| Notes |
- From "History of Old Broad Bay and Waldoboro", by Jasper J. Stahl [1956], in chapter telling of German folklore and beliefs:
Most of the magic and the secret trysts of these days, however, occurred in East Waldoborough, an area sparsely populated, densely wooded, and studded with ledges and boulders, a sort of Walpurgis milieu, where solitude and somber forested recesses suggested spooky communion of the human with the darker and capricious forces of the Hidden and the Unseen. This district was also the home of the Minks, or, more exactly, the home of the Paul Minks. This branch of the family was poor, peppery, picturesque, and psychic.
Old Paul was looked upon with humorous liking. An annual event were his expectant calls on Christmas morning to his more prosperous neighbors to offer his greetings:
"Wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
A pocket full of money and a belly full of cheer-
Rum, whisky and pranty* enough to last all the year!" **
--and to receive his Christmas handout. His consort, "ole Miss Paul," was a more vigorous spirit and versed in the lore of the occult. One of her charms by which she prepared herself to receive the emissaries of the Unseen has come down to us in the following form:
" I takes my broom and goes into my front [front hall or room],
And I raps three times and then sez I-
My soul and my body come together." **
It is not known whether "ole Miss Paul" was disposed to use her power more beneficently or maleficently. Perhaps it was both, but it has been only the good that has lived after her in one recorded case of healing. A Mrs. Maney who lived many years ago in Thomaston used to relate that her son had some malady for which he got no help until she took him to Mrs. Mink, who told her that she could do nothing for him for a week as court was in session. The next week, however, she would be sick herself with chills and fever, after which time her son would have no more trouble; and thus it proved.
* Possibly the attempt of a German tongue to pronounce the English word 'brandy'.
** Data furnished by Mrs. Agnes Boynton of Thomaston, whose ancestors of the Fitzgerald family were contemporaries and neighbors of the Minks.
Paul Mink was a Revolutionary War soldier as were two of his brothers. After locating his name, rank and dates of service, along with his pension request number, I sent a form to the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D.C., and the following is what they sent back to me. I received xerox copies of the original document, in some places difficult to read, and so I've placed a blank to note words that were undecipherable. The following is a fascinating court record, written out by a clerk as Paul Mink related stories of his war service. This had to be done in order for him to receive a pension, and the story is meant to serve as proof of his service. On an historical note, the battle that he describes taking part in was the Penobscot Expedition, the commander of the infantry was Colonel Paul Revere, and the American colonists suffered a tremendous defeat and were forced to retreat, all American ships burned by the colonists to prevent them from falling into British hands. The infantry scattered and made their way through Maine before they started to straggle back to their homes. For this defeat, Paul Revere was later court-martialed but was found innocent of any crimes. I must note that I retained the spelling of the original document without making any corrections.
Paul Mink a resident of Waldoboro in the County of Lincoln and State of Maine aged Seventy nine years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he
Was born in Waldoboro in the year 1753. He has no record of his birth to best of his recollection. That he lived in Waldoboro at the time he was drafted into the service where he has lived ever since the Revolutionary War and still continues to reside. That about the 1st of May in the year 1779 he was drafted out of Capt. Schenck's Company into Capt. Philip Ulmer's Company after being drafted he first was marched by Capt. Ulmer to Damariscotta on to Townsend now called Boothbay. There we staid (sic) I think a fortnight or three weeks then went on board of the transport to Baggaduce. That sometime in June 1779 we arrived at Baggaduce on Penobscot where we were landed in the boats and took on a ________ with us. While we were being landed the British retreated into their fort _____ after we landed the cannon from on board the (shipping?) I think from the "Warren" or "Hunter" or both, we dug several trenches and threw up breastworks to protect us from the fire of the enemy. He next remembers that while digging the trenches one Christopher Newbit who was with us he was just raising himself up with a shovel full of dirt when a ____ shot from the fort of the enemy struck _____ of his arms, he think it was his left arm just above his elbow and shattered it so much that nothing but the skin held it on, he was within at least four feet of him when the shot struck him and recollects of hearing him say as he fell "I am dead". I think one of the Marines cut the skin which held his arm and buried it and then bound up his arm and we carried him to the river from thence he was taken to the Hospital on Fort Point so called. He also says that he (recollects?) of Sam'l Bogs being shot by either the British or Americans he can't tell which- Bogs and some others were out shooting cattle- he thinks however that he was killed by the British. This was the second or third day after we landed at Baggaduce. Some weeks after this (he don't recollect precisely how many) a British fleet came from Halifax and drove our vessels up the river as far as Sandy Point so called where the Transport we went from Boothbay on was burnt by us to prevent the enemy from getting a hold of. As he also says that the Ship Warren was burnt about the same time- he also further says that the Hospital on Fort Point was burnt by us after first taking out the wounded & sick- he further says he thinks the retreat up the river was sometime in August- That after the Transport was burnt he slept in the woods all night and the next day he marched through the woods to Camden where he remained on duty about two months and got home sometime in the middle of November 1779 making the service on that expedition as much as 61/2 months and he further says that he actually ______ out the time as above stated, he also says that while at Baggaduce he recollects of shooting a cow and taking 11 oxen and cows from the British. He further says that he enlisted sometime in October, 1780 under Capt. Jacob Ludwig, Capt. Bornheimer, Lieutenant Winchenbach, Sergeant stationed at a place called "Jones Neck" about 6 miles from Waldoboro on the Muscongus River where he served (four?) months_____________ company was stationed there for the purpose of guarding the coast. He does not recollect whether he received any written discharge. Martin Benner, Charles Overlock, & Francis Keizer can testify to his having served his country at Baggaduce & Jones Neck with the persons above stated. Gen. Lovell was the commanding officer at Baggaduce and Commodore Saltonstall, commander of the fleet. He further avows that he received nothing but a verbal discharge at Baggaduce and that he is known to _____ McCobb_________ who can testify to his being _____________.
He hereby relinquishes _____________ except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of ___________ state.
Sworn to and subscribed to the day and year aforesaid
his
Paul X Mink
mark
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
|
1753 - 1839
Individual
Ancestors
Descendants
Relationship
Timeline
Suggest
= Link to Google Maps 
Genealogy data presentation powered by