.NTAx.NDI5Nw
[Left page]
12
passing the timber by the boom
Your Obt. Servt. Wm P Parrott
Esq[?] Cook Houlton
Fort Fairfield May 18th, 1839.
Hon Rufus MacIntire Land Agent State of Maine
Sir
Your favor of the 22 inst. inclosing duplicate instructions was duly rec'd by Dr. Mason also a package of money three hundred & thirteen dollars.
The men have not arrived but we are expecting them every moment as soon as I am certain that are near. The troops will be dismissed as I do not feel authorized to keep that expense to the State any longer here as generally speaking they [?] but the purpose of scarecrows.
The order for the provisions was duly received and will be attended to.
We have a good man in charge at No. 10 and as soon as I can I shall send him a good
man to assist in putting the provisions in good order etc. The stores have been in danger there from fire but I believe that danger has passed as the land is nearly cleared round the store. As I have not heard of the arrival of Genl. Sawyer I have taken the liberty to send to Mr Moore (now waiting for him at Fairbanks’) to explore southerly this Township and the next south to obtain the requisite knowledge of the ridges with a view of locating the road in that direction
I feel much the want of a map as we have none of any kind I have to depend solely on my general knowledge of the land to guide us in our explorations
Our boom stands well and the river is gradually adapting its channel to the piers so that the current is not near so swift as when the obstructions were first put in should the current be yet too rapid a small dam of two or three feet high will make it perfectly still and it can be put in at small expense. The people here are very civil at present but I can see enough at times to make me believe that this
[Right page]
13
civility is in direct proportion to our strength.
Your Obt. Servt.
Wm. P. Parrott
P.S.
I have drawn and order in favor of Mr. [Ring?] for five dollars &[?] E. B. Byram for 6.50 – as I have just heard that Maddocks is exploring south as he comes in, I shall not send to Mr Moore for that purpose.
State of Maine
“To Capt James Clark Commanding detachment Maine Militia at Fort Fairfield
Sir
By instructions of the Hon. Rufus MacIntire Land Agent of the State, I hereby notify you that upon the arrival of the volunteers the services of the troops at this place can be disposed with and they are therefore discharged from the duty of guarding the Public Property here.
Your Obt. Servt. William P. Parrott Dep'y. Land Agent May 2d 1839
Orders
No person either in a boat or on the land is to be permitted to come within ten rods on either side or end of the boom all persons to be challenged and examined who come after dark and if any suspicious circumstances are seen they are to be detained and reported immediately to the officer of the day. Any attempts at violent assault upon the boom or timber in the boom by men armed in any manner whatever with probable intent to cut the boom is to be repelled by force, and any approach of a body of men within the limits above mentioned who do not desist from further progress when hailed will be prevented from going to the boom by force and fired upon if they cannot be stopped otherwise.
Wm. P. Parrot Dep'y. Land Agent