Whatever the reason for his recall, Jeremiah Swain moved quickly to
obey his orders, perhaps showing how tired he was of the campaign's
difficulties:
Letter Majr Sweyne to the Govr s Council Nov. 13. 1689.
"To ye Honrd Governr & Councill Sitting
att Boston Novembr 28. 89
Hithertoo by Sickness being prevented I now take ve boldness to give yor Honors
an account of my proceedings, persu- ance of an Ordr to me directed from yor
Honors with referance to or drawing off or fforces leaving Garrisons Soldiers
&c.—
Portsmouth Novembr 13th. 89.
Att a Councill of warr for ve Safety of ve provinces of New Hampshire & Maine,
my Self with yor Majttes officers in Comission in ye army with some of ye principal
Gents of both Provinces, ye Councills ordr being read several questions were
propounded to ye sd Councill of warr, viz how many Soldiers wr of absolute
necessity to be left in all. 2ly how many in each province. 3ly. where to be posted,
4ly under wt conduct & how vy should be maintained. It was thought necessary
on all hands vt Sixty men Should be left there twenty in Hampshire & forty in
Maine, vn I desired of vm to know how many of those Sixty vy would raise in ye sd
province, after debate vy agreed to raise ten, & so att Cochecho to post 4, att ve
widdow Heards Garrison 8, att Capt. Jno Gerrishes, att Oister river, 4. att Capt. Jno
Woodmans, & 4 att Robert Burnums — And for Maine it was thought need- full
vt 14 were posted in ye ffrontier Garrisons att Wells, & ye rest in Kittery, &
Berwick 4 att Majr Charles ffrosts Garrison, & 5 att ve most notherly Garrison in
ve front of both townes, ve rest att ve ffort att Salmon Falls & ve houses adjacent
& all to be quartered with ve inhabitants in each places where vy were posted.
It was adjudged meet also vt one of ye Captaines in Comission in ve army should
take ve charge of vm, I urged vt some of ye officers vr should do it, but vy replyed
vr Government was so lame vt vy could scarce comand each man his family, & it
would be an undoing thing not to leave one of vm in comission there because ve
Soldiers & inhabitants stood in some more fear of ve Bay vn of vr own officers.
So it was concluded to leave one, & I left Capt. Gardner for ve psent 'till further
orders from yor Honors ordering him with part of ve Soldiers to scout about ve
outside of yv townes as farr as vy could for ve snow in tollerable weather to see if
vy could finde either Skulking Indians or vr tracks but not to expose himself or men
too much to hazzard So leaving vm to Gods protection & ye Capts care & conduct
I tooke my leave of vm & returned home & disbanded ye rest and so subscribe my
self yor Honors Humble Servt
Jer Syene."
Jeremiah Swain's military career was once more over.
Found in "Documentary History of the State of Maine" pp70-74
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