The Lobsterman and the Burning of Portland

by Guest blogger, Marjorie Gilbert

Fifteen years ago, I was waylaid by a merman.

I wrote a treatment for a screenplay that never was, about a female lobsterman who was based in Portland, Maine. Late one unremarkable day, she pulled in a merman who promised her riches if she promised him his life. It was a good treatment, but the project languished and it got filed away.

Several years and several moves later, I happened to be going through a box of collected papers, pulled out the treatment, and could think of little else. I stopped writing the book I was working on and devoted my energies to turning the screenplay treatment into book.

Since my daughters and I toured the Tate House in Stroudwater, the home of a senior mast agent who was active from 1754 to 1775, a possible storyline began to form. What if an Irish sailor was a member of a crew sailing from England to Portland, then Falmouth Neck, in the course of mast trade? What if the ship should get caught in a storm and sink, leaving the Irish sailor the only survivor? What if, on the verge of death, a mermaid saved the Irish sailor and brought him safely to Falmouth Neck’s shore?

The book seemed to fall into place. I could alternate the chapters between the past and present, allowing the Irish sailor’s story to loosely follow the history of Portland while contrasting it with the very modern of story of the female lobsterman and her life on and off the sea. However, what parts of the history of should I include? Not only that, I needed events into which I could insert my Irish sailor without changing the course of the city’s history.

The first two times Portland burned had to be discarded, for they had happened in the 1600s, well before Captain Tate came to Stroudwater. Though it was tempting to have my character help in Peleg’s Great Escape, General Peleg Wadsworth, grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, needed no assistance. After holding off British soldiers with a blunderbuss, getting thrown in prison by the British, then escaping with Major Benjamin Burtan by using of a spoon and an Indian birch-bark canoe, needed no embellishment. That left one of the most ground-shaking events of Portland’s history: the burning of Portland in 1775.

On 16 October 1775, the inhabitants of Falmouth Neck (Portland), saw a disturbing sight: two British ships named Canceau and Cat, two schooners and a bomb sloop at the mouth of the harbor. The fact that the Canceau was captained by Captain Henry Mowatt, RN raised some concern, thanks to the fact that he had been imprisoned in Falmouth Neck earlier that April. However, the assumption was made that Mowatt was there to requisition livestock and provisions for his ships. The residents of Falmouth Neck reacted quickly, loading their livestock into ships and sailing them across Casco Bay to what is now known as Peaks Island.

17 October 1775 brought worse news. The wind that had held the ships at bay at the mouth of the harbor abated and they formed a line in front of Falmouth Neck. A single British soldier delivered a letter from Mowatt to the courthouse. There, the residents of Falmouth Neck were informed that Mowatt intended to mete out “a just punishment on the town of Falmouth” and that they had two hours to clear the town before it was razed to the ground. General Preble and two other men managed to buy some time by requesting that Mowatt revisit the issue the following day. Until that time, the townspeople established camps in the woods on the back side of the peninsula on which Falmouth Neck is located in the event that these negotiations were not successful.

They were not.

Bombing commenced the following morning, at nine-thirty, and did not end until six o’clock that night. Those houses that survived the bombardment by the ships and were not owned by Torries were destroyed by British soldiers carrying torches. In all, 414 buildings burned.

Amazingly, no one died.

I owe much to the intrepid Widow Alice Greele. She kept a fashionable inn on Back or Queen Street (now Congress). During the bombing of Portland, she single-handedly defended her inn by dashing about the courtyard, throwing cannon balls into horse troughs with a shovel and putting out fires. Thanks to her, I was able to insert the Irish sailor as both a witness and participant in the burning of Portland by making him Alice Greele’s assistant. It sounds simple enough, but both doing a nearly blow-by-blow account of these three days took several tries, getting the balance between historic accuracy and narrative interest just right.

Writing historical fiction is challenging, for it takes both research and alchemy to recreate events as they happened without sounding like a history lesson. There is one thing for certain, it is never boring.


For Further Reading:

The Tate House Museum: http://www.tatehouse.org/
This site includes a history of the house and the Tates as well as a history of the mast trade.

Goold, William, The Burning of Falmouth (now Portland), by Captain Mowatt in 1775, http://www.archive.org/details/burningoffalmout00gool

Willis, William, The History of Portland, from 1632 to 1864: With a Notice of Previous Settlements, Colonial Grants, and Changes of Government in Maine, Portland: Bailey and Noyes, 1865
The Wadsworths, Peleg and Elizabeth, http://www.hwlongfellow.org/family_peleg.shtml

Marjorie Gilbert is a historical author who lives in Maine with her husband and two daughters. She is the author of two novels, The Return, which is set in Georgian England, and The Lobsterman, which is set in past and present Portland, Maine. Her third book, a work in progress set in Georgian England, won third prize in the 2009 Royal Ascot. In July of 2010, Gilbert signed a contract for publication of The Lobsterman.

Oh Say Can You See

The bicentennial of the War of 1812 is less than two years away, and America is gearing up to host spectacular celebrations of the 200th anniversary of her second war of independence. LDS author, L.C. Lewis, saw the event fast-approaching and began writing a historical fiction series to commemorate this often overlooked moment and generation. Along the way, Free Men and Dreamers has garnered an impressive array of reviews, endorsements, and awards. Though each book continues the overall story, each volume is written as a stand-alone read as well, and Lewis thinks volume four, “Oh, Say Can You See?” which weaves her characters through the events surrounding the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, may be the most timely of all the volumes.

This week author L.C. Lewis is prepping for the national launch of “Oh, Say Can You See?”
From the backliner of the book:

Although the British raids have left Washington a devastated, blackened city, the battered Constitution has held and the presidency has survived!

But the struggling government has no home. The British saw to that. Gone is the Capitol and her magnificent library, the chambers of the Supreme Court, the President’s House, and every relic and document not secreted out of the city.

Next on the list of British prizes—the rebellious port city of Baltimore! A victory here would assure the Americans’ defeat, but a loss would dilute the importance of the destruction of Washington.

But has the raid on Washington stiffened the backs of the Americans? This is the question gnawing at the leaders on both sides.

The Willows women are mourning their absent men—gone to war, or wounded, or captured—as they await the birth of a blessed child.

Mere miles away, attorney Francis Scott Key embarks on a diplomatic mission that will leave an everlasting mark on America. Proving that a pen can be more powerful than a sword, Key records his fears and hopes—the fears and hopes of his embattled people—as he watches the bombardment of Baltimore while detained in the midst of the British fleet.

What changed in this noble man’s pacifist heart, empowering him to pen the powerful anthem, known today as “The Star Spangled Banner,” an epic poem that rallied a shattered nation to rise from its knees to claim the dream of “one nation under God?”

Experience the personal sacrifice of five families placed in the firestorm of the War of 1812, citizen heirs of the sacrifice of the Founding Fathers.

View the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQYHvfQeZvE&feature=player_embedded

Donna: That all sounds exciting! You’ve mentioned that “Oh, Say Can You See?” may be the most timely of all your books. What do you mean by that?

Lewis- I could lump volume three, “Dawn’s Early Light” in there as well because it surrounds the British attack on Washington. In my opinion, the devastation there really culminated in the writing of the Key’s epic poem, “Defence of Fort McHenry,” which we know now as the “Star-Spangled Banner.” But what I meant is this, America is enjoying a renewed reverence for the Founding Fathers and their brilliance in designing the government they did. Sadly, many of us know less about the Constitution now than we did in sixth-grade, but that is changing today. There is a sense of patriotism sweeping across the land that resembles that passion and urgency felt in 1814. Remember the American political landscape was changed after the British attacked us. The iconic buildings Americans were beginning to identify with their nation and government had been destroyed. It was then that the flag rose from being a mere fort marker, to an emblem of this nation. Key recognized that as he peered across the Baltimore harbor, praying to see one of the last surviving symbols of America—that star-spangled flag flying above Fort McHenry. I think most Americans can identify with those feelings.

Donna: I’ve read that your research has been extensive. Why did you choose to write the events of this period as historical fiction rather than just as straight history?

Lewis: There are some spectacular historical accounts of this period, many of which I reference, but as I read reviews of those authors’ brilliant work, I recognized that there was an entire audience of people who didn’t enjoy that format, but who learn history best when it is personalized and wrapped around a compelling storyline. So I researched this period and created characters readers can invest in, and had them experience these events. By doing this, I can place them anywhere and in the midst of any event I choose.

Donna: What was the hardest part of writing “Oh, Say Can You See?”

Lewis- Since this volume thrusts our characters into the pivotal Battle of Baltimore and the events surrounding the writing of the "Star Spangled Banner," I really wanted readers to feel the emotions experienced by the families as well as the soldiers and sailors during that "perilous night" with "bombs bursting in air.”

Donna: The cover is beautiful! Did you have a hand in designing it?

Lewis- I had input. I knew I wanted an image of the bombardment of Fort McHenry with the focus on that splendid flag. Amy Orton, the cover designer at Walnut Springs Publishing presented a concept and we tweaked it together. I hope it will make readers hungry to tear into the book.

Donna: You’ve already received some beautiful endorsements. We’re posting a few listed on the book’s back cover:

"This book touched me deeply, causing me to reflect on the countless lives that have sacrificed freedom and happiness so that I could pursue my own. Lewis has written a compelling, almost epic, novel, full of themes that span from 1812 to 2010—and beyond. As her characters wrestle with the dislocation and trauma of a war, they come to realize what it means to be Americans, what it means to be free—and ultimately, what it means to be human." Braden Bell, author of "The Road Show."

“Master storyteller L C Lewis weaves her tales using well researched American history facts as the warp and masterful plotting and characterizations as the woof. (The word might be weft. I'll try to check if the wireless persists.) Oh Say Can You See carries all the threads of the previous three books in her Free Men and Dreamers series and presents a rich tapestry of life, love, conflict and triumph during the War of 1812.”. Liz Adair, award-winning author of “Counting the Cost.”

Once started, I had to read the whole thing through, and many parts brought tears to my eyes. (Ernest Runge, a Viet Nam veteran and history enthusiast)

Lewis- I love reading the early reviews. I sent unedited copies to some colleagues and readers and I was deeply, deeply touched by the warm reception the book has had so far. I especially love hearing that whole families are reading the series and writing to tell me how much they’ve learned about America. I can’t wait to hear their reaction to “Oh, Say Can You See?”

Donna: Tell us a little about your research for this volume.

Lewis- Aside from tons of reading, and visits to Frederick and other sites, my research for this book took me to Fort McHenry where I spent time with the expert on the Battle of Baltimore--Scott Sheads--who not only heads the staff at the fort, but who has served as the curator of the "Star Spangled Banner" exhibit at the Smithsonian. Like most historians with whom I've had the pleasure of chatting, Sheads is generous with his research and observations, offering me tidbits of little-known information about the perilous battle upon which the hopes of a battered nation hinged, and about the principle characters like Francis Scott Key who observed it as a detainee in the harbor, including details about the days surrounding the writing of the poem that became our nation's anthem.

Donna: I hear one more volume is planned after this one. When will it be released, and tell us about the other volumes.

Lewis- Book five is set for a spring 2011 release and it will carry us forward, as we see how the events of this period shaped America and affected the next generation. We’re toying with two titles—“The Morning Breaks,” and “In God We Trust.” Right now, we’re all leaning towards “In God We Trust.”

The other three books in the series are:
Volume 1, DARK SKY at DAWN, introduces the complex story of our six lead families--three American, two British, one slave--and the devastating prelude to the war.

Volume 2, TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, carries readers into the harrowing events at Hampton, Virginia, and illustrates the toll the war takes on civilians--women and children. But through it all, a new tenacity begins to strengthen the young nation's spine as Americans rally to the cause of their nation.

Volume 3, DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, throws our characters into the attack on Washington and the events that proved the mettle of hj the Constitution and the Presidency.

Donna: Tell us a little about L.C. Lewis.

Lewis- Well, many readers will be surprised to hear that I’m a grandma and not a grandpa! Publishers tend to obscure female historical fiction authors behind a pen name because some readers just expect the authors of these books to be male. I write women’s fiction under my real name, Laurie Lewis. My most recent release was in April—a women’s novel titled, “Awakening Avery,” which is currently nominated for a Whitney Award. (http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/about-the-whitney-awards/)

I’m a long time resident of Carroll County where my husband and I still reside. The past few years have been consumed by these books, but as soon as volume five is released I hope to pick up some of my old hobbies—genealogy, cross-stitch, the guitar and gardening. I’m dying to learn to play the piano and my brave daughter has offered to teach her uncoordinated mother the ropes.

Donna: Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today. Let’s just remind readers that OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE? is set for an October release but autographed copies can be pre-ordered at http://www.thisistheplace.com/store?start=Product&wid=15166.
L.C. Lewis is beginning pre-release promotional activities readers can participate in by visiting her web site and blog at www.laurielclewis.com, and www.laurielclewis.blogspot.com.