1912 History of Garland pages 338-387 - Penobscot MEGenWeb

Transcribed by Fran Jones Libby, David Brann, Jennifer Godwin, and Grinnell MacLeod Wood II

A Sketch of the History of the Congregational Church in Garland

The early records of this church were accidentally burned. Its early history is therefore mainly traditional. The incidents herein given were obtained many years ago from the lips of some of its original members and their accuracy is confirmed by testimony from independent sources. Religious meetings were not of frequent or regular occurrences during the first years of the settlement. Many of the early settlers of the township, then known as Lincolntown, having been religiously educated in the distant home of their childhood keenly felt their destitution of religious privileges. The Christian Sabbath, which they had formerly observed a day of rest and devoted to religious and spiritual improvement, now gave no sign of its presence save by a partial cessation of the ordinary employment of the week and the interchange of visits among the scattered families.

Such was the condition of affairs when in the winter of 1806 the Rev. Samuel Sewall, one of the ubiquitous family of ministers of that name, first visited the township and preached, as good Deacon Haskell afterwards expressed it, "to the starving souls of the wilderness." Mr. Sewall was the first minister to visit the township. He preached at the residence of Joseph Garland. This was the first sermon in the township and the people from the scattering families heard him gladly. In their eagerness to hear the words of the living preacher, denominational preferences were forgotten.

Mr. Sewall subsequently made several visits to the township. In sentiment he was a Congregationalist. Afterwards Mr. Lord of Harmony, a Methodist, preached several times in different parts of the township, once at Deacon Haskell's residence. A Mr. Cayford preached occasionally in Mr. Garland”s barn in the warm season of the year. The Rev. Mr. Kilby, a Methodist, and a brother of Mrs. Joseph Garland, preached occasionally in the township.

No other ministers are known to have been in the township until the advent of the Rev. John Sawyer in the year 1809. Mr. Sawyer bore with him a commission from the Maine Missionary Society, then recently organized, and entered upon his work in the wilderness with characteristic zeal. Through his efforts a church was organized in the month of March, 1810, at the residence of Joseph Garland, the first settler. The ministers officiating at the organization were Reverends John Sawyer, Hezekiah May of Brownville township, Jonathan Fisher of Bluehill, and perhaps Mighill Blood of Bucksport.

At the date of this organization there were only two Congregational churches within the present limits of Penobscot County. One at brewer, organized September 7, 1800, and one at Dixmont, organized November 16, 1807, which is now extinct. The church at Garland was called the Congregational church of Lincolntown and vicinity until the incorporation of the town in 1811 and its organization has been perpetuated to the present time. It included in its membership residents of other towns. The persons uniting with the church at the time of its organization were John S. Haskell, Joshua Silver and wife, Jacob Silver, Theophilus Morgan, Mrs. Nancy Gordon, Mrs. Justus Harriman, Mrs. Garland, Mrs. Bond and Mrs. Morgan.

A meeting was held in July 1810 to complete the organization, when John Pratt, Mrs. Ezekiel Straw, Mrs. Weatherbee of Elkinstown, now Dexter, and Mrs. Haskell probably Deacon John S. Haskell's wife, were admitted to membership. At this meeting, nineteen persons, adults and children, received the ordinance of baptism. The ministers in attendance were Reverends John Sawyer and Hezekiah Bailey of New Castle.

A few years later members were received into this church from Piscataquis County. Among them were Deacon Carpenter and wife, Mr. & Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. & Mrs. Bradbury, Mrs. Chamberlain and Mrs. Sheburne from Foxcroft; Mrs. Bloton, Mrs. Buck and others from Dover, and Mr. Loring and wife from Guilford. This relatively large addition was the occasion of great interest and encouragement to the little church in the wilderness and the sympathy between those who came and those who received was warm and active. The late Rev. Amasa Loring, the historian of Piscataquis County, said in a letter to the writer, "This was a historic age in Christian life in this new region. If a notice was sent forward that a lecture would be preached at a certain time and place, the news would be spread from house to house, when the preacher arrived, all who could were sure to be present. When a communion season occurred. distant members, both men and women, would ride horseback twelve or fifteen miles over rough and miry paths, guided on their dubious way by spotted trees to attend church conferences on Saturday afternoon, tarry with Christian friends over night, participating in the solemnities of the Sabbath and retrace their steps homeward on Monday morning through those gloomy forest-ways, cheered and strengthened by the spiritual repast they had just enjoyed. In winter whole families were sometimes carried those long distances on sleds drawn by oxen that they might enjoy Christian communication and fellowship, and that parents might secure the rite of baptism for their children." In after days, one good church member of Foxcroft, when recounting the incidents of his journey to garland to attend meetings would, in his enthusiasm, get a little mixed. On one such occasion he averred that he would hitch his oxen to the sled and drive to Garland with his children and wife, good woman, she”d gone to heaven now by a spotted line. The church at Garland was blessed with a healthy growth for several years under the ministrations of Father Sawyer.

He may have received the assistance of other ministers but to what extent or by whom, tradition does not inform us. In 1822, the church suffered severe loss by the withdrawal of the members, eighteen in number, living in the Piscataquis valley, to organize a church afterward known as the church of Foxcroft and vicinity. The first pastor of the new church at Foxcroft was the Rev. Thomas Williams. This withdrawal left but a single male member in the church at Garland, Deacon John S. Haskell. According to the Congregational policy of the time it required at least two male members to make valid the dismissal of members to other church organizations. Happily Ansel Field and wife became residents of Garland about that time and soon united with the church. The difficulty in the way of giving the Piscataquis members a formal dismission was thus overcome.

At the time of the dismissal of these members Deacon Pratt of Foxcroft was clerk of the Garland church and had its records at his house which was burned shortly after and the records were thus lost. This explains the absence of the church”s records for the first twelve years of its existence. In the period from 1810 to 1822 some of the original resident members of the church renounced Congregationalism and embraced the Universalist faith. This was another source of depletion, and was undoubtedly due to the severity of Father Sawyer's religious creed. But in spite of these discouragements the little church lost no faith nor hope. It was strengthened from time to time by in-coming residents who entered its ranks.

At a meeting of the legal voters of the town of Garland, held August 6, 1825, it was voted to give the Rev. Isaac E. Wilkins a call to become its minister upon certain specified conditions having reference to his support. Isaac Wheeler, Esq., Deacon John S. Harriman, were appointed a committee to wait on Mr. Wilkins and acquaint him with the action of the town, and ascertain whether the conditions were satisfactory.

At an adjourned meeting, held August 11, the committee reported that Mr. Wilkins had indicated his acceptance of the necessary conditions, whereupon the town voted to give him a call to become its minister. Isaac Wheeler, Esq., Justus Harriman and Daniel Ladd were appointed to inform Mr. Wilkins of this action of the town. The town also voted to pay Mr. Wilkins one hundred and eighty dollars for one year, one third in money, and the other two thirds in grain, labor, or what should be necessary for his support and comfort as a minister of the Gospel. By virtue of this action, Mr. Wilkins became Garland's first settled minister.

He had been educated at the Bangor Theological Seminary, and was Congregational in creed. He, with other candidates of other denominations, had occasionally preached in town. Up to this time the Congregational church had been the only organized church in town. It was fitting that the preference of this church should be consulted in the selection of a minister.

Mr. Wilkins was installed on October 12, 1825, under the auspices of the Congregational church. It was an occasion of great interest. A platform had been built where the Congregational meetinghouse now stands and was sheltered by a bower of evergreen boughs. In front of it was a large and interested audience. Rev. Professor Smith of the Bangor Seminary, the Rev. S. L. Pomroy of Bangor, Rev. Thomas Williams of Foxcroft, and Rev. N. W. Sheldon with numerous lay delegates composed the council. Professor Smith preached the sermon which was afterwards published.

It will be seen by the foregoing statements that Garland's first settled minister was settled by the town. Fo an explanation of this we must go back to a former century. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the owner of the Province of Maine until the Act of Separation in 1820.

The public men of that state took great interest in their Eastern Province and were always ready to aid measures to promote the welfare of the towns which were springing into existence over its surface. In the year 17796 that State gave the township we now call Garland to William College, located in the town of Williamston, Mass. It was then a wilderness without a human habitation or even a name. It was designated as towship number tree, in the fifth range of townships north of the Waldo Patent. Among the conditions of this gift to the college, was the reservation of three lots of land of three hundred and twenty acres each for certain public purposes. One of these lots was reserved for the benefit of the first settled minister, to which Mr. Wilkins was clearly entitled. In his engagement however he covenanted to deed to the town three rights of this lot. The reason for this was not shown by the records and must therefore be a matter of inference. He would need means of support of his family before he could realize anything from the sale of his land. The presumption is that he relinquished to the town three eights of the land that belonged to him as the first settled minister, in consideration of the sum of one hundred and eighty dollars promised him by the town for one year's service. It is also probably that this sum was raised by voluntary subscription. There are no records to show that the town, as a municipality, contributed to his support after the first year.

Having been installed, Mr. Wilkins entered upon his work with zeal and hope. He resided in the house as it then was, now occupied by the Clark family in the upper part of the village. The place of his regular ministration upon the Sabbath was at the old Center schoolhouse which was located at the geographical center of the town, and which at that time, afforded the largest audience room in town. Mr. Wilkins was a man of pleasing address, dignified bearing, good abilities and a ready off hand speaker. his relations with his people were of a pleasant character.

The expense of a growing family, transcending the ability of his parishioners to pay, his pastorate terminated September 2, 1830. At this time there were three evangelical churches in the town, the Baptist, Free Will Baptist, afterwards known as the Free Baptist, and 345 the Congregational church. There was also a Methodist organization in town. the first three denominations mentioned, united for the purpose of sustaining meetings, each in turn supplying someone to preach to the people when practicable, or to conduct religious services when on minister appeared.

The Maine Missionary Society furnished preaching for a few Sabbaths each year. Among those sent by this society were the Reverend Calvin White, Lewis Pennel, John A. Vinton, Aurelius Swift and James Caruthers, a native of Scotland. The aid furnished by the Missionary Society was supplemented by the voluntary subscription of the people. Mr. Caruthers attracted the attention of his hearers by his great size, fervid zeal and Scotch dialect.

While as a general rule the current of brotherly sympathy ran smoothly along through this trio of religious societies, There was occasionally a ripple of disturbance. At the close of a preaching service Mr. Caruthers announced that he would preach to this people in one week when Baptist brother sprang to his feet and gave notice that a minister of its denomination was expected to occupy the desk at the same time. Mr. Caruthers then Announced that he would preach from this desk in two weeks. A Free Baptist brother arose to say that a minister of HIS denomination had an appointment to preach here in two weeks. Instantaneously the tower form of Mr. Caruthers presented itself by excitement, he announced that "IN THREE WEEKS FROM THIS DAY, I WILL PREACH TO THIS PEOPLE IF I CAN FIND THE BRANCH OF A TREE TO SHELTER ME 'EAD."

At the termination of the argument whereby the three societies had held religious meetings together the Congregational society worshipped by itself for a time. At the meetings of the society on the Sabbath Deacon Stephen Smith, a good reader, procured the printed sermons of eminent ministers and read them to the people. Meetings thus conducted were interesting and profitable.

"Protracted meetings, extending through four or five days, were of yearly occurance, and were participated in by the religious people of the town. One of these meeting was favored by the presence of the Rev. Jotham Sewall. Mr. Sewall was a man of large size and impressive personality and was known throughout the State for is earnest and effective appeals to religious life. The writer, then a boy of sixteen, was a listener to one of his sermons. At the end of one of his most impassionate appeals an incident invested with a dramatic element occurred. He had listened, he said, to a sermon by Whitfield who, after an earnest appeal to the unconverted, suddenly paused and bringing one foot forcibly to the floor, exclaimed, "Stop, Gabriel, stop; do not return to the heavenly portals until you can carry the news that, at least one soul has been converted."

In 1835, inspired by the faith, zeal, and indomitable courage of the veteran missionary of Eastern Maine the Rev. John Sawyer, the church and society entered upon measures for the meeting house. A company was organized to be known as the Constitutional Meeting House Company of Garland. A constitution and by-laws were adopted to go into effect when the company should be legally incorporated. It was provided that the stock should be divided into twenty-four shares of fifty dollars each, and that when eighteen or more shares should have been taken, the location of the building should be fixed. its size and style determined, and a building committee appointed. One of the by-laws forbade the use of ardent spirits in raising the house, or in any part of the work connected with its construction. There was considerable preliminary discussions as to the size and style of the building. The members of the church and society were struggling to meet the ordinary demands upon their resources. All felt the necessity of economy of expenditure in its construction. Some favored a very small and plain building, bare of belfry or steeple. Others contended that its size must be determined by prospective as well as present necessities, and that a bell would be among the wants of the future, which would require a belfry.

Louis Goulding, a member of the church, who was always ready with a facetious remark upon subject comical or serious, said that "The purpose was to build a house for God. Without a belfry or steeple it would be God's barn and not God's house." The size and style, and all necessary preliminary matters, were at length determined, and plans were prepared. Benjamin H. Oak was appointed treasurer, who with the Rev. John Sawyer and William Godwin were constituted a building committee. The eighteen shares, the condition precedent to building, had been taken and the work was entered upon at once.

Austin Newell of Monroe, an experienced builder, was employed to take charge of the construction of the building. The original subscribes to the stock were Deacon Smith, Deacon John S. Haskell, and the Rev. John Sawyer, who subscribed for two shares each, and George Curtis, Josiah Merriam, Joseph True, Jr., James Greeley, Abraham true, Lewis Goulding, Benjamin H. Oak, Isaac Wheeler, William Godwin, Jacob Greeley, Raymond Copeland, J. Holyoke, and H. N. Pake, who subscribed for one share each.

The two last named subscribers were citizens of Brewer. the foundation of the meeting house was built and the frame raised and covered in 1835. Here the work rested until the following spring. The raising of the building called together a large number of willing helpers as well as spectators. A bountiful dinner and an abundant supply of hot coffee took the place of the stimulants which, in earlier days, were deemed necessary to the successful raising of a large building.

In the spring of 1836 work was renewed on the church by Mr. Newell, who had entered upon a contract to complete the building. Early in 1837 the new church was finished and dedicated. Occupying a commanding site in the center of the village, its modest belfry has through all the years indicated the high purpose of its construction, and announced to the passing stranger that there are people in this community who know the Christian's Sabbath and worship the Christian's God.

When the church was completed considerable money was realized from the sale of pews to individuals. Still the Meeting House Company found itself in debt and several years passed before the debt was fully paid. Father Sawyer appealed to acquaintances in Bangor and Brewer for aid to pay the debt who responded in five and ten dollar subscriptions.

Edward Hill of New York, a brother of Mrs. Josiah Merriam, contributed liberally to this fund. The late Colonel John S. Kimball of Bangor is authority for the statement that Father Sawyer's zeal in aid of building the church, led him to mortgage his farm to raise money to pay his subscription to the building fund and that a short time previous to his death a pension fund from the Government for service in the war of the Revolution enabled his friends to pay the balance due on the mortgage and redeem the farm.

Pastorate of the Rev. S. S. Drake

In 1837, the Rev. S. S. Drake became the acting pastor of the parish. He had previously labored here under the auspices as of the Maine Missionary Society. he was installed as pastor February 24, 1841, and filled the pastorate until March 1847, when his relations to the parish were severed. Mr. Drake was a pleasing and popular preacher, and his relations to the church had, in the main, been pleasant and satisfactory, but unfortunately cases of discipline were followed by dissensions that could not be healed so long as he remained its pastor.

The Congregational meetinghouse was ready for occupancy about the time that Mr. Drake commenced his term of service, and he preached from its pulpit for a period of about ten years. Mr. Drake was followed by Mr. P. B. Thayer, then a recent graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary. Before the completion of his course at the seminar he was introduced to members of the Congregational church by a personal friend whom he was visiting. and by invitation he occasionally preached from the Congregational pulpit. These pulpit efforts were followed by a unanimous call to the pastorate of the church. Accepting the call, his ordination and installation took place on December 21, 1848.

The members of the council on this interesting occasion were the Revs. Wooster Parker of Foxcroft and Dover church, E. G. Carpenter of the Dexter church, W. S. Sewall of Brownville church and Horatio Illsley of the Monson church. revs. Henry White and Enselius Hale were present. The pastorate, so auspiciously opened in 1848, extended to may, 1896, a period of almost forty-eight years without a break; the longest pastorate then existing in New England in the Congregational line save one in Massachusetts, and it is not too much to say, a pastorate whose harmony was very seldom disturbed by discordant sounds.

The persons who have officiated as deacons of this church are John S. Haskell, Joel Pratt, Stephen Smith, George Curtis, Samuel Coan, John Rideout, Luther Rideout, Boardman Wood and Martin Rideout, none of who, are now living. The present deacon is Stephen R. Came. The clerks have been Joel Pratt, Stephen Smith, Rev. P. B. Thayer and Miss Sarah A. Curtis. Miss Curtis served long and efficiently and is still clerk at this time, (1911). The Rev. T. W. Harwood followed Mr. Thayer as pastor.

Mr. Harwood was a graduate of the Bangor Theological Seminary, and his religious views were in harmony with the teachings of that institution. He was a man of fine abilities. His sermons were logical, instructive and uplifting and he never failed to hold the attention of his audience while speaking. From his large fund of information he drew material for frequent interesting and instructive lectures upon moral, religious and secular subjects.

Historical Sketch of the Free Baptist Church

At the opening of the present century the Free Baptist denomination was in its infancy. the simplicity of its creed and the earnestness of the appeals of its ministers attracted to its membership many of the earlier inhabitants of Garland. In 1809, the Rev. Asa Burnham from Nottingham, N. H. , a minister of the Free Baptist denomination and an excellent man, moved into the township, and commenced making a home for his family upon land formerly owned by Robert Seward. Josiah Bartlett, afterwards known as Elder Josiah Bartlett, was the first citizen of the new township to express a preference for the Free Baptist creed in a public manner, and he did it by receiving the ordination of baptism at the home of Elder Burnham on the lat day of December, 1809. A little later his wife, Mrs. Sally Bartlett, was baptized by the Rev. Samuel Hutchins of New Portland, Maine.

The Free Baptist of that time had no organized system of missions. This, and other towns, were visited from time to time by ministers drawn hither, in the parlance of the times, by the leadings of Providence. Among them were Elder Joseph Farewell, Samuel Hutchins and Lincoln Lewis. From 1820 to 1825 prayer and conference meetings were held at the Center and other schoolhouses, which were freely participated in by members of other denominations. The spirit of union which prevailed at that early day has been perpetuated to the present time.

In 1825, it had become the settles conviction of several persons that a church of the Free Will Baptist denomination should become a verity. Acting upon this conviction a council consisting of Elder John Page and Deacon Ebenezer Towle and Joseph Walker of Exeter assembled on the 9th day of April, 1825, when a church was organized, and given the name of the Free Will Baptist church of Garland. The persons uniting with this church at this time were Josiah Bartlett, Joseph Strout, Joseph Johnson, Sally Bartlett, Grace Ladd, Lucy Silver, Sally Strout and Harriet Chandler. A large and flourishing church has grown from this beginning.

Joseph Strout was its first clerk and to Josiah Bartlett was committed its pastorl care. It promptly sought connection with the Exeter Quarterly meeting, whose organization was probably only a year earlier. Such connection was effected in June of teh following year. For some years thereafter it enjoyed the ministration of Elder John Page, who became a resident of Garland and a member of the church in 1826. The Rev. Leonard Hathaway made his first visit to Garland and preached one or more Sabbaths to the Free Will Baptist people in the year 1828. His fervid and earnest appeals made an impression upon those who heard him that was never forgotten. In the first five years of this church about forty persons were admitted to membership by baptism and twenty by letter. In the following five years there was a decrease in number.

In 1830, Samuel V. Nason a member of the church, was licensed to preach and was ordained to the work of the ministry in the following June. A Sabbath-school was organized in 1830 and Jon P. Smith was chosen superintendent. In 1834, the church was afflicted by the death of their esteemed minister, Elder John Page.

Elder Page was born in Wentworth, N. H. , February 11, 1787. He was for a time a resident of Alton, N. H. In 1824 he moved to Corinna. After a year’s residency at Corinna he moved to Exeter am and thence to Garland in 1826.

From 1830 to 1835 there were no additions to this church. At the end of its first ten years the church numbered thirty-one members. Its record indicates that from the years of 1834 it had no regular preaching until the coming of Elder Moses Ames in 1839. In the intervening time there had been occasional preaching by ten persons were added to the church. measures were entered upon for building a meetinghouse in 1840, which materialized in 1841.

It was located about a mile east of the geographical center of the town and was dedicated in January 1842. The dedicatory sermon was preached by the Rev. Abel Turner. The first church conference in the new house, held February, 1842, was an occasion of great interest. Two persons presented themselves for baptism at this conference and candidates for this ordinance presented themselves at each conference thereafter until July, when Moses Twombly and John Batchelder were chosen deacons.

This period of prosperity so auspiciously begun was followed by a season od severe trial. Many members abandoned the church to enter the ranks of that wild religious craze known as Millerism. Some of the more intelligent of those who had been carried off their feet by this turbid current returned to the church and its ordinances. From the date of the death of Elder John Page the church was destitute of a pastor until the coming of Elder Moses Ames in 1839. During this period if destitution the church was favored by occasional preaching by different ministers, among whom was Elder Harvey of Atkinson, who preached in 1836, and baptized several persons. The Rev. Mr. Nason and other ministers supplied the pulpit occasionally. In 1842, John I. D. Sanford was elected clerk of the church, a position which he held for many years. Mr. Sanford had previously been officially connected with the Free Will church in Bangor.

Elder Josiah Bartlett, who had exercised pastoral care over the church from the date of its organization, relinquished such care to Elder T. W. Dore in 1842. During the second decade in the history of the church there were fifty-nine additions by baptism and twenty-nine by letter. In 1845, Elder T. W. Dore became pastor of the church. Josiah Bartlett was its presiding elder, Moses Twombly and John Batchelder, its deacons, and John I. D. Sanford, its clerk.

The church had a hardly recovered from the numerous deflections through the influence of Millerism before it was confronted by the deaths of several of its oldest and most esteemed members. On the 25th of August, 1846, Deacon Moses Twombly dropped from the ranks. He had been deeply deplored. In less than twenty days thereafter Elder Bartlett, who had been the prime mover in bringing his loved church into existence, closed his eyes upon all earthly affairs, His death occurred September 12, 1846.

Elder Moses Ames was called to the pastorate of the church April 14, 1846. On October 6 of the same year Robert Seward and Zebulon Knight were chosen deacons. In March the church voted to support its minister by taxation of its members, and that his compensation should be two dollars per Sabbath, which was considered a liberal compensation. A subsequent vote allowed him eighty cents per day for pastoral visits but this vote was afterwards recalled by request of Elder Ames. The ministers of the denomination were expected to provide themselves with farms from which the support of their families was largely derived.

In 1849, twenty-seven persons became members of the church by profession and several others by letter, In June of 1849 the Rev. Joseph Cook became a resident of the town and a member of the Free Will Baptist church. He soon came to be esteemed as a warm-hearted and intelligent member of the town. He was an earnest friend of the slave and of the temperance reform. In August, 1949, eight citizen of Bangor became members of the Garland Free Baptist church and a branch thereof. Seven years later they withdrew to unite with the church of their own locality. Elder Moses Ames retired from the pastorate of the church in 1850 and was followed by Elder T. W. Dore.

Elder Ames was a man of sanguine temperament, liberal views, and was tolerant towards other denominations. He was in active and earnest sympathy with the anti-slavery and temperance movements. In 1851, Elder Cook was employed to preach one fourth of the time. In 1852 Elder Leonard Hathaway united with the church and became its pastor. He brought to its service a vigorous constitution and a religious fervor and enthusiasm which insured a large measure of success. There is a tradition that a meeting held ten months subsequent to the beginning of his pastorate, he vehemently exclaimed, ‘Souls must be born or I cannot live.’

Inspired by this feeling he labored with a zeal and earnestness that was followed by a religious awakening that resulted in the addition of twenty-five members to the church by baptism and others who were received by letter. In March, 1854, John Batchelder was licensed to preach by the Exeter Qyarterly meeting. In 1855, the church voted to employ Elder Hathaway every Sabbath. The membership at the end of the third decade was ninety-seven, a net gain of thirty-one in ten years.

In 1859, elder Hathaway’s salary was raised to three hundred dollars. In March, 1862, he was allowed a vacation of two months on account of impaired health. In 1863, he closed his labors with the church, having has a pastorate care of it for a period of eleven years, a period of religious prosperity during which there had been nearly one hundred accessions. His intimate relations with his people were not easily terminated. They were earnestly desirous of retaining him but he believed that duty called him to another field, and where duty called, he was accustomed to go, and going be bore with him warm sympathies and best wishes of his sorrowful people.

Elder Hathaway was succeeded by the rev. Appleton W. Reed, who had been a minister of the Christian denomination. After passing a satisfactory examination he was received into the Free Will Baptist church of Garland on 24th of may, 1863, and entered at once upon his pastoral duties. In 1864, his salary was fixed at two hundred and fifty dollars, with the understanding that this sum would be generously supplemented yearly by donations.

The church, which had numbered ninety-seven in 1855, had reached the number of one hundred and fifteen in 1865. The death of Deacon Zebulon Knight occurred in August 1865, at the end of nineteen years of service in this capacity. His successor was George W> Otis. In the year 1866, both minister and people had come to believe that the village of Garland should be made the center point of influence and effort. Elder Reed, between whom and Rev. P. B. Thayer, of the Congregational church, the most friendly relations existed, is authority for the statement that the idea of making the village the headquarters of his church and people was first suggested by his friend, the Rev. P. B. Thayer. Then, as now, the Free Baptist people were the most numerous in the easterly part of the town, a fact that explained why their first meetinghouse had been built two and a half miles from the village. But now the attendance had become largely increased and reached to build a meeting house of larger size at the village, to take the place of the original house. Elder Reed was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the building fund. Greenbacks were then plenty. Entering upon his work with confidence and zeal, he had at the end of three and one half days the happiness of presenting to his people subscriptions amounting to more than five thousand dollars.

The subscriptions were paid with creditable promptness. The work of construction was promptly begun and carried to an early completion. Only a small debt remained to disturb the equanimity of the contributors to the building fund. The new house was complete in size, attractive in appearance and an ornament to the village. It was dedicated on December 15, 1866. Rev. A. W. Reed preached the dedicatory sermon. Revs. A. L. Gerrish, P. B. Thayer, G. S. Bryant and A. P. Tracy assisted in the service. It may be said in this connection that years later Mr. B. P. Hubbard of Stetson, formerly a member of the Free Baptist church of Garland, generously furnished a bell for this church.

In 1867, the salary of Elder Reed was raised to four hundred dollars, to be increased by the donations of a generously disposed community. In 1867, Josiah Davis was chosen deacon of the church. In 1871, Elder Reed resigned his position to accept a position at the State College in Orono. During his stay in Garland his relations to his own people and to the community generally were of the most pleasant character and his resignation was the occasion of general regret.

The Rev. Leonard Hathaway was again called to the pastoral charge of the church but his relations thereto were continued only a single year, which together with his former pastorate, made twelve years of pastoral care over the Free Baptist church of Garland. His people would gladly have retained him but advancing years and increasing infirmities led him to decline further service.

Elder Hathaway was followed by W. C. Hulse, who was ordained to the ministry, and elected pastor of the church on March 13, 1872. Elder Hulse was an earnest laborer in the work of the church and Sabbath-school. Soon after his entrance upon his labors here one hundred dollars was raised to enlarge the Sabbath school library. During a pastorate of about twelve years eight persons were added to the church. In March, 1873, he resigned and was followed by the Rev. Leonard Hutchins of new Portland, Maine, who entered upon his labors in September, 1873. Upon the opening of his pastorate he found that there was an unpaid balance of about four hundred dollars due upon the cost of building the new church. This was soon liquidated. Elder Hutchins’ labors extended into outlying districts with gratifying results.

The year 1875 marked the semi-centennial existence of the Free Baptist church. This anniversary was made an occasion of great interest. The address by the Rev. Leonard Hutchins was replete with interesting facts and incidents connected with the history of the church. The interest of the occasion was greatly increased by the presence of the Rev. Leonard Hathaway, who had been its pastor for twelve years, and familiar with its history for a much longer period, and whose narrations, drawn from the storehouse of a remarkable memory, were listened to with absorbing interest.

At the date of this anniversary the church numbered one hundred and two members. The Sabbath-school numbered one hundred and twenty scholars. The church had during its history of fifty years seven pastors, The whole number received into the church in the first fifty years of its history was three hundred and 359 fifty-nine. The number by letter was ninety-five. The number dropped from its rolls as the result of discipline is not known to the writer. Through its whole past history it has been abreast with the best sentiment relating to current moral reform.

Garland in the War of the Rebellion

Early in the season of 1861 ominous clouds began to darken the southern sky. The more hopeful flattered themselves with the belief that all danger of war with the South would soon disappear, until the thunders of the bombardment of Fort Sumpter awakened them to the fact that it was already on, and the call for seventy-five thousand men indicated that they would have a part in it.

Early Demonstrations

The patriotic impulses of the people soon materialized. Under the lead of Isaac Haskell a flag staff reaching one hundred and ten feet towards the blue of heaven was out in position. The women of the town. not a whit behind their masculine friends in patriotic manifestation, soon had a flag of appropriate dimensions waving form its top. A mass meeting was soon assembled when the large crowd listened to stirring speeches from Noah, David and Lewis Barker of Exeter, a Mr. Lowell of Foxcroft, and the Revs. P. B. Thayer and Leonard Hathaway of Garland. The speech of Lewis Barker, which was alleged to have been his first before a popular audience, was a speech of remarkable power.

Call for Men in 1861

The war soon began to present more serious aspects to the citizens of Garland. The calls for men to enter the ranks of every army were frequent. Forty-five men were mustered into the United States service in 1861. The male population in 1861 was seven hundred and eighty-five. Every seventeenth man entered the service in that eventful year.

Action of the Town Relating to Families of the Men Who Had Enlisted in the Ranks of the Army in 1861
At a town meeting held November 16, 1861, the following vote was passed: That Daniel M. Haskell, Daniel Silver and James J. Chandler be appointed a committee to whom the families of persons who have volunteered their services, or may hereafter volunteer their service in defense of their country, and who at the time of their enlistment are inhabitants of this town, mat apply for aid, and upon such application it shall be the duty of said committee to visit the families so applying to ascertain if the aid asked for, or any aid is necessary, and when it is found necessary to aid such families, it shall be the duty of said committee to report the amount and kind of aid necessary to the selectmen, whose duty it shall be promptly to provide such aid, and in granting such aid to such families no disabilities of any kind whatever shall be created by reason of aid so furnished and received. No provision for the reimbursement from the State treasury of money expended was made until March 1862.

On the 28th of July, 1862, the town voted to raise eight hundred dollars, and to pay each of the fifteen soldiers, or the town quota, fifty-three dollars on being mustered into the United States service, and authorize the treasurer to hire the sum above named. On the 8th of September, 1862, the town voted to pay a bounty of twenty dollars to each of our quota, sixteen in number, also voted to present to each of them, or their friends, eight dollars after being mustered into the service of the United States. The town treasurer was authorized to hire sixteen hundred dollars. On the 9th of March, 1863, the town voted to raise five hundred dollars for the families of volunteers and the selectmen were appointed a committee to execute the purpose of the vote.

On the 26th day of August, 1863, the town voted to pay one hundred dollars to every drafted man who entered the service for his country himself, or furnished a substitute, payable when he or his substitute was mustered into the service. On November 23, 1863, the town voted that the sum of two hundred dollars be paid to each person who should enlist and be duly mustered into the service of the United States.

On the 14th of march, 1864, the town appropriated five hundred dollars to pay State aid to the families of volunteers. On August 10th, 1864, the town voted to appropriate twenty-five dollars per man of this town's quota to be used in recruiting men for the quota of Garland. On August 29th, 1864, the town voted to appropriate one hundred dollars per man, to encourage enlistment to fill its quota under the call of the President for five hundred thousand men. It was voted to authorize the treasurer to raise a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars, to pay bounties to volunteers.

Upon September 12th, 1864, the town voted upon a proposed amendment of the State constitution, allowing the citizens of Maine, absent therefrom in the military service of the United States, to vote whenever they might be on a specified day, for governor, senators and county officers. Upon this amendment the vote of Garland was two hundred and fourteen in favor, none against.

On October 15th, 1864, the town voted a sum not to exceed three thousand, one hundred dollars, to pay bounties to volunteers. On the 31st day of December, 1864, the town voted to pay a bounty of one hundred dollars to volunteers under the call of the President, also to pay two hundred and fifty dollars additional to each, provided the cost guards were sent to the front. The treasurer was authorized to hire four thousand dollars, Ob February 10th, 1865, the town voted to pay four hundred and fifty dollars to volunteers, drafted men and all enlisted men who furnished substitutes.

The town of garland furnished one hundred and forty-seven men to enter the ranks of those who fought for the preservation of the government which the patriots of the Revolution had risked their lives and all their earthly possessions to establish. Of those one hundred and forty-seven men, one hundred and twenty-eight were residents of Garland, and nineteen were substitutes of residents of Garland from other places.

Names of Residents of Garland Who Volunteered to Fight Under the Old Flag

Adams, Isaiah
Allen, Ebenezer S.
Allen, William W.
Atkins, Geo. E.
Bartlett, John W.
Batchelder, Alonzo
Batchelder, Alonzo F.
Batchelder, Edgar S.
Bell, Hiram F.
Bell, John H.
Berry, Arthur A.
Berry, Stephen A.
Berry, Stephen G.
Berry, Thomas L.
Bosworth, Daniel A.
Bragdon, Eugene
Brown, Brown J.
Brown, William
Burnham, B. W.
Came, Stephen R.
Campbell, John
Carr, William H.
Chamberlain, Henry A.
Champion, Richard K.
Champion, Sumner P.
Clark, James H.
Clark, Joseph A.
Coan, Elisha S.
Coan, Frederick C.
Cole, Jedediah
Currier, Judson W.
Davis, John A.
Dearborn, Francis M.
Dore, Seth
Ellis, Alden B.
Fall, Isaac R.
Farmer, Randall
Flanders, Henry E.
Flanders, James H.
Flanders, Robert G.
Fogg, Alonzo M.
Fogg, Peleg
Fox, Samuel
French, Henry M.
French, Robert T.
Gee, James M.
Grover, Cyrus S.
Gerry, John M.
Goodwin, Samuel W.
Grover, Luke M.
Hall, Elijah
Handy, Wesley H.
Harlow, Hosea
Haskell, Bennett A.
Haskell, Charles
Haskell, Frederick A.
Haskell, Isaac W.
Haskell, Jason F.
Hatch, Benjamin C.
Hatch, Geo. W.
Hathaway, Asa
Hill, Edwin
Holt, Adelbert
Hoyt, Eben (Navy)
Hubbard, Benjamin T.
Ireland, George
Jackman, Justus H.
Johnson, Jonathan G.
Jones, Geo. W.
Knight, John S. (Credited to the town of Gorham)
Knox, Sumner
Ladd, William R.
Leighton, Warren C.
Littlefield, Isaac Y.
Lovejoy, Levi
Lyford, Fifield
Mansfield, William
McComb, John H.
Merriam, Chas. E.
Merriam, Leander O.
Miller, Henry B.
Morton, Anderson P.
Morton, Mark P.
Murphy, Joseph J.
Mansfield, Hollis
Osgood, Calvin R.
Osgood, Edward
Osgood, Marquis D. L.
Osgood, Wesley
Page, James W.
Palmer, Erastus L.
Pennington, Christopher
Preble, Melvin
Quimby, Jacob, Jr.
Ramsdell, Austin
Ramsdell, Franklin
Ramsdell, Henry
Ramsdell, Job
Ramsdell, Seth
Reed, Nicholas G.
Rideout, Luther M.
Sawtelle, Delbert H.
Skillin, Chas. E.
Skillin, David
Skillin, Francis M.
Skillin, Hugh S.
Skillin, Joseph W.
Skillin, Samuel L.
Skillin, Thomas J.
Skillin, William E.
Skillin, William H.
Smith, George
Smith, John T.
Smith, Josiah
Stillings, Raymond
Stillings, Roger
Straw, Alfred B.
Straw, Giles
Swett, Henry A.
Thomas, Frederick P.
Tiplady, James A.
Titcomb, Charles C.
Titcomb, Frank W.
Titcomb, Leonard H.
True, Benjamin
True, Joseph L.
Twombly, John D.
Wellington, George

A List of Drafted Men Who Furnished Substitutes

Principals
Frank Garland
John K. Gee
John T. Amazine
A. J. Flanders 2d
Frank Emerson
Chas. H. Davis
Joel W. Otis
Samuel Y. Merrill
Samuel Foss
Henry Merrill
Fred Fields
Alonzo F. Parkman
Jonathan F. Crowell
B. P. Hubbard
John W. Seward
Delbert M. Sawtelle
Noah W. Johnson
Leonard C. Hathaway
Samuel O. Davis

Substitutes
James M. Blake
Hiram F. Bell
Oliver W. Cutts
Martin W. Dugan
Roscoe Doble
George W. Fisher
Dennis Griffin
Josiah Lyons
David R. Lane
Edwin Marden
Alonzo Morton
Alphonzo L. Ober
Lewis M. Porter
Benjamin F. Russell
Isaac W. Sandborn
George W. Frost
Mark P. Morton
George W. Hatch
George A. Drake

A List of Non-Resident Volunteers Assigned to Garland

Frank Drew, navy
Chas. A. Doliver, navy
John Driscoll, navy
Nathan G. Dyer
Nathaniel A. Kinney
William G. Lee
George F. Haley
Samuel D. Rankin
Thomas L. Pillsbury
Stillman B. Judkins
George S. Daniels
James H. Roundy
John Campbell
Thomas A. Morton
Edson Holmes

Reenlistments

Henry B. Miller
William Mansfield
William H. Carr
Joseph W. Skillin
Francis M. Skillin
George Smith
Samuel W. Goodwin
Austin Ramsdell
Jedediah Cole
Robert Y. French
Frederick A. Haskell
Benjamin C. Hatch
Nicholas G. Reed
Wesley Osgood
Josiah Smith
Isaiah Smith
Samuel Fox
George Ireland
Jason F. Haskell
Bennett A. Haskell
Daniel A. Bosworth
Alonzo F. Batchelder
Benjamin True
John A. Davis

Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enlisted in 1861

Total number of men mustered into the service in 1861, forty-five; total male population in 1861, seven hundred and eighty-five. It follows that every seventeenth male, including men and boys, was in the service in that year. Average age of those in the service, twenty-four years, the ages ranging from eighteen to forty-three years. Nine of those men died while in the service, two were taken prisoners, and three of them are now living in Garland, Stephen R. Came, Samuel W. Goodwin and Benjamin True.

Names and a Brief History of the Men Who Enlisted in 1862

Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enlisted in 1863

Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enlisted in 1864

Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enlisted in 1865

A Brief Statement of Particulars of the Deaths of the Men Who Were Killed or Died in the Service of Their Country

Date of Enlistment.	Name	Co.	Reg’t.	Remarks.
May 28	Lyman E. Richardson			2nd Lieutenant. Wounded at Bull Run. July 21, 1861. Died at Manassas Aug. 4, 1861
May 28	Adelbert H. Sawtelle	A	2	Discharged for disability Feb.28, 1863
May 28	Henry B. Miller	A	2	Discharged for disability Nov. 6, 1862
Nov. 9	Francis M. Dearborn	H	4	Discharged Feb. 4, 1862
Nov. 9	Geo. Wellington	H	4	Transferred to gunboat Feb.18, 1862
Nov. 9	Robert G. Flanders	H	4	Served one year, three months and twenty-nine days.
July 15	Geo. W. Hatch	H	6	Discharged Dec. 9, 1862
July 15	Fifield Lyford	H	6	Died Nov. 18, 1861
July 15	Calvin R. Osgood	H	6	Discharged Sept. 25, 1862
July 15	Wesley Osgood	H	6	Served two years, six months and twenty-six days
July 15	Chas. Titcomb	A	6	Discharged Dec. 15, 1862
July 15	Judson W. Currier	H	6	Prisoner May 4, 1863. Exchanged June 2, 1864. Wounded Feb. 24, 1864
July 15	Lorenzo Russell			24th Discharged
Aug. 21	John M. Gerry	H	7	Discharged 1862
Aug. 21	Luke M. Grover	H	7	Discharged June, 1862
Aug. 21	Josiah Smith	H	7	Sergeant. Mustered out June 28, 1865
Aug. 21	John T. Smith	H	7	Discharged May, 1862
Nov. 2	Marquis D. L. Osgood	K	11	Discharged Dec. 12, 1862
Nov. 15	Josiah Adams	F	12	Wounded. Died Nov. 20, 1864
Nov. 15	Stephen G. Berry	F	12	Died Jan. 25, 1863
Nov. 15	Alfred E. Straw	F	12	Lieutenant, Discharged June 16, 1864
Nov. 15	Samuel Fox	F	12	Mustered out Apr. 18, 1866
Nov. 15	Robert French	F	12	Discharged Aug. 26, 1862
Nov. 15	Wesley Handy	F	12	Died at sea Aug. 21, 1864
Nov. 15	Leonard Straw	F	12	Prisoner at Cedar Creek, died Oct. 19, 1864
Dec. 11	George Ireland	3rd Battery		Mustered out June 17, 1865
Dec. 17	Giles Straw	H	15	Died Nov. 11, 1862, at Pensacola, Fla.
Dec. 17	Jos. A. Clark	H	15	July 15, 1866, Captain of Co. C
Dec. 17	Benj. T. Hubbard	H	15	Jan. 19, 1864
Dec. 17	Henry J. Brown	H	15	Discharged Apr. 9, 1862
Dec. 17	Stephen R. Came	H	15	Promoted 1st. Lieutenant Corps
Dec. 17	Jedediah Cole	H	15	Mustered out July 6, 1866
Dec. 17	Isaac R. Fall	H	15	Died at Ship Island June 26, 1862
Dec. 17	Samuel W. Goodwin	H	15	Mustered out July 6, 1866
Dec. 17	Frederick A. Haskell	H	15	Mustered out July 6, 1866
Dec. 17	Benj. C. Hatch	H	15	Mustered out July 6, 1866
Dec. 17	Wm. Mansfield	H	15	Mustered out July 6, 1866
Dec. 17	Henry Ramsdell	H	15	Died at Camp Parapet Aug. 19. 1863
Dec. 17	Wm. Skillin	H	15	Lost a foot June 8, 1865
Dec. 17	Jos. W. Skillin	H	15	Mustered out July 5, 1866
Dec. 17	Benjamin True	H	15	Mustered out Jan. 18, 1865. Q. M. Sergeant
Dec. 17	Wm. H. Carr	H	15	Mustered out July 5, 1866. 1st. Lieutenant
Dec. 17	Peleg Fogg	H	15	Discharged April 6, 1862
Dec. 17	George Smith	H	15	Mustered out July 5, 1866. Sergeant

Date of Enlistment.	Name	Co.	Reg’t.	Remarks.
Feb. 16	Wm. W. Allen	F	9	Discharged for disability June 20, 1863
Aug. 9	Eugene Bragdon	E	11	Died Aug, 27, 1864
Aug. 29	Isaac W. Haskell	D	20	Resigned Nov. 20, 1862
Aug. 29	Alonzo Fogg	D	20
Aug. 29	Jonathan G. Johnson	D	20	Discharged by order No. 94
Aug. 29	Luther M. Rideout	D	20	Discharged Oct. 30, 1863
Aug. 29	Ebenezer S. Allen	D	20	Died Jan. 18, 1863
Aug. 29	Geo. E. Atkins	D	20	Died Feb. 1, 1863
Aug. 29	John H. Bell	D	20	Discharged Jan. 18, 1863
Aug. 29	Daniel A. Bosworth	D	20	Discharged Feb. 8, 1863
Aug. 29	Arthur A. Berry	D	20	Died Nov. 19, 1862
Aug. 29	B. W. Burnham	D	20	Transferred to Vermont Reserves Corps Mch. 3, 1864
Aug. 29	Henry A. Chamberlain	D	20	Killed at Fredericksburg Dec. 20, 1862
Aug. 29	Elisha S. Coan	D	20	Transferred to Signal Corps Oct. 20, 1862
Aug. 29,	George W. Jones	D	20	Discharged for disability Dec. 24, 1862
Aug. 29	Summer Knox	D	20	Wounded Sept. 30, 1864. Discharged June 6, 1863
Aug. 29	Warren C. Leighton	D	20	Transferred to Invalid Corps Sept. 30, 1863
Aug. 29	Christopher Purington	D	20	Discharged Aug. 14, 1865
Aug. 29	Sumner L. Skillin	D	20	Discharged by Order No. 84
Aug. 29	Thos. J. Skillin	D	20	Died Nov. 7, 1862
Aug. 29	Henry A. Swett	D	20	Discharged by Order No. 94
Aug. 29	John D. Twombly	D	20	Died Nov. 7, 1862
Aug. 29	Seth Ramsdell	D	20	Discharged for disability Oct. 2, 1862
Aug. 29	John Ramsdell	D	20	Discharged for disability Oct. 15, 1862
Sept. 15,	Frank W. Titcomb	A	6	Discharged June 16, 1865
Sept. 16	Jacob Quimby, Jr.	H	6	Killed at Rappahannock Station Nov. 7, 1865
Sept. 16	Alonzo Batchelder	H	6	Discharged for disabilities June 13, 1864
Oct. 10	Jos. L. True	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Nicholas G. Reed	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Erastus L. Palmer	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Alonzo F. Batchelder	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	William Brown	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	John A. Davis	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Alden B. Ellis	H	22	Taken prisoner June 1863
Oct. 10	Randall Farmer	H	22	Died March 23, 1863
Oct. 10	Bennett A. Haskell	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14 1863
Oct. 10	Judson F. Haskell	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14 1863
Oct. 10	Levi Lovejoy	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Austin Ramsdell	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	Chas. E. Skillin	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	David Skillin	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863
Oct. 10	James A. Tiplady	H	22	Mustered out Aug. 14, 1863

Date of Enlistment.	Name	Co.	Reg’t.	Remarks.
May 17	Henry J. Brown	F	7	Killed at Wilderness May 5, 1864
Aug. 14	Edgar S. Batchelder	B	19	Wounded May 18. Transferred to Co. B, Maine Heavy Artillery.
Sept. 1	James H. Flanders	C	19	Prisoner at Weldon R.R. Nov. 27, 1864
Oct. 15	Stephen A. Berry	D	1st D.C. Cav.	Transferred to Co. F, 1st Maine Cavalry. Discharged June 20, 1865
Oct. 15	Edwin Hill	D	“	Transferred to Co. F, 1st Maine Cavalry. Prisoner Sept. 16, 1864. June 30, 1864
Dec. 16	John H. Knox	G	29	Credited to the quota of Garland. Died Feb. 14, 1864
Dec. 22	Isaac Haskell	I	2nd.Me. Cav.	Captain
Dec. 22	Justus H. Jackman	I	“	Mustered out Dec. 6, 1865
Dec. 22	Chas. Haskell	I	“	Died Sept. 18, 1864
Dec. 22	Bennett A. Haskell	I	“	Died Feb. 10, 1865
Dec. 22	Alonzo F. Batchelder	I	“	Discharged Dec. 6, 1865
Dec. 22	Daniel A. Bosworth	I	“	Discharged Dec. 6, 1865
Dec. 22	James M. Gee	I	“	Died Aug. 24, 1864
Dec. 22	Hosea Harlow	I	“	Died Oct. 5, 1864
Dec. 22	Jason F. Haskell	I	“	Discharged June 1, 1865

Date of Enlistment.	Name	Co.	Reg’t.	Remarks.
Jan. 25	Anderson P. Morton	F	9	Heavy Artillery, Disabled 1865. Discharged
Feb. 8	John H. McCombs	G	31	Taken prisoner June 29, 1864. Died in prison
Mar. 15	Sumner P. Champion	F	31	Wounded May 6, 1864. Mustered out July 15, 1865
Mar. 15	Richard Champion	F	31	Discharged June 27, 1865
Aug. 19	Thos. L. Berry		20	Substitute. Mustered out July 16, 1865
Sept. 28	Robert French	H	15	Discharged June 24, 1865
Oct. 3	Henry M. French	F		1st Me. Heavy Artillery. Discharged June 6, 1865
Oct. 3	Hugh S. Skillin	F	9	Discharged June 6, 1865
Oct. 5	Hiram Bell	A	9	Substitute. Mustered out July 13, 1865
Oct. 6	Mark P. Morton	A	9	Substitute. Mustered out July 13, 1865
Oct. 6	Melvin Preble			1st Calvary K. Discharged Aug. 1, 1865
Oct. 10	Elijah Hall	K		Died at Harper’s Ferry Oct. 16 before reaching regiment.
Oct. 10	Cyrus S. Grover	K	15	Died Oct. 16, 1865
Oct. 27	Franklin Ramsdell	A	20	Transferred from Maine S. S. Discharged
Oct. 27	Wm. R. Ladd	A	20	Transferred from Maine S. S. Discharged
Oct. 27	John W. Bartlett	A	9	Died of wounds Apr. 1, 1865. Sharpshooter
Nov. 15	Leander O. Merriam	F	31	Wounded Sept. 30, 1864. Discharged Jan.7, 1865
Nov. 15	Jos. J. Murphy	F	31	Died Aug. 15, 1864

Date of Enlistment.	Name	Co.	Reg’t.	Remarks.
Jan. 7	Nicholas G. Reed	E	Coast Guards.	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	James H. Clark	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Fred C. Coan	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Henry E. Flanders	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	John S. Knight	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Chas. E. merriam	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	James W. Page	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Raymond Stillings	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Adelbert Holt	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Wm. H. Skillin	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Jan. 7	Roger Stillings	E	“	Mustered out July 7, 1865
Feb. 18	Isaac Y. Littlefield	H	15	Discharged May 31, 1865
Feb. 28	Hollis Mansfield		15	Discharged Feb. 28, 1866
Feb. 28	Seth Dore		15	Discharged Feb. 28, 1866
Feb. 28	Austin Ramsdell	H	15	Discharged Nov. 17, 1865

Isaiah Adams, age twenty-one, single, a private in Company F, 12th Maine Volunteers, was mustered into service November 15, 1861. At the expiration of his term of service he reenlisted and was mustered into service January 1, 1864. He was wounded at Cedar Creek October 19 and died the next day.

Eugene Bragdon, eighteen years of age, single, private in Company E, 11th Maine Volunteers, was mustered into service August 9, 1862. Was wounded August 16, 1864, and died August 27, 1864. On the day he received the wound that proved fatal his regiment repulsed three desperate charges of the enemy. His corps lost five commissioned officers, two field officers, three company commanders and one hundred and forty-four privates, only four of whom were taken prisoners.

Henry J. Brown, a young man of eighteen, private in Company H, 15th Maine Volunteers, was mustered into service December 17, 1861, as private. Was discharged April 9, 1862, on account of sickness. He reenlisted May 18, 1863, into Company F, 1st Veteran Infantry, and was killed at the Wilderness May 5, 1864.

Henry A. Chamberlain, eighteen years of age, single, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, was mustered into service August 29, 1862, and was killed at Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862.

Jacob Quimby, Jr., age thirty-two, of Company H, 6th Maine Volunteers, private, was mustered into service September 16, 1862, and was killed at Rappahannock Station November 7, 1862. He joined his company after the first of November and was killed in less than six days after his arrival at the front.

John W. Bartlett, age twenty-one, single, a private in Company A, Sharpshooters, was mustered into service October 27, 1864. Was mortally wounded at Gravelly Run, March 31, and died April 1, 1865.

Lyman E. Richardson, age twenty-seven, 2d Lieutenant, Company E, of 2d Maine Volunteers, was mustered into service May 28, 1861. Was wounded at Bull Run July 21, 1861, and died at Manassas August 4, 1861. Mr. Richardson had been a successful teacher of schools in Garland and other places. About the time of his enlistment he married Miss Mary E. Burnham, an intelligent lady of Garland. Through the persistent and earnest efforts of the father of his wife, Eleazer Burnham, his body was recovered and brought to Garland for interment.

Ebenezer S. Allen, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, age twenty-eight, single, was mustered into service August 29, 1862. Wagoner. Died January 18, 1863.

Chester Ballard, private in Company H, 15th Maine Volunteers, married, was mustered into service February 22, 1864. Died August 10, 1864, and is buried in National Cemetery, Arlington, D.C.

Arthur A. Berry, age twenty-six, married, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, mustered into service August 29, 1862. Reported sick near Porterstown, Va., November 15, 1862. Died November 19, 1862, in Philadelphia.

Stephen G. Berry, single, private in Company F, 12th Maine Volunteers, mustered into service November 15, 1861. Died January 25, 1863, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Isaac R. Fall, single, private in Company H, 15th Maine Volunteers, mustered into service December 17, 1861. Died on Ship Island, Mississippi, June 26, 1862.

James M. Gee, single, twenty-six years of age, private in Company I, 2d Maine Cavalry, mustered into service December 22, 1863. Died August 24, 1864, at Barancas, Florida. He rests in grave No. 59, National Cemetery.

Wesley H. Handy, single, age twenty-two, private in Company F, 12th Maine Volunteers, mustered into service November 15, 1861. Died of disease at sea August 21, 1864.

Hosea Harlow, age forty-four, married, private in Company I, 2d Maine Cavalry, mustered in December 22, 1863, and died at Barancas, Florida, Oct. 5, 1864. Buried in National Cemetery, grave No. 76.

Bennett A. Haskell, age eighteen, single, a private in Company H, 22nd Maine Volunteers, mustered in October, 1862. Mustered out August 14, 1863, the expiration of his term of service. Reenlisted in the 2d Maine Cavalry. Mustered in December 22, 1863. Died February 10, 1865, at Barancas, Florida. Buried in National Cemetery, grave No. 79.

Charles Haskell, age forty-four, married, a farrier, mustered into Company I, 2d Maine Cavalry, December 22, 1863. Died September 18, 1864, at Barancas, Florida. Is buried in National Cemetery, grave No. 78.

Oliver P. Hodsdon, age thirty-six, married, private in Company F, First Regiment Heavy Artillery, mustered in November 17, 1863. On November 1, 1864, he was reported missing since October 27, on which day the regiment was at Boydton Plank Road where they captured two hundred prisoners, two pieces of artillery and two stands of colors. Three commissioned officers were wounded, and twenty-nine men were killed, wounded and missing. Private Hodsdon died in hospital March 1, 1865, and was buried at Annapolis, Maryland, grave No. 711.

Fifield Lyford, age twenty, single, a private in Company 11, 6th Maine Volunteers, was mustered in July 15, 1861, and died November 8, 1861.

James J. Murphy, age eighteen, single, a private in Company F, 31st Maine Volunteers, was mustered in March 15, 1864. He died of disease August 15, 1864 and was buried in the National Cemetery at Annapolis, Maryland, in grave No. 1063.

Henry Ramsdell, age twenty-one, single, a private in Company H, 15th Maine Volunteers, was mustered in December 17, 1861. He died August 19, 1863, at Camp Parapet, defence of New Orleans.

Giles Straw, married, age forty-three, orderly sergeant in Company H, 15th Maine Volunteers, mustered in December 17, 1861. Reduced to the ranks on account of sickness and consequent inability to perform the duties of his office for the time being. Sergeant Straw was a faithful and competent officer and should either have been discharged, or been retained to the position that he had previously held. Instead of this he was reduced to the ranks, an act to which his sensitive nature revolted, and which is believed to have hastened his death, which occurred November 11, 1862. He rests in the National Cemetery at Pensacola, Florida, grave No. 75.

Randall Farmer, age nineteen, single, private in Company H, 22d Maine Volunteers, mustered in October 10, 1862. Died March 23, 1863.

Thomas J. Skillin, single, age twenty, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, was mustered in August 29, 1862. He died near Porterstown, Maryland, November 7, 1862.

John D. Twombly, age twenty-two, married, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, mustered in August 29, 1862. Died near Antietam Ford, November, 1862.

Leonard H. Titcomb, age twenty-one, single, private in Company F, 12th Maine Volunteers, mustered in November 15, 1861. Taken prisoner at Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864. Died in prison at Salisbury.

John H. McComb, single, age eighteen, private in Company G, District of Columbia Cavalry. Taken prisoner June 20, 1864, and died in Andersonville prison.

Alexander McComb died while in service in a New York regiment.

Cyrus S. Grover, age twenty, single, private in Company K, 15th Maine Volunteers, mustered in October 10, 1864. Died of disease October 16, 1865.

Elijah Hall, age twenty, single, private in Company K, 15th Maine Volunteers. Mustered in October 10, 1864, and died near Harper's Ferry before reaching the regiment.

Calvin R. Osgood, age twenty-seven, single, private in Company H, 6th Maine Volunteers, mustered in July 15, 1861. Was discharged for sickness September 25, 1862, and died soon after. He was brought home for burial.

Francis M. Dearborn, age eighteen, single, private in Company K, 4th Maine Volunteers, mustered in November 9, 1861. Was discharged February 4, 1862, and died soon after.

Alfred R. Straw, age twenty-eight, single, sergeant in Company F, 22nd Maine Volunteers, mustered in November 15, 1861. Was promoted to the first lieutenancy of same company and regiment. Was discharged for disability and death soon followed.

George E. Atkins, age twenty-one, single, private in Company D, 20th Maine Volunteers, mustered in August 29, 1862. Died February 1, 1863.

Granville W. Fogg was second master's mate on ship Mercidita. He died on the passage from New Orleans to Port Royal and was buried at the latter place. He was afterwards brought to Garland and laid to rest in the family burying ground on May 15, 1865.

These men died for their country, and "there is no nobler death than to die for one's country."

The particulars relating to the military services of men who represented Garland in the war of the rebellion which have been briefly given, were gleaned from many sources by Benjamin True, Esq., a prominent member of the G.A.R. of Garland. This work has involved much time and labor and Mr. True is entitled to great credit for having collected and put them on the record. Many a citizen of the United States is today searching ancestral records with eager eye, if perchance he may find that his ancestral line extending through the years, will reach some soldier of the Revolution which will make him eligible to membership in an association of the Sons of the Revolution. History will repeat itself. In coming years, citizens of the Republic will be searching records to find whether they may enjoy the distinction of descent from the valiant men who fought to save the best government in the world from annihilation.

Cost of the War to the Town of Garland

The first act of the town, after having filled its first quota, was to provide for the families of the men who had entered the military service. A committee was appointed which was charged with the duty of visiting these families as often as necessary to ascertain the needs of each and report to the selectmen, who were instructed to extend the necessary aid. The amount paid under these instructions during the war was five hundred thousand and seventy-nine dollars and ninety cents.

In 1862 the town paid three years men, $795.00
In 1862 the town paid nine months men, 1,900.00
In 1863 the town paid to volunteers, 3,400.00
In 1864-5 the town paid to volunteers, 10,125.00
In 1864-5 the town paid to drafted men, 200.00
In 1864-5 the town paid to substitutes, 1,600.00
Aid to families 5,079.00
Women’s aid to hospitals, 975.90
- - - - - - - -
Total $24,984.90

Women in the War of the Rebellion

Any history of the War of the Rebellion that fails to recognize the patriotic devotion of the women of the northern states in incomplete. From its opening to its close their busy brains and never tiring hands were devising and executing plans for the encouragement of the men in active service at the front, or languishing in hospitals and while they could not know that any article of the interminable list designed for the comfort of the brave men would ever reach father, brother, son or friend of theirs it was enough for them to know that it would reach and cheer a soldier fighting at the front or disabled in hospitals. But their supreme gifts were fathers, brothers, husbands and sons who might never return to bless their homes with cheer of their presence.

The women of Garland entered promptly upon the work of preparing and sending to the front such supplies as were needed by sick and disabled men in hospitals. At an early date a strawberry festival was held by the ladies of the town, the avails of which were to be expended for hospital use at the front.

The people entered upon the work of preparation with enthusiasm. The hall in which they assembled decorated with flowers and the tables were loaded with food of a variety to temp every type of appetite. The money realized from the festival was one hundred dollars, which was invested in flannels that were made into garments ready for use. They also knit many dozen pairs of stockings and made comfortable bags, filling them with a great variety of articles needed in hospitals, never forgetting to send a word of cheer for the sick soldier.

The usefulness of one specialty of a very simple character was often complimented. An elderly lady, Mrs. Josiah Merriam, suggested the making of noiseless fans for use in hospitals. These fans were made of feathers thus freeing the patient from the annoyance of the rustling incident to the use of other fans. The work so auspiciously began at the opening of the war was carried on with unflagging enthusiasm to its close.

The hospital supplies contributed by the women of Garland were appraised at cash value and were distributed as follows:

To the United States Sanitary Commission, $200
To the Christian Commission, 50
To the soldiers in Maine camp, 75
To the general hospitals in loyal states, 100
To the regimental hospitals and incidentals, 250
To New York, Philadelphia and Boston hospitals, 300 - - - - - Total $975.

President Lincoln is reported to have said in a speech on a public occasion, "I am not accustomed to use the language of eulogy. I have never studied the art of paying compliments to women, but I must say that if all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the world in praise of women was applied to the women of America, it would not do them justice for their conduct during this war. I will close by saying, God Bless the Women of America!"

An Incident Connected With Filling One of the Quotas Assigned to the Town of Garland

The required number of men to fill the quota was ready to enlist if the bounty offered by the government to each man could be increased by the sum of one hundred dollars. Of wealthy men, the town had none. But twenty of its citizens promptly pledged one hundred dollars each, and six others fifty dollars each to avoid the draft, and aggregate of two thousand, three hundred dollars, but a subsequent act of the government relieved those patriotic citizens of the burden they had voluntarily offered to assume. The subscribers to this fund were:

Lyndon Oak, $100
Geo. R. Coffin, $100
A. M. Haskell, 100
Noah Swett, 100
True W. Dore, 100
Joseph True, 100
H. W. Johnson, 100
Geo. A. Brann 100
Edson Oak, 100
Israel A. Palmer, 100
D. M. Haskell 100
Elijah Crane 100
Joseph Garland 100
Wm. S. Haskell, 100
T. P . Irish, 100
Wm. Oliver, 50
Luther Rideout 100
Joseph M. Gerry 50
S. S. Clark, 100
Artemas Merriam 50
E. Skinner 100
P. B. Thayer, 50
Daniel Sliver, 100
J. I. D. Sanford, 50
Samuel Skillin, 100
Eben S. French, 50

A Tribute

My acquaintance with Hon. Lyndon Oak, of garland, Maine, was a quarter of a century’s duration, and my friendship for him, strengthened by a constantly increased admiration of his noble traits of character, covers the same period.

It gives me, therefore, very great satisfaction to put on record my estimate of the man, especially in the relations in which I have principally known him. Others can more easily write of him as a citizen, as a man of affairs, as a friend and companion in the domestic circle and in his own immediate neighborhood, and a wise adviser in the counsels of the town, the country, and the State.

My own association with him was in connection with the Maine State College of which he was a trustee for more then twenty years, and of whose governing board he was for several years.

In the early history of the college, the occasions for meetings of the board of trustees, three were frequent, and even under ordinary conditions, three meetings a year were usually the minimum number. It is not in my remembrance that Mr. Oak ever missed attendance upon a meeting connecting with the board. This statement, at first, may seem of slight consequence, but when we reflect that a meeting of the board of trustees, besides involving much anxious thought and careful deliberation, meant for him, usually, a carriage drive of not less then forty miles, with loss of time for two or three days from his own private business, and all this without compensation. We are prepared to recognize as admirable but truly characteristic trait of the man, mainly, unflinching fidelity to duty.

This fidelity, together with a gentle forbearance and a patient persistence, which was also characteristic, served the college in many an exigency in which more flashy qualities would have failed.

His services were especially valuable in connection with legislative matters. The soundness of his judgment was above question, and the confidence reposed in him wherever known rendered his recommendations of great weight before legislative committees - a fact always duly apparent and appreciated in the final votes. It was, however, as a kind, thoughtful and sagacious counselor in the general affairs of the college that his services were the most valuable. I am sure I do no injustice to his worthy associates in the board, in saying that in all critical periods of the college history, his services were simply invaluable.

As acting president of the college during the first three years of its existence, and subsequently as president during the last ten years of Mr. Oak’s membership of the board of control, I received from him many letters pertaining to matters of vital importance to the institution, not a few of which were necessarily of a confidential nature. A few months ago, I had occasion to re-read a large proportion of these letters, which, to that time had been preserved. I can say in regard to them just what all who knew him would expect, that there was not a line in them all which was not alike creditable to his hand and to his heart. Even if the topic were of a nature to discourage or exasperate, there was no evidence of discouragement or of undue mental excitement, but always of a clear and cool judgment and of a hopeful and confident spirit.

In them all, the motive was definite and clear to consult the true interests of the institution and of the State, and to secure only the result which was just and right.

His retirement from the board I have regarded a misfortune to the college. It came about after three appointments for the period of seven years each, in virtue of what seems to me as unwise statue limitation of age, which makes ineligible for appointment as trustee of the state college, a man who has passed his seventieth birthday. The loss to the college by his retirement, was the gain to another State institution to whose governing board he was immediately appointed by the Governor of the State. Ripe in experience, with faculties unimpaired, he rendered the State under this new appointment a large measure of useful service.

From a somewhat close association with him, for more then two decades, in mutual efforts in behalf of the Maine State College, I am certain that no one can overestimate the sterling qualities which he possessed and which endeared him to a constantly widened circle of devoted friends, and made his name a synonym for honesty, truthfulness and loyalty to the right. The remembrance of this association is to me a fragrant memory, inasmuch as it serves to enlarge my conception of the dignity of human nature, and to lead to the conviction that there are men whom we can easily conceive to have been made in the image of God.

Merritt C. Fernald.