Fort St. George (Thomaston, Maine) facts for kids
Fort St. George was a British fort built in what is now Thomaston, Maine. It was built around 1719, just before a big conflict called Father Rale's War. The fort was important for protecting British settlers and traders in the area.
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Building Fort St. George
Around 1719 and 1720, an old trading post was turned into a stronger fort. It was surrounded by a tall fence made of logs, called a stockade. The fort also had two blockhouses, which were strong buildings used for defense.
However, the Abenaki Native American tribes were not happy about the fort. They felt the English were building on their land. The French, who were rivals of the British, also encouraged the Abenaki.
Early Attacks on the Fort
During Dummer's War, the Abenaki tribes attacked Fort St. George twice in 1722. The fort's soldiers, known as the garrison, were helped by Colonel Thomas Westbrook. The fort was attacked again in 1723. This time, it was a siege, meaning the attackers surrounded the fort for 30 days, trying to force the defenders to surrender.
Some of the early commanders of the fort included Thomas Smith, John Gyles, Jabez Bradbury, and Captain John North.
The Winslow Ambush (1724)
In the spring of 1724, Captain Josiah Winslow took command of Fort St. George. He was the older brother of John Winslow. On April 30, 1724, Captain Winslow, Sergeant Harvey, and 17 men left the fort in two small boats. They went down the river to Green Island.
The next day, the two boats got separated. About 200 to 300 Abenaki warriors attacked Sergeant Harvey's boat. Harvey and all his men were killed, except for three Native American guides who escaped back to the fort.
Captain Winslow's boat was then surrounded by many canoes, each with several warriors. Winslow and his men fought bravely for hours. In the end, Winslow and most of his men were killed. Only three friendly Native American guides managed to escape back to the fort. The Abenaki, also known as Tarrantines, were reported to have lost more than 25 warriors in this fight.
In response to these attacks, soldiers from Fort Richmond destroyed the Abenaki village of Norridgewock in August 1724.
Fort St. George in King George's War
During the Northeast Coast Campaign of 1745, Fort St. George was attacked again. One group of soldiers was killed, and three others were captured.
On July 19, Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and St. Francois warriors attacked Fort St. George and nearby New Castle. They burned many buildings, killed cattle, and took one villager captive. Near the fort, two women were captured. One was taken to Canada, but the other managed to escape. On September 5, the tribes attacked Thomaston (St. Georges) for a third time, killing two people.
Fort St. George in the French and Indian War
The fort also saw action during the French and Indian War. On March 24, 1756, ten Native American warriors attacked three men near the fort, killing two of them.
In 1758, a French officer named Boishebert led about 400 soldiers towards Fort St. George. They arrived on September 9 but were caught in an ambush by the British. Boishebert's group had to retreat. This was his last major expedition in the area. After this, they raided Friendship, Maine, where people were killed and others were taken prisoner. The fighting in the French and Indian Wars ended in this region after the Fall of Quebec in 1759.
Commanders of Fort St. George
Over the years, several officers commanded Fort St. George:
- Thomas Smith
- John Gyles (who also served at Fort George (Brunswick, Maine))
- Jabez Bradbury (who also served at Fort Richmond (Maine))
- Captain John North
- Captain Josiah Winslow (1724)
- Captain Bradbury (1745–1757)
- T. Fletcher (1756)
