I48 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY Hero of Westcustogo/North Yarmouth By H. AUGUSTUS MERRILL. (1898) The first blood shed in the Province of Maine in King William's war was on the pleasant banks of Royal river, in what is now the town of Yarmouth. It was then, however, called North Yarmouth or Westcustogo. Not far from the scene of the tragedy are the ruins of an old garrison house built some forty years afterwards but now tottering to its fall. Close at hand was a broad and sheltered bay, called in the Indian tongue by the name of Casco, signifying "a haven of rest." This bay was thickly studded with islands. The river, though small, was valuable for its water power, there being two falls within a short dis- tance of each other. Fish and game were abundant, large forests of timber were favorably situated for exploration, and these circum- stances early attracted white settlers to Westcustogo. Accordingly, as early as 168o, we find a town incorporated here, under the name of North Yarmouth. This town was the eighth in the state in order of the time of settlement. Nearly forty families had already located about the rivers and along the sea shore, from the northeast bounds of Falmouth to the southwest limits of Bruns- wick. The Indians were not ignorant of these advances of civilization, and they regarded the plantations at North Yarmouth as a direct encroachment and violation of treaties. The excellent physical advantages mentioned above, their burial place on Lane's Island, near at hand, and the strategic importance of the place in regard to the other towns, led them to resist its occupation by the whites, with a hostility more unconquerable, far reaching and deadly, than they exhibited towards most other settlements in the state. Throughout the entire war, Falmouth alone was a greater sufferer. The man who, at this time, bad done the most to forward the interests of this little settlement was the enterprising and valiant, but eccentric and at times quarrelsome, Captain Walter Gendall. In September, 1688, he gallantly gave his life in the service of his friends, being cut down at Callen Point by the shot of a savage, while carrying ammunition to besieged settlers. At the time of his death the Captain had rebuilt a saw mill at the lower Falls, which HERO OF WESTCUSTOGO 149 was proving one of the most lucrative in the state. He had a dwell- ing house on the east side of the river, near his mill, and one of rude construction, for the men, on the opposite shore. Previous to the declaration of war in the old world, hostilities had broken out in New England, and the French of Canada were already exciting their Indian allies against the English. But the savage natives of Westcustogo needed no French influence to impel them to hostilities, and they were soon threatening the beautiful little ham- let by the river. The house of John Royall, one of the early settlers, on the east side of the river, was occupied as a fortress at this time. In early fall, 1688, nearly all the settlers had fled to its sheltering walls for protection. In order to make the defence against the enemy still more effectual, the authorities had ordered Captain Gendall to build a stockade at a point on the west side of the river directly opposite. The work had been commenced. Early in the morning of the day of the tragedy, two men, one of them Larrabee by name, were sent over from the block house before the rest of the workmen to make preparations for the day's work. The red men were before them lurking in ambush, and no sooner had the men from Royall's arrived than they were secured. As no outcry had been made the other laborers were ignorant of this seizure, and came over soon after to their work. Carefully conceal- ing their prisoners, the Indians came forth from the bushes to meet the new comers. With faces smeared with paint and uttering shrill yells, they advanced upon the little band of workmen. Suddenly one of the red men gave young Larrabee, a brother to the man already taken prisoner, a violent push. The intrepid man lifted his gun and shot his assailant dead. While firing, however, he was seized by another Indian, but was rescued by Benedict Pulsifer, who struck the Indian with the edge of his broad axe. The skirmish now became general. The Eng- lish, inferior in numbers, having withdrawn to a place of less ex- posure, a rocky bluff under the bank of the river, defended them- selves for a time without loss. Captain Gendall, meanwhile, had been watching the progress of the affair from the fortress. He soon perceived by the cessation of the white men's fire that their ammunition was exhausted. He also heard their frantic cries and signals for help. Against the protest of his wife and friends who saw the peril of such an attempt, the brave man prepared to assist his friends on the other side of the I50 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY river. Taking a supply of ammunition he left the fortress. Stand- ing erect in a float, with a servant to assist him, he paddled rapidly toward the western shore. He deemed his former friendly relations with the natives a sufficient safeguard against bodily harm. But in this he was mistaken. Fortner friendship was forgotten in this sudden outbreak of hostilities. Before the float was entirely across the stream the valiant captain received a fatal shot. Throwing the ammunition to the men in distress, he fell backwards into the water, exclaiming with his last breath: "I have lost my life in your ser- vice !" Thus perished Captain Walter Gendall, the soldier and the hero of ancient Westcustogo. The point where he fell was afterwards called Callen (Calling) Point from the fact of the men's calling across to the garrison for help. It is also called Cuttinge Pinte in the York county deeds. The party who had received the ammunition defended themselves until night. Under cover of the darkness the Indians retired to their favorite resort, Lane's Island, and put to death with horrible tortures the two unhappy men who had fallen into their hands in the morning. No other whites lost their lives in the skirmish. Mr. Harris, one of the party, whose descendants now live in New Gloucester, was taken and led by two Indians holding by the hair of the head to the creek below Callen Point. But when one of the Indians let go his hold to fire upon the whites, he wrenched himself free from the other and effected his escape, a gun pointed at him missing fire. John Royall himself was also taken prisoner, but redeemed by Cas- tine. The news of the tragedy soon spread through the little hamlet and the panic stricken inhabitants betook themselves to Jewell's Island, where they were but little better able to defend themselves. Soon after they were taken to Boston by a passing vessel and were scattered in that vicinity. This was the second breaking up of the settlement in North Yarmouth, and no further attempt to re-people the territory was made until I713. And it was not until twenty years later that the town again was incorporated. (c) 1998 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. 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