Enemies in Life, Partners in Death

William Burrows, Samuel Blyth, and Kervin Waters

Eastern Cemetery - Portland, Maine

 

 

As winter is quickly setting in here in Maine, my days of cemetery exploration will be forced into a hibernation of there own. Still, I have stored up some posts for the winter months for any interested readers. Yet, this past weekend while returning from a trip to New Hampshire, I stole a little time to visit a cemetery that has been on my mind for some time now in what may well be my last exploration until Spring.  Eastern Cemetery in Portland, Maine is certainly in the running for the most interesting cemetery in the state, but today, my mission was not simply to explore (although I did a little of that). I had set out to see for myself three stones associated with one of the most interesting burials in Maine history and I would even say the history of the United States. Side by side in three almost identical graves lie the bodies of William Burrows, Samuel Blyth, and Kervin Waters.

 

 

What did these three men have in common? Burrows and Blythe would cross paths and meet their fate on the same day, September 5, 1813 off the coast of Portland, Maine. Blythe was the commander of the HMS Boxer, a Royal Navy brig and Burrows was the commander of the USS Enterprise a US Navy brig. In the midst of the fighting now known as the War of 1812 these two ships encountered each other in battle. They were pretty evenly matched in size and number of guns. However, the USS Enterprise had a slight advantage mostly due to a larger number of crew members. Both Captains nailed their flags to the mast and entered into a fight for the finish. However, both men were to meet their fates very quickly. Blythe was killed by the first cannon volley from the Enterprise and Burrows was killed shortly after from small arms fire from the Boxer. However, in the end it would be the Americans that would take the day, capturing the HMS Boxer. The third man of the three was a young officer from the Enterprise by the name of Kervin Waters. He was mortally wounded during the battle and died a few days after.

 

 

 

Following the battle the two dead Captains and the wounded Kervin were taken to the nearby harbor town of Portland, Maine. Here all three men were ceremoniously buried in Eastern Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Portland, Maine. The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, also a native of Portland mentions the event in his famous poem "My Lost Youth".

 

 

I remember the sea fight far away,

How it thundered o'er the tide!

And the dead captains, as they lay

In their grave, o'er looking the tranquil bay,

Where they in battle died.

 

 

What makes this so intriguing is not simply the history itself, but the idea that these two men are buried side by side. A short time before, they had been unwaveringly set on the other's defeat and destruction, but in death they found themselves being laid to rest as neighbors and morbid partners. What a fascinating picture and thing it is to consider. The applications and morals are seemingly endless. It is not as common as you might think to find enemies so joined in death and buried next to each other. The story here is so rare, I doubt that you will find another one like it, and I count myself privileged that I had the opportunity to visit the graves of these three men and witness the image for myself.

 

 

Captain Burrows' stone

 

 

Captain Blyth's stone

 

 

 

Kervin Water's stone

 

 

It is likely in the future, that I will write more about Eastern Cemetery. It is in its own right a fascinating place. I also plan to return at some point and explore further. Should you desire to visit and witness this for yourself, you will find the cemetery entrance along Mountfort Street in Portland's historic harbor area. The cemetery is surrounded almost entirely with an iron fence, but the main gate is supposed to be opened Monday - Saturday. If you should find yourself there on a Sunday there is a possibility that you may be able to slip through some areas where there is a chain link fence. Not that I would know for sure (nervous laugh). However, you enter at your own risk, so please be careful. There is also clear signage that the persons are not allowed in the cemetery after sundown. All that said, I recommend making a day trip and not on Sunday. As always please be respectful. Many of the stones are in bad disrepair, and it would be a shame to see any further damage come to this beautiful, historic cemetery at human hands. 





More to Buck Cemetery Than the Legend?

Buck Cemetery

Bucksport, Maine

 

Since I was a child, I have heard the legend of Jonathan Buck. As a child I attended school in Bucksport and often passed by the stone that is supposed to be cursed. I will share the legend briefly here for those unfamiliar with it. However, the purpose of this post is to rather explore Buck Cemetery in Bucksport, ME. While most know the stone and the legend, most also ignore the rest of the cemetery. The untold truth of Buck Cemetery is that is a fascinating place full of much more than legends. I recently set out on a rainy day to explore cemeteries and had a little adventure of my own exploring this one.

 

 

Jonathan Buck is often given credit for the founding of Bucksport. In 1762 it was Jonathan Buck who explored the area and in 1764 it was also Buck who began settling and building what is now known as Bucksport. The truth about Jonathan Buck is that he was both a pioneer and a war hero. Buck took part in the disaster that was the Castine Expedition. There can be little doubt that he was both a brave man and a hard man. After the defeat at Castine he took his family to safety in Brewer, and suffering from gout walked from Bucksport to Haverhill, Massachusetts. After the war Buck returned to the town he had founded and rebuilt it, as the British had destroyed it. He became a prominent leader in the town and died in 1795 at the age of 77. In fact his real tombstone reads, "He was a worthy citizen." Most people who stop to see his monument fail to realize that it is not his real grave stone. In fact the stone now known as the Buck Monument was erected by his descendents some years later.

 

 

 

It is here that the legends began. The legends surrounding Jonathan Buck have to do with a strange shape that has appeared on the monument erected by his descendents. The shape on the stone takes the form of a leg and foot. While the details of the legend have varied in different tellings, the main characters are Jonathan Buck and an unnamed woman. Interestingly enough the earliest recorded legend dates back to 1899. Still we should note this was over one hundred years after he died. In some stories the woman is mistress and in others she is just a local woman. She is accused and convicted of witchcraft by Buck and finally executed. In most of the legends she curses Buck and tells him that a sign will appear so that all will know he had wrongly accused her. Supposedly the form of the leg and foot on the monument is the fulfillment of her curse. The form appeared after the stone was placed, and it is said that several attempts have been made to remove it, but it always returns. Those skilled in the area of geology have attributed it to a permanent deformity in the stone, possibly caused by an iron vein.

 

 

Most have concluded that there is little truth to the legends surrounding Jonathan Buck. Perhaps the saddest part of all of this is the fact that a cemetery full of many interesting things of historical significance has been overlooked. Realizing this I set out in hopes of exploring this wonderful cemetery. Unfortunately this is not as easy as it probably should be. Surrounding the cemetery is an iron fence erected to keep people out. This is likely for fear that they will mess with the Buck monument. A path takes you close to the monument with the iron fence still separating you. What if your main purpose is not to see the monument? Most of the oldest stones cannot be viewed easily from the fence line. The original stones of Jonathan Buck and his wife cannot be viewed at all as the front of the stones faces away from the fence. Fortunately for me the iron fence did not extend around the entire cemetery. The back part of the cemetery uses a much lower chain link fence. In one place it was in such disrepair I could step right over it, which I did not hesitate doing.

What I found was very interesting. Although the cemetery is small it boasts a few persons of great interest and some beautiful stones. Perhaps most interesting are the original stones of Jonathan Buck and his wife. They are slate and bear the image of the winged angelic face. Buck's stone not only bears the statement about him being a worthy citizen, but also cites that he is the founder of Buckstown. This is out of character for burial markers of that time as they seldom include biographical information. This makes it a very unique specimen in it's own right. His wife's stone is also interesting as it simple calls her a "comfort" of Jonathan Buck. The reasons for the use of this term instead of saying she was his wife is both intriguing and unclear.

If you dare to "jump" the fence you will be greeted by the stones of many interesting people. Most are members of the Buck family, but several are not. One stone lists the names of multiple young men who seem to have died during the War of 1812. Buck is also not the only founder and Revolutionary War hero memorialized here. In the back corner of the cemetery is the stone of Jonathan Frye. It bears traditional Masonic symbols and informs readers that Frye served as a Lieutenant in the Continental Army and was one of the founders of Bucksport. It also notes that Frye drowned in the Penobscot River at the age of 51. I was not able to find further details surrounding his death. I was also interested to find out that he is not buried there. According to what I have read Frye is buried in a small family cemetery also located in Bucksport (something I plan to explore in the future). At the bottom of the stone it says it was erected by relatives. One cannot help but wonder about the origins of this memorial. Could it be that Frye's family, jealous of him being overshadowed by Buck erected the stone? We can only wonder. Yet it does seem ironic that no legend exists about Frye who died tragically and a legend does exist about Buck who died in his old age.

Should you choose to explore the Buck Cemetery, do so at your own risk and with caution. While I am not aware of specific rules concerning entrance, it is obvious the fence was meant to keep people out. Still should you enter I believe it will be worth your while, and you will discover that much more than a legend rests here. As you cross the bridge into Bucksport, turn right. The cemetery will be a short distance down on your left across from the Hannaford.