Radio Script #421

Little Talks on Common Things

May 17, 1959

On this program I have often mentioned the fact that many of the land deeds in Waterville and Winslow, especially those on the Winslow side of the river, go back to original grants made by the Plymouth colony of 1620. But I don’t think I have ever called your attention to the wording of those old deeds. Not long ago I had a chance to copy, word for word, a deed granted by Major Josiah Hayden of Winslow to his daughter Mary in 1806. This was not the more famous Josiah Hayden of more recent times, but was the second Josiah Hayden, son of the first Josiah, Revolutionary officer, for whose wife, Silence Howard Hayden, the local chapter of the DAR is named.

Here is the wording of that deed made 153 years ago: “Know all men that I, Josiah Hayden of Winslow, in the County of Kennebec, Esquire, in consideration of good will, affection, and other important motives, do hereby give, grant and relinquish unto my daughter, Mary H. Hayden, all right, title and interest in one undivided fifth part of the following described lands in said Winslow, within that tract which was granted by the Plymouth Company to Gamaliel Bradford, Esq. and five others; namely my right in the Howard Great Lot, so called, from John Carter’s west line and westward so far as to include one-third part of what is now improved in the meadow near Hampden Keith’s house; excepting 32 acres adjoining the north side of Sidney Keith’s lot, to be one mile long and so wide as to make said 32 acres.”

The reference to the Plymouth Company in that deed is not to the Company organized by Sylvester Gardiner and others in Boston shortly before the building of Fort Halifax in 1754. The reference is to the earlier Plymouth Company with its headquarters in England, which had issued this particular land grant to Gamaliel Bradford in 1629.

This is the only deed that I have ever seen, among many which refer to the old Plymouth lands that omits mention of their later transfer to four men. The present owner of almost any of the very old Winslow lots will find that his deed mentions the fact that the land which his farm encompasses was once deeded by the Plymouth Company to Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng, Thomas Brattle and John Winslow. That happened in 1661, ninety-three years before the building of Fort Halifax.

Another old document that recently came to my attention was the handwritten report of the proceedings and findings of a Kennebec grand jury a little more than a hundred years ago, in 1855. A Rome man was indicted for malicious treatment of oxen, and an Augusta man for stealing a horse.

Another Augusta man, together with several companions, was charged with riot. Then, at the same session of the jury, the principal witness against the rioters was himself indicted for violation of the Maine liquor law. A man from Jefferson was brought up for counterfeiting. The jury could find no evidence that he had manufactured bank notes, but he certainly had passed two of them, both $50 bills. One he turned in at a store in North Windsor, the other in Gardiner. So the jury indicted him for knowingly passing two counterfeit greenbacks.

Some of the letters preserved by old families in Central Maine tell of hardship and struggle. Here is one such letter, written by a woman in California to her daughter in Maine 90 years ago: “My dear child: It is a long time since I received your letter. I meant to write you long ago, but have waited, hoping to have something pleasant to tell you. But ‘the good time coming’ has not reached me yet. I have had a hard time to keep the children together this winter, struggling against poverty, poor health and hard times. If you could realize how hard my lot is, you would not wonder that I am ready to sink and cry out ‘All thy billows and thy waves have gone over me’. I try first one thing, then another, and so the weary days creep by. I hardly know what to do, but I think I shall go back to the city and try sewing again.

“You ask if I am going to get married. Not at present. There is a gentleman here in California whom I may marry some time. He is a good man and has some money, but it is a step that I shall take with great caution, if I take it at all. He would assist me at any time, even if I don’t marry him, but it hurts my self respect to be dependent on a stranger. I must struggle on till the way is made clear.”

The letter goes on to tell about the cost of living. The writer says: “Provisions have been high all winter. I paid $.17 for my last barrel of flour. Beef is 30 cents a pound, potatoes 75¢ a peck, and everything else in proportion. If we do not have rain very soon, there will be poor crops this year too, and many people will suffer. There have never been such hard times in California.”

Interesting also is a letter written in the spring of 1860 by a young man in Winslow to a girl who had moved first to Massachusetts, then to New Hampshire. Either the girl had designs on the young man, who was playing shy, or else he was putting up that not unheard of thing, even in 1860 — a courting bluff. Let us see what he wrote: “I received your expected letter a week ago. I have been out of a job since the first of January and I cannot find anything to do. I am getting completely discouraged. Business is very quiet, and many people in Winslow and Waterville are out of work.

“I was surprised to learn that you had left Worcester and had gone to New Hampshire, but if you can do better there I cannot blame you. If your father could get me a place in some kind of store, where I could get at least $800 a year, I will come where you are like a shot. Or I would gladly learn some kind of mechanical trade. If I could get anything at all to do, I would come.

“In your letter you say something about a wife. I do not know what to make of that, such a thought is far away. It is crazy to think of a boy of 19 getting married. I would not think of marriage for at least five years. There is a young lady that I could easily be in love with, but dare not allow myself to indulge in the idea of asking her to marry me. I need not tell you who she is. ‘As a man thinketh, so is he.’ You may look upon that saying laughingly, but it is very true.

“Please excuse this poorly put-together letter for the reason that I do not know what I am about. I would like to see you very much. Perhaps you will see me out there yet if I succeed in my designs. Please write soon and I will give you an explanation of what I have so blindly written here.”

Now let us turn to a Civil War letter that is a bit different from those we usually see. This letter was written by a Winslow boy at an army camp in Virginia on April 16, 1865, less than 48 hours after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’s Theater in Washington. The war was over. Lee had surrendered, but none of the northern troops had yet been discharged. The writer of this letter was a peculiarly sensitive young man. Notice how he observes the Virginia springtime, how deeply he is affected by the President’s death, and how keenly he fears the spirit of revenge may undo all of Lincoln’s work. It is almost as if this ordinary Maine soldier, with uncanny clairvoyance, would look ahead to the carpetbagger days of the Reconstruction era.

This is what that soldier wrote: “The world is radiant with sunshine this afternoon. The hillside is carpeted with brilliant green, intermingled with freshness of new life. The bursting, perfumed buds of the fruit trees give added charm to the scene around us. All is quiet and peaceful. The fighting is over, and this is the Sabbath.

“We are feeling terribly sad, in spite of the spring sun. Never in my life did I mourn the departure of any human being as I do that of Mr. Lincoln. You will learn, long before this reaches you, the particulars of the diabolical deed which has robbed our country and the world of one of its purest and best inhabitants, one who had the ability and the inclination to discharge faithfully higher duties than have often been required of frail humanity. He was universally acknowledged to be an honest man. But as our sainted father used to say, ‘His time had come’. Guilty indeed must be the soul of his murderer.

“Our hearts are sickened at the fiendishness of the crime, yet we must admit that, since it has taken place under the government of God, its final, unseen result will be more for good than for evil. Our chastisement for our transgressions has been borne for the past four years, but no such withering blow has been struck by the powers of darkness before. Slavery is the sum of all villainles,a monster at once corrupt and corrupting. Who shall say that this murderous crime of assassination might not have been necessary to show up slavery in its true light?

“Were it not for my faith in the wisdom and mercy of God, I should despair of our Republic. Though glad days may be far off in the future, I firmly believe they will eventually come to our sorrowing country, for God is both good and wise. Let us then take hope and courage, ever striving to prove to our fellow men that right and truth must be sustained at whatever cost.

“It seems to me that the cause of the Union — a truly united country has most to fear just now from its own supporters. If great wisdom and judgement are not exercised, the popular clamor for revenge will be heard above our dead President’s plea for mercy and forgiveness. Those inimical to the government will have opportunity to do it injury. 0, if this terrible blow to us as a nation could only make us believe, as never before, that it is vain for puny man to rely upon his own strength.

“What the future will bring is now uncertain. Though danger and suffering may come to me, I hope never to regret that I am doing a little in my country’s cause.”

I submit to you that there is a high-minded, noble letter from a Maine man away from home at war.

Finally here is a letter written by a Winslow man who, after his wife’s death, had gone to the Middle West and married a second time. Here is what he wrote from an Indiana town to his grown-up son back in Winslow more than 80 years ago: “Your stepmother is busy fixing things about the house to make it comfortable. She has got your sister Julia nicely clothed so that she is warmly protected from the cold. Julia has several handsomely made woolen dresses, plenty of good underwear, and two long flannel nightgowns. I know you will be glad to have your little sister so well provided for.

“If you feel like it, I would be glad to have you write to your stepmother, but please do not address her by that appellation. I cannot expect that you will feel toward her as you do toward your own mother, but if you ever become acquainted with her, I am sure you will think her worthy of your respect and affection. Do not let any unfavorable prejudice creep into your mind. She thinks very kindly of you.”

That ends the old letter. We are very glad to record that son and step-mother did later become acquainted and came to think very highly of each other.

Year: 1959