The Original Journal of General Solomon Lovell, Kept During the Penobscot Expedition, 1779; With a Sketch of His Life (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 edition. Excerpt: ...was done, and the quota partly filled in that way. Collected four hundred and thirty-three, rank and fife, and embarked them for Townsend. Some were old men, some boys, and some invalids; if they belonged to the Train Band or Alarm List, they were oldiers, whether they could carry a gun, walk a mile without crutches, or only compos mentis sufficient to keep themselves out of fire and water." The Cumberland recruits were of much the same general character. These facts were represented to the General, who wrote at once to the several brigadiers to fill up their quotas immediately. Some of these subsequent levies reached the Penobscot just previous to the final catastrophe. 1 Lovell's Journal. 2 State Archives, vol. 145, pare 275. 3 State Archives, vol. 145, page 284. The adjutant says farther, in relation to their equipments: " most of them had arms, but many were out of repair, little or no ammunition, and most of the officers and men quite unacquainted with any military manoeuvre, and even the manual exercise." Major Todd states1 that he " received orders on the 2d July to repair to York County, to receive the troops raised there. Arrived at Wells on the 6th, and after the most urgent endeavors, consulting with General Frost and the colonels of the respective regiments," he had received, up to tie 13th, not more than sixty men, some of whom were brought in by force of arms; on the 14th he had readjr to march one hundred and thirty men, and the next day set out for Casco Bay. These testimonies are necessary in order to understand the material with which the General had to work, and the difficulties tjhat beset his way from the very outset. Even recruits of this class were deficient in number fully one-third. While at Townsnd, General Lovell, ...