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Scarcely had it been erected, and its guns mounted, when the rapacious pirate from Machias, A. Greene Crabtree by name, appeared upon the scene, as he had done before with disastrous results. But this time he received the surprise of his life. He viewed with astonishment the new Fort upon the hill, and the flag of England floating from the ramparts.
For she knew that if they did not reach Machias by the early evening their attempt to aid the settlement would have been in vain. "Look, Rebby! White bread, spread with butter," she said, as she unfastened the package, "and here are slices of chicken, and big squares of molasses cake," and Rebby smiled at her little sister's evident delight.
Machias was settled in 1763 by a colony from Scarborough, one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts. During the war it was the asylum of disloyal spirits who fled thither from various parts of Nova Scotia. The township of Cumberland included a considerable portion of what is now the county of Westmorland.
Anxious to retain the services of so useful and enterprising an officer, Gen'l McLean on two occasions offered two "rebel" officers of superior rank in exchange, but in each instance the offer was declined, and it was learned afterwards that the failure was due to a memorial forwarded from Machias by Col. John Allan representing that Lieut. Street was too dangerous a man to be set at liberty.
While she was waiting for a fair wind and clear weather an armed sloop of four guns and full of men from Machias came into the harbor, took possession of the brig, and two days after carried her off to Machias; the first night after their arrival the enemy made the small party in the Fort prisoners, plundered them of everything in it, and set fire to all the Barracks, but at that time they did not molest any of the inhabitants on the opposite side of the river."
Curiously enough at this crisis the old St. John river chieftain, Pierre Thoma, arrived at Machias in quite an indignant frame of mind. His annoyance was caused by General McLean's ordering Major Studholme not to furnish any more provisions to the Indians.
Rebby looked at the arrow, and afterward she had reason to remember her father's words. The mill at Kwapskitchwock Falls was not in use at the time of their visit, and the mill workers were in Machias. But great booms of logs, waiting to be sawed into lumber, lay all along the river banks. The sun was high in the heavens when the little party came in sight of the falls dashing over the rocks. Mr.
It was known that the English officers from the gunboat would attend service in the meeting-house that morning; and the Machias men had decided, with the approval of Parson Lyon, to surround the church and capture them before they had time to carry out their plans against the settlement.
Colonel Francklin was quite aware of the necessity of giving careful attention to the Indians at this juncture, for the Machias rebels threatened to destroy the "King's masts" and endeavored to get the Indians to harass the mast cutters and obstruct, them in every possible way. In consequence Francklin sent the following letter to Pierre Thoma by James White, his deputy:
Rumors now began to prevail of an Indian uprising. John Allan contrived after his flight to Machias to keep in touch with the Indians of the River St. John and sent emissaries among them, who were very liberal in their promises of rewards, and who assured the savages that their old father the King of France had now joined hands with the Americans against the English.
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