INDIANS IN ANCIENT GEORGETOWN from Sprague's Journal of Maine History Volume 2 page 213 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society Indians In Ancient Georgetown, Maine When my great-grandfather, Thomas Grace Whitney was a youth, and lived in Georgetown, Maine, he was captured by the Indians and spent some time with them, writes Mrs. J. E. Trethe- wey of Gardiner, in the Lewiston journal Magazine. It must have been during a lull following one of the wars for they did not seem inclined to be cruel to him, but rather, endeavored in their way to make him happy. He was stolen rather than captured, for it was while he was in the forest cutting wood that they crept up behind him, and almost before he realized what had happened, they had him bound, gagged and blind-folded. He was carried a long dis- tance to their village and here they proceeded to transform him, as far as possible, into an Indian. His hair and skin were stained dark, and he was dressed in Indian garments. They could not, however, change the hue of his blue eyes, nor the soft, wavy hair into the coarse, straight locks of the redskin. Although they were kind to him, and allowed him a certain amount of freedom, yet he was so carefully guarded that weeks passed into months before he found an opportunity to escape. One night when the Indians, having acquired a goodly quantity of liquor. were having a carousal, with the help of an Indian maid, young Whitney made his -escape. Before lie had reached safety however, his absence was discovered and the redskins put after him like so many hounds. With them at his heels, he pushed his way through forests, swam long distances, leaped walls and finally fell exhausted on the threshold of a settler's cabin. At first, he -was taken for an Indian, but his blue eyes and curly hair proclaimed his white blood. One evening, years after when hostilities were a thing of the past, as he was sitting by his fireside, a small party of Indians called at his door and begged admittance for the night. Their request was willingly granted and as they gathered around the hearth-stone in friendly conversation, Whitney related, how, when a lad he had been abducted by the redskins. After he had finished his tale, one of the Indians, a very old man, arose and went out-of-doors. As he did not return, search was made and it was found that he had pre- pared to sleep in his canoe. No amount of persuasion could prevail upon him to return indoors. It was thought after, that very likely this was one of Whitney's abductors and fearing recognition, and judging by Indian temperament, perhaps revenge, he dared not to return.