Scripto | Page Revision | Transcription

�29 Hillside Avenue Malden, Mass. Feb 4, 1942

Mrs. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, 173 Wilson Street, Brewer, Maine

Dear Mrs. Eckstorm:

Some ten years ago or more I received a letter from you about my story of the Pegqwacket Fight of 1725. As I remember I told you that I now believe that no one engaged in the fight on that day knew who shot Paugus. I edited a revised edition of the Expeditions of Kidder and included all relating to the Fight in 1909 which was published by William Abbott in New York. Perhaps there may be a copy in the Bangor Public LIbrary. I have only one copy of the reprint.

I have a copy of your masterpiece, the Indian Place-Name of Maine. I am amazed at your work. I have no information of this kind. I am delighted with your work. I have been in more than a half of the towns you name in Maine. I have given no attention to the Indian lore therein. Had I known of your quest in these years I could have given you a little help as to the names themselves in York County from sources before 1760.

I believe that there have been no Indians in York County to live there since Major Robert Rogers exterminated the St. Francis Tribe there at St. Francis Canada about 1759 . I made some fifteen years ago an exact copy of the Journal made by Capt. William Gerrish of Berwick in 1755. Mr. Baxter printed the Maine Collections a very imperfect copy of this Journal. This was Capt Gerrish's Daily Record of his scouting from June to Nov. 1755 and is of great value in establishing the names of the places he daily visited and where he camped each night.