1814 War of 1812 Newspaper - Maine Sea Captain Smuggler Tyler Porter Shaw Wanted for Treason w $800 Reward for His Capture
Boston, MA: The Independent Chronicle, 1814. Very Good. Item #17815
An original 1814 War of 1812 newspaper with tremendous Maine nautical history.
This October 27, 1814 issue of the Independent Chronicle features a detailed inside page report announcing that the federal government is offering an $800 reward for the capture of Lincolnville, Maine sea Captain Tyler Porter, for treason for aiding and abetting the British Navy.
"While Eastport was one of the most notorious smuggling spots in the nation, customs officials found abandoned smuggled goods on beaches near Saco. Schooners ghosted alongside Widow Emerson’s wharf in York at midnight; and Portland retailers sometimes had difficulty explaining to the authorities how English goods arrived in their shops.
"Violence was inevitable. Customs officials were threatened and sometimes beaten. A smuggler even killed a guard on remote Isle au Haut. Some officials found it easier to assist the smugglers than to confront them. York’s customs collector was jailed for colluding with smugglers, but escaped from the town’s ancient jail and fled to Nova Scotia.
"With the advent of war, smugglers not only became busier, but by law their activities moved out of the realm of petty crime and into that of treason, since they supplied the enemy with sustenance and comfort and undermined the American war effort. Among them was Tyler Porter Shaw of Lincolnville, a sea captain who was supposed to deliver military stores to Maine but instead sold the cargo directly to the British navy. Caught by federal officials, he was rescued by his sword-wielding cousins as he was being transported to trial. He fled to New Brunswick and lived out his days there." - downeast-com
This historic War of 1812 piece is complete in four pages, in Very Good condition, with some light soiling. Perfect for framing and display! #1S-064.
Price: $45.00