September 2012 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 21.
WASHINGTON COUNTY AND THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CIVIL WAR Maritime History
By Amos Boyd
In the geographical sense, Washington County in Maine could not get much further away from the south and the issues and infl uences of slavery. The State of Maine itself is connected to the rest of the United States, only along its shortest border, by the state of New Hampshire. The state’s other borders are the rugged Atlantic seacoast, and by what may be its longest land border – the Canadian Provinces of Quebec and the Maritime Province of New Brunswick. In spite of its isolation however, Maine people were as intensely American, as the many other states which had begun life under the jurisdiction of other nations, and their views on the issue of slavery, were varied, but strongly held. However, from the very day of Lincoln’s election in Maine became directly or indirectly affected by the possibility that war was likely to break out between the Southern and Northern states. Although Washington Country people had voted overwhelmingly for Abraham Lincoln as president on November 6, 1860, this was still Washington County where argument continues, even today, almost as an art form among the men. Rarely will any group or organization agree about anything, and if agreement does exist, someone may change sides just to stir things up to make the situation more interesting.
The editor of the Machias Union and the editor of the Eastport Sentinel had for some time carried on an acrimonious war of words and against Lincoln – partly serious and possibly to create reader interest. The serious issues involved in Lincoln’s
election brought them again on opposite sides; the Eastport Sentinel for Lincoln as president, and the Machias Union against. In December of 1860, after Lincoln’s election, the Machias Union proclaimed: “Here lies a people, who, in striving to give liberty to the negro, lost their own freedom.” Not everyone agreed.
There was disagreement even among the Southern states about seceding from the Union, and South Carolina was fi rst to secede, losing the strategic city of Charleston was a serious blow to Northern strategic military strength. There were 73 Union soldiers stationed at Fort Moultrie in Charleston, and Lincoln had refused to reinforce them. They were secretly moved to the island Fort Sumter, which brought protests from the Southerners. Major Robert Anderson was in command of this small Union force of 73 men who were surrounded by 7,000 Southern troops for three months and were almost out of food, water and ammunition when they surrendered after a two day bombardment.
Although not all the southern states wanted to secede, Mississippi followed fi ery South Carolina’s lead on January 9th on the 10th
, and Alabama on the 11th
seceded on the 19th on the 26th
Virginia on April 17th
, Florida . Georgia
and North Carolina, May 30th On March 24th
. Texas seceded on March 2nd , Arkansas on May 6th .
of January, and Louisiana , ,
large fl ocks of geese
were fl ying north over Washington County, ignoring the tumult going on below them while they continued on their annual migration. Life went on in other ways as
MISC. COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS Continued from Page 11.
meetings, it was said that the majority of association members are in their fi fties or older and eventually, we will be hoping to retire or will be “dying” to leave the fi shery. Well, this is exactly what is starting to happen, unfortunately.
Please, if you have a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter, niece or nephew in the fi shery, perhaps you can encourage them to sign into the association of their choice. We invite each and every one of the younger generation to start taking an interest in their future and work together to help make a difference. We invite them to join the Downeast Lobstermen’s Association to help us continue to have our presence known in Augusta and our Federal Government. Thank you for taking the time to read my report!
If you are interested in hearing the live broadcast that I was invited to participate in with Cathy Billings of the Lobster Institute and Rep. Walter Kumiega of the Marine
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Resources Committee, it was on WERU 89.9 FM, Blue Hill or 99.9 Bangor on www.
weru.com. The date of the broadcast was Friday, August 24, 2012 with Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension. The Annual Meeting of the Downeast
Lobstermen’s Association will be held on Thursday, September 13th
at Jasper’s
Restaurant in Ellsworth. Please come along and bring a family member and friend. All are welcome! See you around, Sheila
well, romance fl ourished in spite of all the other excitement, and the Machias Union reported the marriage of Mary Whitney formerly of Beddington, Maine, to Caleb West of Memphis, Tennessee.
Though Lincoln declared an “insurrection”, not a war, on April 15, the situation was clear enough when he asked for 75,000 volunteers for three months of military service. Tensions were high in Washington County and strong opinions for and against war and/or military service were being expressed in every barn, fi eld, lane or start corner. There was much argument and discussion. While the older people continued to cogitate and talk, the young ones felt that something should be done immediately and a lawyer in Pembroke who supported the Rebel cause was threatened with a “ducking” and a coat of tar. The editor of the Machias Union no doubt took notice of that even, but continued his criticism of the President. “The supporters of Mr. Lincoln” said the editor, “in conjunction with the Southern fi re-eaters, have brought our country to the verge of ruin. If saved it must be by the interposition of the Democratic party.” In April, the ship news from Machias Union was much as usual, although vessels returning from foreign ports were unaware that an undeclared war now existed between the states. The brig CORRIS ANN has sailed from Machiasport on December 6th and crossed the equator January 2nd
, 1861,
arriving at Buenos Ayres June 24. The barque DUBLIN at Montevideo January 23rd
was in ballast for the West Indies. The schooner D. J. SAWYER was at New York on March 27, fourteen days from Cardenas. The brig BONAPARTE has received repairs and was ready to sail March 28 from New
York. Schooner MITCHELL reported seaman Samuel Miller had been lost overboard March 24, on the passage from Machias to New York.
Ship news from any area of Washington County was soon to change dramatically, and for the worst. Washington County’s economy was primarily based on the export of agricultural and lumber products and fi sh. In 1860, the Machias area alone has exported a total value of $109,856 of lumber to the islands of the Caribbean and to South America. The sea route from Washington County to these areas was already hazardous, and passage would be twice as dangerous during a war with the South. Directly or indirectly, sea trade affected almost every facet of the economy of Washington County.
Eastport residents were shocked by the decision of native Eastport Lieutenant Childs who resigned his commission in the Union Army and accepted a commission as a Colonel with the Confederates. (Some accounts say the commission was only for a lieutenant’s commission.) Childs was the son of General Childs who has been stationed at Eastport Fort Sullivan for many years. There were other odd changes. Newspaper advertisements began to refl ect warlike attitudes. “All civilians who enter the Southern army will do well to call and get one of Ross’s best ambrotypes before leaving. Your return from war is doubtful.” President Lincoln had asked for volunteers, and companies were being formed in many small Washington County towns. At Eastport, George Hayes, agent of the International Steamship Company, announced that all troops Enroute to war would be carried by the company free of expense, as far as they go.
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