, in turn, by General Order No 7, caled up10343 militiamen, fully equipped and ready to march

Aarm bels rang widly and drums beat on both sides of theontroversia border, whie the nited States and Great Britai,

pushed to it by ther unruly frontier nationals, reuctantlyprepared for what became known as the Aroostook War.


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BOUNDARIES

TH SRIOS ISAGRMNT ha exied beween henied Sae and Grea Briain in 839 emmed direcly from hereay of peace a he cloe of he American Revoluion in 783.

I declared in par "And ha all dipue which migh ariein he fuure on he ubec of he boundarie of he aid niedSae may be prevened i i hereby agreed and declared hahe following are and hall be heir boundarie viz

From he norhwe angle of Nova Scoia viz ha angle whichi formed by a line drawn due norh from he ource of he S.Croix River o he Highland which divide hoe river haempy hemelve ino he river S Lawrence from hoe whichfall ino he Alanic Ocean o he norhweern mo head of heConnecicu River

a by a line o be drawn along he middle of he river SCroix from i mouh in he Bay of Fundy o i ource

And from i ource direcly norh o he aforeaid Highlandwhich divide he river which fall ino he Alanic Ocean fromhoe ha fall ino he river S Lawrence.

There i i he ecion of he 783 Treay of eace beween henied Sae of America and Grea Briain deignang heboundary beween hi counry and Canada a alreadyeablihed and propoed.

On he face of i a read oday i appear o be imply andclearly wrien ye he raher ambiguou ue of one word brough

on 6 year of bier conrovery and he wo naion o he brinkof war.

Tha word wa "Highland And i wa unforunae ha heerm hould have been ued a all in deignaing he norherlyboundary bewen he erriory of Maachue known a heiric of Maine and Nova Scoia


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HIGH OR LOW?

TO TH AMRICANS, the term as expressed in the Treatyreferred to unexpored country and was appicabe to any ground,whatever its naure or eevation, aong which the ine dividingrivers passed.

They contended that the fact that the ine dividing rivers wasnecessariy more eevated than those rivers and their banks, wassufficient to warrant the tite of "Highands in reation to thoserivers

The British, on the other hand, contended that "Highandswere acuay that, and the term shoud be taken iteray, asrepresenting a mountainous or hiy region, which distinguishes itfrom the "Lowands as in Scotand.

There were, of course, other items that contributed to theconroversy three of which might be cassified as of importance

. What was the "northwest ange of Nova Scotia?

. The "Source of the St Croix River?

3. What was the "Northweste most head of the ConnecticutRiver?

Add these three questions to the broad interpretation of theterm"Highands and you reay have something to think onAnd for 6 years statesmen, petty officias, map-makers andaymen did ust that, whie ournaists wrote miions of words,giving the pros and cons, "viewing with aarm and "poiningwith pride, without reaching any reasonabe concusions

WHIL TH TRAT of783 was the direct cause of theserious disagreement between the United States and Great Britainthat was ony resoved by the Webster Ashburton Treaty of84the true source of this contention was the ignorance of the ngishsovereigns respecting American geography, couped with the


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insncive urge of he Ango Saxon o possess al he erriory hecoud ay hands on

Thus he royal grans were ofen groesquely conficng

In 493, ope Aexander VI issued a bil graning he NewWord discovered by Columbus o Spain and orugal In an agewhere a papa bull was regarded as sufficien ie o unexploredlands Spain claimed he enire Norh American coas fromFlorida o Cape Breon

ngand whch had become a roesan naion proesed suchan exclusive and "unfair gran France a Cahoic naion sidedwih her

The issue beween ngland and Spain over American erriorywas seed for a ime by Sir Francis rake in 88, in hs vicoryover he Armada Bu ngland was no saisfied wih ha

In 49-6 Henry VII had commssioned John Cabo and hissons "o seek ou dscover and find whasoever Isles CounresRegions or rovinces of he heahens and infides hiherounknown o al Chrsians and as vassas of he king o hod hesame by hs auhoriy

In 0, Henry commissioned Hugh io and Thomas Ashurso discover and ake possession of he "Islands and Coninens inAmerica Henry evidenly did no beieve in sanding onceremony in respec o new lands

EXLORERS

IN 4, FRANCIS I of France sen ou discoverers and exporerswho named he whoe region from he 30 o he 0h degree oflaude New France

Ten years aer Jacques Quarer known in ngsh hisory as"Carier hoding a commssion from he same wing madeseveral voyages o America and ook possession of Canada and


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te Frenc government mantaned t tereafter unt t ot ttle bytreaty and conquet

On November 8 603, Henry IV Kng of France, apponteder de Mont, Leutenant-Genera n te country, terrtore,coat and lmt o Cada, (a Cada) nce caled Acada,commencng at the 40 degree and tence to te 46 degree

On September 06Jame o ngand, by carter, grantedto Sr Wllam Aexander, a certan terrtory under te name o"Nova Scota", wt tee boundare "Begnnng at Cape Sable,n forty tree degree nort attude, or tereabout, extendngtence wetwardly aong te eaore, to te road commonlycaed St Mary Bay

THNC TOWARS te nort by a drect lne crong teentrance or mout of tat great p road, wc run nto theeatern tract o land between te terrtore o te Sourquo andof te tcemn, (Bay o Fundy) to te rver commony caed

St Crox, and to the mot remote prng or ource, wc, fromte wetern part tereof, frt mngle telf wth te rveraforead

FROM THNC by an magnary drect lne, wch may beconceved to tretc trough te land, or to run toward te nort,to te nearet road, rver or emptyng telf nto te great rver de

Canada (Rver St Lawrence)

AN FROM THNC proceedng eatwardly aong teeahore of te ad rver de Canada, to te rver, road, port, orore, commony known and caled by te name of Gacepe orGape

AN THNC outeatwardy to te and called Baccaleoor Cape Breton, leavng tee land on te rgt and te guf ofthe ad rver de Canada of the great hp road and te and ofNewoundland, wt te land of te ame pertanng, on teleft and tence to te eadland or promontory of Cape Bretonaforead, yng near te attude o forty-fve degree, ortereabout, and rom te ad promontory o Cape Breton,


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towads the south and west to Cape Sabe aoesaid whee thepeambuation began

ALL TH LANS aoesaid sha at a times heeate be

caled and known by the name o Nova Scotia o New Scotlandin Ameica

CONFUSION

IS IT AN WONR ate eading the above povision o theAlexande gant that its intepetation was a subect o

contovesy? And with many changes o govenments on bothsides o the Atantic ove the yeas the gant and the issuesevolving om it became even moe conusing

On Apil 3 639 Chales I ganted to Fedinand Goges by thename o ovince o County o Maine a teitoy bounded on thewest by iscataway Habo and the ive Newichewanocke

iscataqua Rive to the athest head theeo and thence 0miles nothwestwads

Notheastwads along the coast to Sagadahock theKennebec below the Andoscoggin and up the ive to thehead theeo and into the land nothwestwads 0 mies omthe mouth o the Sagadahock

The Goges gant was puchased in 674 by the MassachusettsBay Coony

By the aticle o the teaty o trecht in 73 ngand wasceded by Fance "in pepetuity Acadia o Nova Scotia entieaccoding to its ancient boundaies

Just what the "ancient boundaies wee was o neay 50yeas ate the teaty a matte o dispute between the two nationsbut moe especialy by New Fance on one hand and theMassachusetts Bay Colony and the inhabitants o its Maineovince on the othe


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And it was the ast named the settlers who had setted the wildfrontier east of the Kennebec who suffered the brunt of theresultin wars

When Wolfe captured Quebec in 79, and wth the end of acenury of conflict Canada became an nlish possession and aminor questions of boundary ines were forotten

Massachusetts had purchased the Gores rant which wasbounded on the east by the Kennebec the terrtoy between thisriver and the St Croix had been the bone of contention betweenthe Bay Coony and the French a sort of nevernever land

With British victory the uritans prompty put forth ther caimand wronfuly or rihtfully the rovince of Maine was extendedas far east as the St Croix

How far north the rovince extended was left in the air forwerent the inhabitants of all these provinces now one bi nlishfamiy? The Revoution however chaned this viewpointsomewhat.

To compicate matters other nlish ruers had issued ants:Charles II to his brother James uke of ork Wiiam and Marywho by rant annexed to the charter of the Massachusetts BayColony Nova Scotia the rovince of Maine as contained in theuke of orks rant and Massachusetts promptly moved in thetook over

The uritan caim was referred to the Crown attorney andsoicitor eneral in 73. Their opinion 1/ that al the tract of andlyin between the rivers of Kennebec and St Crox is ranted bycharter to the inhabitants of said rovince that the rihts ofovernment ranted to said rovince extend over ract of land

OORTUNITY

This British eal opinion was a boon to American claims afterthe Treaty of783, and the Mainers made the most of it


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On Mitchels map published in 17, the boundary betweenNova Scotia and New ngland was in accordance with thisdecsion and approved by the Board of Trade

The "Highlands so frequently mentioned in the boundarydspute after nglsh vctory over the French were assigned as thesouthern boundary of the rovnce of Quebec and so became thenorthern boundary of Nova Scotia

Hardy was the ink dry on the Treaty of1783 when doubts aroseas to which river was the St Croix and commissioners wereapponted to find out As might be expected its exact ocationwas designated as in two different areas

urng the War of8 the Brtsh seized and held MooseIsand as assamaquoddy Bay on which the city of astport nowstands With the Treaty of Ghent they refused to restore it

This was n direct violation of the Treaty terms for t wasespecaly provided that al territory taken by either side durngthe war shoud be restored

t was aso provided that such islands of assamaquoddy Bayas were claimed by both parties should remain in temporary

possession of the party then holding said islands withoutpreudice to ether side unti the question of ttle coud be settled

TH KING appointed Thomas Barcay as the RoyaCommissioner and resident Madison appointed John Holmes aresident of Mane Nor was their decision or lack of onerendered November 487, serousy criticized

et the jont commission of which the American comprisedCornelius Van Ness of New ork John Holmes of Maine andHenry H Orne of Massachusetts after sitting for fve years coudnot even agree on a pan for a general map of the boundarycountry nor sette any of the other matters referred to them


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Joh Holms of Ma

Th commsson accodngly dssod ad mad spaatpots to th spct gomts, statg t pots o whchthy dffd and th gouds fo such opposg opos

T fact that th bouday was stl dft dd ot sm toompotant, fo th go was thny sttld was n fact, awldnss, appatly of ltl au

At t clos of th wa of82 thgs w dfft. Th totastn sttlmnts of th stct of Ma, ad tos nNoa Scota ad Qubc as wl, bga to cas. Busss wasxpadg o th fot, as yw, ad t and wasbcomng auab Ths ccumstacs tdd to awaktst n bounday s

Ma bcam a stat 820. By th Atcs of Spaato tCommowath of Massacustts sd to sf o af ofth ucopoatd lads wthn th fom stct Ts mad tmpotat fo th habtats of astn Ma, as wl as t tontstd stats, to a th bouday l fay dcdd upon

RESSURED

THUS PRESSURE was put upon th statsmn of both tUntd Stats ad Gat Btan to gt busy. Ts gntmdcdd that t was cssay to f th pots of dffnc to athd pay, a fdly sog as und th Taty of Ghnt 84 O Sptmb 29, 827, a coto to that ffct wascocludd

826, Abt Galat, who had b o of th Utd Statscommssos at Gnt, wt to Eglad as mst of ts


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couny, chagd wh h duy of slng aous usons, oampng o, among hm h Noh Easn Bounday

Th sul of hs ffos was h cono fd o M.

Gallans assoca h undakng was Wllam P Pbl ofPoland, Man

Th Kng of h Nhlads was slcd as ab, bu by hm h had h cas, changs of ga magnud had aknplac n boh naos nold n h dspu.

Th sc of Man had spaad fom Massachuss andwas a sogn sa of h Unon. Noa Scoa had bn dddand a nw poc s up calld Nw Bunswck. And waswhn h bods of Nw Buswck ha h oy ofconon lay.

To complca mas fuh, Qubc had bn ddd no

wo poncs; Upp and Low Canada.

As hs acl has pously sad, h w foupaamoun usons fo cosdaon h chf of hs, "Whaw h Hghlands?

INDEFINTE

I was unfouna ha h m had bn usd h 783ay, fo was dfn ad subc o any consucon, ad onboh sds of h bod h w unuly chaacs who wuck o do us ha.

Th w wo schools of hough as o wha ad wh h

Hghlands w And f ha was o suffcn caus fo oubl"Th slcon bwn hos wo ddng Hghlads dnlydpds on wha s man, accodng o h Tay of783, bys ha mpy hmsls o fall no h R S Lawnc,and by s whch fall no h Alanc Oca.

To add ful o h flam obody, us nobody smd o knowwh o wha was h "R S. Cox. As aly as 1796, ams


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Sullia had trid to fid out a ttr to Fracis Josph, Chifad Goror of th Passamauoddy dias, h writs:

Brothr: ca hr with a hop to s you- am agt for

th Uitd Stats to appar bfor m who wr appoitd tofid th rir th Uitd Stats ad th Kig ca th St. Croixwh th Stats bcam a grat atio.

h m who ar co ad coig wat to har what yourod m ca tl thm truly o that ustio iit you to cobfor thm with t or four of your old m at St. Adrws o

Friday th xt wk wat you to tll thm what i

thr ad wil pay you for your tim what r is right

Eidtly th od m didt ha th aswr, or ls it wasigord, for i 187, ad i 1831, aftr th Kig of thNthrladss dcisio, thy wr stil sarchig

EXECUTED

FRHERMORE, for what it was worth, i 1784, th Proicof Qubc had trid ad coictd, ad xcutd a dia formurdr o th trritory i disput, aog th St Joh.

Btw 1789 ad 1791, i th courts of that Proic two suits

had b istitutd ad udgmt obtaid by subcts of th Kigrsidig i or ar th sttmt of Madawaska.

Madawaska is a am to b rmmbrd, for it was hr thatmost of th subsut ioc ctrd, iolc that broughtth Stat of Mai to th brik of war-with aybody who was amid to fight, whthr th Uitd Stats ca i, or ot

So i 187th Kig of th Nthrads had somthig o studyo, ad it was ot util Jauary 10, 1831, that his dcisio wasmad pubic t was a surpris, ad a disappoitmt to bothgormts ad al partis cocrd.

Abadoig a attmpts to dtrmi th boudary accordigto th traty, th arious maps ad cottios, h drw what was

trmd a li of coic, a arbitrary li


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It was extended as a compromise, but the hot blood wasrung and no compromise was wanted.

On January 83 Mr Preble of Portland, then envoyextraordnary of the United States at The Hague, addressed a noteto the Brtish Minister of Foreign Affairs, protecting the awardand reserving the rights and interests of the United States in thedisputed territory on the ground that the proceedings of tearbitrator constituted a departure from his powers

BITTERNESS

THE BRITISH, atough not satisfied, expressed acquesce wththe award, but prvatey advised the United States not to get /hetup. f they had ony said that publicly, a ot of troube mighthave been avoided.

As the peope of Maine and Massachusetts fuly understood theimplications of the award, with discussion n the newspapers andby public men they reached a pont of being / fit to be tied.

hroughout the nation the bitterness and criticism becameintense. The politica enemies of President Jackson made the mostof this heaven-sent opportunity, and he was hed responsible for

everything

Not being a man to take abuse ying down, the President wasminded to issue a Proclamaton but his friends and the Senateadvised the President to reopen negotations with te Britsh.

The British promsed to enter tese in a friendly sprt, and t

was stpuated and agreed that both sides shoud refrain fromexercisng and jurisdction in the dsputed territory until thematter had been adusted

Meanwhile te United States made earnest, but unsuccessfulattempts to obtain from the State of Maine, full authority to adjustthe matter wt Great Britan


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REJECTED

AS MANE PROMPTLY reeced eery and all suggesions heBriish formaly wihdrew heir offer o negoiae

When Presiden Van Buren sen his message o Congress onMarch 0, 838, he conroersy was sill as ho as eer wih anew cas of characers aking he sage

And u in he backwoods erriory ha was he cause of i ahe characers were defniely of a "mean and ugly ye hey

had an unseemly way of no folowing he roer cues ofenrance or any cues a al. Insead hey woud ea ono cenersage wearing siked logging boos and if he oher acors in hedrama of ower oiics didn' um liey he'd ge ramled

As al he oher acors were of he same mind hings were sorof use in ha neck of he woods

Whie his was aking lace he Presiden ublicly exressedhe hoe ha" an early and sasfacory adusmen coud beeffeced

Goernor Ken submied he quesion o he Mane Legislaureand on March 3, 838, ha body resoled ha "i was no

exedien o assen o he ederal goernmen's reang for aconenional ine bu ha he Sae should insis on he lineesablished by he reay of783."

In 839, Messrs. eahersonhaugh and Mudge sureyed a arof he ine for he Briish auhoriies and he Washingongoernmen roided a surey n 840. Nohing of morance

resued from eiher of hese sureys

RECOGNIZED

AS HE RIGHS of he Commonwealh of Massachuses oMadawaska and adacen lands on he Aroosook Rier were

recognized a an eary erod grans were accordingy made by


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that State fo ots of ad o both baches of the ive, bodeigthe bouday: oe to the tow of Plymouth, ad oe to Geeaato

Now ete the "heavies of ths aleady fa too to-heavydama, Joh Bake ad Geoge oehouse

Amog the gats was oe to Joh Bake, "of a atatiocaled ad kow as adawaska Settemet, i the couty ofPeobscot, ad State of aie

The deed was eecuted joity by "Geoge W Coffi, aget fothe Commowealth of assachusetts, ad James Iish, aget fothe State of aie, o Octobe 3 18. Aothe deed of adsituated below Bake's was made to James Baco

Bake oeated a fam ad a sma stoe; aso a gst mi ad asawmi Soo his ace was the headquates fo the Amecasettes i the aea

Geoge oehouse lived Tobique, i a aish ecetyfomed ad kow as Ket He hed a magistates commissiofom the ovice of New Buswick, ad the fist of theadawaska toubles seem o have aise fom his aoyigactice of eceedig his authoity

I othe wods, oehouse claimed juisdictio ove al thatwideess egio, o both sides of the ive, igog the bodescometely, defiite o othewise

RESISTED

AS AN XAL, he issued ecets diected to thecostabes of the Paish of Ket, fo ecovey of smal demadsagaist the ihabitats alog the Aoostook Rive Aso, cimia

ocesses wee issued

As the eole o the ecevig ed wee Ameicas adaies, to boot, ivig moe o ess eacefuly i what they


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clamed was the erritory of their own State they resenedMorehouse's actins and the precepts were ofen resised by force

This unorthodox behavior enraged Mrehouse He soon

ascertaned that Baker was a leader amng the Amercans andha he had dared to advise the setters t ignore he NewBrunswck magisrae's orders to resis his ocers wh had noauthority or jurisdiction on he Madawaska side of the rver

hus began the srife between Morehouse and his followers onone hand and he American settlers ed by Baker n he oher

And the last hassle insead of lessening worsened cuminating inhe incident of he Liberty oe

n the fall of87, he Americans had erected a tal lagsaffwith a crude carvng f an American agle perched on opAround t they had occasional gaherings and being Mainers itcan realy be assumed that the firewaer flwed freely at said

gaherings

I was in fac positivey stated ha passers-by frm therovince subjects f His Majesy were sometimes jeered at andin a few nsances very rudely josted.

TRESON

WHN MORHOUS learned f this unseemly behavior bythe Maine miscreants he blew hs top He rode ke the wind toMadawaska and ordered Baker t remove the offending pole. Heals said that to get up an offending dcumen tha had beenhanded around he settement for sgnature bunty bjectng othe jurisdicion f the rovince n American and Maine affairs onMaine erriory was considered treasonable

reasonabe o whom? Baker asked

o His Majesty the King.

hereupon Baker in a polte way of curse advisedMorehouse His Majesty and he Britsh mpire as t wha hey


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could do Natually oehouse efused to act on this suggestonand once moe demanded that Bae get up the pape

I do not admit its existence but f thee was one I wouldn't

give it to you Now than you indly fo the call as a vsito foma foeign country you ae always welcome

While this nteestig convesation was n pogess a cowdhad gatheed fom both sides of the ive the majoity of themFench Canadans baely able o not able at all to spea Englishso it was difficult to now just whose sde they wee on f any

Suddenly the Bitsh offical noted that the pole fomely baewas now graced by a flag a white field with an Ameican Eagleand a semcicle of ed stas

EED

WA FLAG is that? oehouse wanted to now

Bae gned he Ameican flag oehouse

I demand n His ajesty's name that you pull it down

No Bae efused We ae on Ameican tetoy Nothngbut supeio foce can mae us tae that flag down Right boys?

Right the othe Yans choused Go home Geoge

oehouse dd pocuing an ode fom homas WetmoeEsq Attoney-Geneal of New Bunswc fo Bae's aest twas dated Septembe 7 87

Ealy n the moning of Septembe whle Bae and hisfamly wee asleep his house was suounded by an amed foceAested and taen befoe agstate oehouse Bae wascommitted to Fedeicton jail without examination o tal

Bae had been posecuted befoe but ths time it looed as fthey wee thowng the ey away he New Bunswic


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goernment had aeged that he and the other Americans atMadawasa and aong the Aroostook Rier were in facttrespassers on Crown ands.

Lumber that had been sawed at Baer's mi was seized andconfscated whie being rafted down the St. John and to add insutto injury an"Aien Tax was eied upon the Americans; whoyiega any way you ooed at it

OUTLAWS

RING HIGH wide and handsome Morehouse now forbadeAmericans from woring their own and rom cutting their ownogs He posted notices to that efect and mared ogs aready cutfor seizure. He did not treat them as British subjects or Americancitzens but outaws without a country or rights anyone wasbound to respect.

n uy 827, anie Craig deputy sherif o Kent Parish wassent by orehouse to deier summons to a the inhabitants othe Aroostook area to appear before the court in redericton toanswer charges o trespass and intrusion on the Crown ands

A few Americans appeared; more stayed hoe The cases werecontinued unti the next session One Mainer James Armstongwas seized and deported by canoe rom the territory withouttia

The nearest maret or the Americans was Houton and theony means o transportation there was down the St Jo Rierwhere their produce was subject to seizure and they to arrest Son the a o 827828, they decided to cut a road that woud bewhoy on undisputed American soi.

It was a monumenta undertaing and the irst pioneers sentout to "spot t ost their way and after much sufering oundthemsees in oxcroft.

These Maine frontiersmen had been "put upon ong enoughby Morehouse and his cohorts with the unofficia bacing of the


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Fredericton Ring as it was caimed at the time or apparently theeager-beaver tactics of the New Brunswick men was inducted bymore than high regard for His Majesty

INDICTED

THE AROOSTOOK ands now had considerable value thetimber nearly al hardwood in keeping Why should this weathbe et waste on Yankees?

Yet instead of armed revolt the Americans had simpyresorted to agreement a provisional agreement for one year onysiged by a the setters

A sort of compact to ignore British authority peacefuly ifpossibe and to adjust all disputes that might arise amongthemseves by referees and to support each other in abiding bythis determination

At the Hiary Term (In English aw a term of court beginningon January and ending on the 3s) of the Supreme Court in88, the grand jury for the County of York rovince on NewBrunswic found true bi of indictment against John Baker JamesBacon and Charles Studson for conspiracy

The defendants Bacon and Studs on were never taen intocustody but Baer was arrested as described and arraignedThursday May 8, 88, before the Honorabe Chief JusticeSaunders Mr Justice Bliss and Mr ustice Chipman

The indictment aleged that the defendants did conspire

combine coederate and agree together fasely maiciousyfactiously and seditiousy and to bring hatred and contempt onour said lord the King etc

FOUND GUIT

BAKER AEARE without counse acting in his own

defense He was found guilty sentenced to two monthsimprisonment and a fine of5 pounds


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Prior to his arrest he and James Bacon had been elected b theMaine setters as a deputation to proceed to the goernment ofMaine with a request to hae their case aid before the Legislature

at its next session and to ascertain whether the were recognizedas citizens of the State of Maine and entited to its protection.

The two men attended to this dut traeing afoot and bcanoe through the wideess returning the same wa

ne result was a procamation b the Goernor of Maine:

Whereas it has been made known to this State that one of itscitizens has been coneed from it b a Foreign Power to a goalin the Proince of New Brunswick and that man trespasses haebeen committed b inhabitants of the same Proince upon thesoereignt of Maine and the rights of those she is bound toprotect.

Be it also known that relaing on the goernment and peopleof the Union the proper exertion will be appied to obtainreparation and securit.

Those therefore suffering wrong or threatened with it andthose interested b smpath on account of the ioation of ourterritor and immunities are exhorted to forbearance and peaceso that the preparations for preenting the remoa of our andmarks and guarding the sacred and inestimabe rights ofAmerican citizens ma not be embarrassed b an unauthorizedacts

ENCH INCLN

Portland Noember 9, 87

RESOLUTION

THE EGSATUE of88 thereb resoed That thepresent is a crisis in which the goernment and people of this


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State hae good cause to oo to the goernment of the UntedStates for defense and protecton aganst foregn aggresson

RESOLVE FURTHER that f new aggressons sha be made

by the goernment of the ronce of New Brunswc upon theterrtory of ths State and upon ts ctzens and seasonabeprotecton sha not be gen by the Unted States the Goernorbe and he hereby s requested to use a power and consttutonameans n hs power to protect and defend the ctzens aforesad nthe enoyment of ther rghts.

RESOLVE FURTHER that n the opnon of ths egsaturethe Execute of the Unted States ought wthout deay todemand of the Brtsh Goernment the mmedate restoraton ofJohn Baer a ctzen of ths State who has been sezed by theoffcers of the ronce of New Brunswc wthn the terrtory ofthe State of Mane and by them coneyed to Fredercton n sad

ronce where he s now confned n prson and to tae suchmeasures as w effect hs eary reease

In 83 the attempt of certan persons to hod an eecton atMadawasa Settement under the aws of Mane ed to ther arrestand tra by the authortes of New Brunswc Concted andsentenced they were reeased on the request of the Unted States.

In June 837, Ebenezer Greeey of oer Mane wasempoyed as a State agent to tae the census of the resdents ofMadawasa and at the same tme to dstrbute ther share of themoney surpus that had accumuated n the Unted State Treasury

RASD

GREELE WAS arrested by a ronca constabe and taen toFredercton. The offcas there had not hestated to arrest humbectzens of Mane but ths was somethng ese aganan agent ofthe State of Mane The sherff refused to recee the prsoner. Hewas reeased and returned to Aroostoo to contnue hs dutes ascensus taer


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Governor Harvey o Ne Brunsick inored that Greeeyas distributing oney imediatey assumed thout checkingte acts tat it as being done to induce te inabitants tocontinue their aegiance to the United States.

He thereore ordered Greeey to be rearrested and tossed intote Fredercton ai

INVADED

GOVERNOR UNLA o Mane roty issued a generaorder: the State had been invaded by a oreign oer and themitia as caed uon to hod itse n readness or moentaryand active service

A e eeks ater te British authorities inuenced by a etterrom resdent Van Buren again reeased Greeey and again he

returned to Aroostook.

In 83, Governor Sith in his annua message to theLegisature said:

"Inormation as been received that a nuber o theinhabitants o Madaaska had organized theseves into a

cororaton chosen municia ocers n consequence theieutenant-governor and other authorities o Ne Brunsickaccoanied by a miitary orce arrested a nuber o Aercancitizens"

"Toug the easures adoted by the inabitants ereunexected by me; yet as they acted in territory knon to be

ithn the imits o Maine and in obedence to the as andconstitution I considered that they ere entited to the aid androtecton o their governent"

"Iediatey thereore on receiving evidence o thesetransactions they ere comuncated . to the eartent oState o the United States ith a request tat te roer easures

might be adoted by the Genera Governent to rocure the


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release of our citizens, and o protect the erriory of our Statefrom invasion

MARKING TIE

OMMIEES were appoined, resoves taken and instrucionsssued to Maine's agents and representatives in ashingonowever, in 834Governor unap notes that the quesion is siunseted, yet the way s now open for the ultimae attanment of

our rightsIn the next few years the Governors' message refer to it as yebeng in an unsettled state, and in 837Governor unap regresthat he has receved no nformaion to warrant the opinion that aspeedy adusment is expected.

e then adds: Our soil and our sovereignty have beeninvaded

More resolutions were aken by the Legisature, bu nothingwas acualy accompishedAble to ge away wih it, and fuly suppored by their

government, he rovince peope were more arrogant than ever.

Maine's new governor, Edward Kent, eleced by the hgs,was an abe awyer and uris e had informed himself n detai

concerning the dispute over years of profound sudy, and hadreached he concusion, obectivey, hat Mane was in the rgh, inevery respec

In a long documen he explained his premise in a manner thateven he most unetered indvidual coud undersand.

0m_' "6 Mn /ANJdt,!J l\ HO

frEui1 Ir,.!.2F(c:.tMI

Edward Kent was a Whig ad seved two ems asGoveo of Mane, 1838-1839, 18401841 For Kent Aoostook Couny was amed n his hono i 840.


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SPEECHES

RSN JACKSON had no aced wih his sal igor inany of he aeps o sele he bondary qesion, and his

sccessor, residen Van Bren was eqally inclined oprocrasinae

iery speeches in Congress, while encoraging he Yankee sideof he conroersy, had lile effec on he iscrean neighbors ohe norheas

hey becae een ore defian, and issed ciil and criinalprocesses agains he selers on he Aroosook, Madawaska andpper S ohn Riers

Money was inoled, los of oney. he Land Agen's reporo Goernor airfield saed "A large nber of en arerespassing on he lands belonging o his Sae hey defy he

power of is goernen o preen heir cing iber o anyexen hey please

"he iber which hese respassers will c is esiaed inale a $100,000.

ha did i he Goernor recoended o he Legislare hahe Land Agen be insrced o proceed o he place of loggingoperaions wih sfficien nber of en, siably eqipped, o"seize he eas and proisions, break p he caps, and dispersehose who are engaged in his work of deasaion and pillage"

PUNITIVE

ON JANUARY 24, 839, he Legislare passed a resoleinsrcing and epowering he Land Agen o carry o herecoendaions of he Goernor. hey appropriaed $10,000 forhe prpose.

In 1838, he eocras had defeaed dward Ken, he Whiggoernor, and eleced John airchild He, in rn, appoinedRfs cnire of arsonsfield, Land Agen A lawyer, and of


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ability and inteity McIntie acted pomptly to aane thepunitie expedition which let Bano the it wee o Febuay839

It conited o the and Aent o Maine Majo HatinSticland o Bano Shei o Penobcot County and a laeciilian poe with two militia oice a obee

The expedition poceeded to the mouth o the ittleMadawaa Rie whee it encamped Eidently dicipline walooe o nonexitent o it eem that no entie wee poted

uin the niht o Febuay 12th the cabin whee McIntielept wa uounded by 0 amed men who theeupon enteedthe pemie daed him om hi wam blanet and placedhim unde aet "e and be eady to mach to Fedeictonhe wa told

AT GUNPONT

"BY WHAT AUTHORITY am I aeted? the hiein Mainedemanded

A muet muzzle wa ammed aaint hi chet "By thiauthoity! The Maine wa then taen to the enemy capital andtoed into thei neaet appoach to a duneon

Majo Sticland the Hih Shei wheee he miht haebeen at the time ecaped idin pot-hate thouh the wildeneto Bano with the teible new leain hi unalamed campwith oe 200 amed men unditubed

Natually the Oppoition Whi newpape made the mot othe incident "That what come om lettin the emocat inthey leeully pointed out to the people o Maine

" Anothe thin; i Mac had tayed in camp whee he belonedhe wouldn't hae been captued Intead he eached until he


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ound a ain wih a ahr d whih was wihn a ml o hnmy lns.

" As or Srikland Tha armin had prod o wha hy

had always laimd

Th shrs"owardly ligh soon am a polialradon and alsly so and doggrls o h day ommnd

"Run Srikland runFir Sor ir!

Wr h las word o Mnir.

Hang los hir wo ladrs h Man puni xpdionapparnly ound anohr or on Sunday Fruary 17 i daysar h apur o Mnir h popl o Bangor had hplasur o holding Maughln Wardn o h NwBrunswk puli lands and Capan Tis o h Toiquslmn ladrs among h rspassrs sord as prisonrshrough h srs

PRISON DE E

UNLIKE THE apis o h Briish hy wr no lodgd injal u n a sui in h Bangor Hous whr hy lid on h ao h land

n arh 1 1839 nws was rid n Bangor ha a rgimno 800 Fuslirs had arrid in S John rom Cork Irland andwr radying o marh ino Aroosook Fi hundrd BrishRgulars had arrid a Madawaska rom Qu and igh larganons had n ranspord up h S. Joh Rr romFrdrion

"War orrspondns in h ild prnpally a Houlonwhr hr wr hols wh so ds and ouniul mals kph popl o Main normd o aiis a h "Sa o War


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he Bangr Whg prbaby the mt enterprng f the Manenewpaper f the day kept peca meenger tage andexpre team gng and cmng

he tuatn wa meanwhe becmng mre and mrenfammatry; a ubect fr dcun and agtatn n England awel a n the Unted State.

PROCLMTION

ON MRCH 7 839, bth Lrd Brugham and the uke f

Wellngtn n peeche t the Hue f Lrd blunty tated thatawle Yankee f the wrt type were nadng and trepangupn Brth

Sr Jhn Harey LeutenantGernr f New Brunwckued a prcamatn that wa a declaratn f war ebruary 3,839.

he Mane Leglature apprprated $800,000 t be ued by thegernr fr the prtectn f the publc and.

he gernr mmedately flwed wth General OrderNumber 5, 6 and 7 rderng a draft f0,343 men frm the mtat be ready fr mmedate actn. Genera Order N 7 wa adeclaratn f war!

Wthn a week 10,000 mercan trp were n rtk rn the march there

he natna gernment wa fnaly awake. Cngre paeda bl authrzng the redent f the Unted State t rae 50,000trp fr the upprt f the Mane war effrt and apprpratedten mln dlar fr expene.

General Sctt the her f Lundy Lane wa rdered t the cenef actn nrmng Gernr arfeld that he wa" pecalycharged wth mantanng the peace and afety f the entrenrthern and nrtheatern frnter


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H arrivd in Augusa wih his saff March 5 839 andopnd Hadquarrs in h Augusa Hous a hoslry favorabyknown for is accommodaions and bouniful mas

War can b hl bu h Gnra was no incnd o l inrfr wh his appi Anyway an officr wih so muchrsponsbiliy nds o kp his srngh up

INSULTS

GOVERNOR FAIRFIE'S addrss o h roops ran hus

"Flow Soldirs! An unfoundd unus and insung claim ofil has bn mad by h Brsh Govrnmn o mor han onhird of h whol rriory of your Sa

"or han his i nsiss upon havng xclusiv urisdicionand possssion un is clams of il is sd-whil in hmanim is subcs ar sripping his rriory of is valuabgrowh of imbr in dfianc of your auhoriy and your powr

"A fw days afr you sn a civi forc undr your and Agno driv off hs bands of armd pundrrs and proc yourpropry from hir work of dvasaon Bu h Agn whimployd in h prformanc of his duy wih wo of hisassisans wr sizd ranspord byond h bounds of h

Sa and incarcrad in a forign ail undr Briish auhoriis

"Thos who rmain ar hrand wih a forcib xpusion byBriish roops if hy do no immdiay lav h rriory andabandon your propry o h proffrd procion of HrMasys iunan-Govrnor

"And prhaps bfor hs momn your soil has no only bnpollud by h invadr's foosps bu h blood of our ciiznsmy hav bn shd by Briish Myrmidons"

HE WHIG war corrspondn a Houlon rpord ha "hAugusa igh Infantry Company consising of48 mn has usarrivd n his ciy from Wado Couny


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"We he ust seen genten who eft Aroostook onhursdy. he ounteers he erected fort with ogs nd hefe fied pieces ounted. hey re in fine sprts. he Wdo

ounteers the isctquis ounteers nd the Brewer ounteersrried t No 4 bout 36 ies this side of cp on hursdynght.

"he Bngor Artiery nd the exter Artiery rried tLncon on Fridy night nd the exter Rife corps were bout 5ies this side of Lincon on Sturdy ornng

MARCHNG

ON BOH SIES of the "border troops were rching;regurs iiti nd ciin ounteers. As yet no bood hdbeen shed estwise by buet or byonet but there hd beenknock-downs nd drgouts penty between prtsn groups.

rus were betng nd btte songs were being sung ndony rce coud preent n exposion tht woud ed to out wr between nited Sttes nd Gret Brtin

Gener Scott of the S Ary now n fu cond of theAercn forces on the northern nd northestern frontiers hd

fu powers to ct s edtor between the Stte of Mine nd theronce of New Brunswick

He iedtey opened negotitions wth engthycouniction whch went on to butter up the eney whie tthe se te it extended nuerous nd not too eied threts ofwht woud surey hppen to ny iserbe scrent who didn't

foow the suggestions s outined by Scott

It cosed in the proscrbed for of the ties; "he undersgnedhs uch pesure in renewng to His Exceency Mor GenerSir John Hrey the ssurnces of his ncient high consdertonnd respect

WINFIEL SCO


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o the aoe document, and the acceptance o Sir John Harey,the Goernor o Maine added, March , 839: . . inconsideration o the oregoing, the exigency or calling out thetroops o Maine hae ceased, as Goernor o Maine, I hae no

hesitation in signiying entire acquiescence in the proposition oMajor General Scott

he undersigned has the honor to tender to Major GeneralScott the assurance o his high respect and esteem.

JOHN AIRIEL

LONG JOKE

HUS ENE the amous Aroostook War. erided andscoed at and regarded as a huge international joke, it was anincident important in international history, and in the history othe United States.

o the people o Maine it was o supreme importance, or theresulting diplomacy not only soled the prolem that had eenplaguing them or 6 years and gae them the territory rightullytheirs.

It rought the inhaitants closer together and to theirgoernment, and it gae a new high point to the pariotism theyhad always elt or the United States o America.

It also proed the endurance o the stalwart sons o the Pineree State, who let their homes and iresides in the mostinclement weather known to a generally rigorous climate, tomarch two hundred miles through the deep snows o a wildernessto deend the American rontier rom inasion

Pending a new treaty, the Maine troops were withdrawn, utthe goernor kept a large ciil orce in the disputed territory,under the Land Agent.

he new treaty, negotiated y aniel Wester and LordAlexander Baring Ashurton in August, 84 susequentlyratiied y oth goernments, settled the oundary etween


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Maine and Canada for all time By it, seven twelfts of tedisputed territory, including tat part of Madawaska on tesouterly side of te St Jon, was given to te United States, andfive twelfts to Great Britain.

AFERMAH

AS NO BATTLES were fougt or even minor engagements byte military, tis nearwar as been called te BloodlessAroostook War Yet, popular opinion to te contrary, blood wassed, and it was by the military

Tirty thousand United States troops encamped for a time onFort Hill, at Fort Fairfield, due for witdrawal, were bored by thewole affair

At morning guard mount, te relieved sentries, instead ofdrawing te carges from teir muskets according to regulations,

detemined to ave the pleasure of firing tem at least once Sotey fired at random targets in te brus edging a small clearing.

Natan Jonston, broter of William Jonston, was at work onte oter side of tat brus, unseen by soldiers, reaping grain. Hedied from his many wounds the next day.

Permission obtained om the Guy GannettPublishing Company of Portand, Maine to

reprint the 1 965 Fred Humiston arice about theAroostook War

Pemission granted by Executive Editor John K. Murphyon August 1 1 1 9 86 to Danie Nicoa on behalf of the

Fort Kent Boy Scouts


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Documents

Fort Kent Maine Historic Blockhouse