Aroostook War bloodless, but soldiers still died

The timeline in your April 26 article on Maine Government and History Week will be historic for its five errors in eight lines in detailing the Aroostook War. May the history of this “war” be better set forth with these notes.

No war was declared by Maine. On Jan. 24, 1839, the Maine House and Senate passed a resolve that the state land agent was “authorized and required to employ forthwith sufficient force to arrest, detain and imprison all persons found trespassing on the territory of this State. ?”

The land agent did not use members of Maine’s militia but rather used the sheriff of Penobscot County as a state civil authority to establish an armed posse to implement the resolve. While the state militia was later called out by the governor and proceeded to the disputed territory, as it was then known, no war was ever declared by the state.

It was never a United States war for the soldiers at the U.S. Army Hancock Barracks in Houlton never left their encampment in support of this dispute. This was purposefully done so that Great Britain could not claim that the federal government of the United State was involved.

While it was “bloodless,” that does not mean men did not die. Soldiers died of natural causes or from the conditions to which they were exposed during their sojourn to Aroostook.

While land claims were involved, it was really the depredation of the valuable woods stands that was the motivating force behind the resolve. Aroostook County did not exist until March 16, 1839, when it was established by the Maine Legislature by taking lands from Washington, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset counties to form “The County.” Aroostook was but the name of the river where the greatest depredation was taking place.

Fighting involved more than a comic barroom brawl between British and United States soldiers as none of the latter left Hancock Barracks. Civil officers and civilians of both Maine and New Brunswick were arrested and imprisoned. Civil officers and civilians of both Maine and New Brunswick were arrested and imprisoned. Some shots, but only a few, were fired. Many Maine citizens which made up its militia marched to the Aroostook and shortly thereafter marched back down by April 20. The only barroom in the area was in Houlton and British soldiers were not coming here for rest and relaxation.

It is partially true that the Webster-Ashton Treaty (also known as the Treaty of Washington) of 1842 established some of Maine’s boundary. Its easterly boundary had been established in 1798. The treaty established the northern and western boundary of Maine.

It was Maine pride and business interests which precipitated the so-called Aroostook War. Today we say “Aroostook County, The Way Maine Used To Be” with all due respect to our early settlers. We only seek to have the record be accurate.

Those wishing more information on the Northeast Boundary Dispute should read Geraldine Tidd Scott’s book “Ties of Common Blood,” which covers the era from 1783-1842. Published by Heritage Books Inc., it is the definitive book on the subject.

Richard L. Rhoda is a local historian and attorney from Houlton.