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| Historical Hodgepodge:Dispatches from the Saco Museum |
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The Lane Family of Buxton |
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Often referred to as the "military family of Buxton," multiple members of the Lane family served with distinction in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Captain John Lane III, his younger brothers, Daniel and Jabez, his son John IV, and his nephew Isaac all fought in the conflict. The Saco Museum is fortunate to have a number of objects used by members of the Lane family during the war, all of which were donated in the late 19th century by Anne B. Goodwin, the great-granddaughter of John Lane III.
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In the spring of 1775, Captain John Lane III (1734-1822) was appointed as Commissioner to the Penobscots with instructions to secure their friendship or neutrality. Traveling deep into the Maine wilderness, Lane negotiated with Chief Orono and tribal leaders, successfully countering British influence from Canada. His mission culminated in a historic journey to Cambridge, where he accompanied a delegation of Penobscot leaders to meet with colonial officials. The resulting alliance was crucial in helping secure the eastern frontier for the Americans. The Penobscot, along with other Wabanaki tribes, made important contributions to the American war effort in the Northeast. Warriors served as scouts and navigators, helping to secure the boundary area between Maine and British Nova Scotia. They also participated in the defense of Machias in 1777 and relayed intelligence about British movements throughout the conflict.
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Dram cup, 1775-1781, Penobscot Tribe, wood burl, Gift of Anne G. Goodwin Chief Orono gave Lane a carved wooden dram cup in thanks for the role he played in negotiating the 1775 treaty.
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Later that year John III raised a company for the American army, served as its Captain, and enlisted a number of Penobscot soldiers who later played key roles in early military operations, including as guides during Benedict Arnold’s 1775 expedition to Quebec. John’s son John Lane IV (1763-1805) also served in the older Lane’s unit. The younger John enlisted as a private on May 24, 1775, at the unusually young age of 11. His father’s company was stationed at Cape Ann, Gloucester, Massachusetts. While there, the company helped secure a famous prize–the British ship Nancy–which was carrying vital military stores destined for the British in Boston. Captain John was discharged on February 15, 1776, and returned home. The younger John served at Cape Ann until about the same time. Later in 1776, John IV enlisted for three years in the company commanded by his uncle, Captain Daniel Lane. He enlisted again later and served throughout the remainder of the conflict.
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Powder horn, 1774-1779, Brimfield, Massachusetts, animal horn, pine, leather. Gift of Anne B. Goodwin.
Joseph Nelson of Brimfield, Massachusetts carved a number of distinctive powder horns between 1774-1779. Each had slight variations but all featured the word “BRIMFIELD” in bold letters surrounded by a curved leaf and vine design. This horn was carried by one or more of the Lane family during the Revolution.
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Daniel Lane (1740-1811) primarily served in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment under Colonel Ichabod Alden. He was promoted several times during the early years of the war, finally being commissioned as Captain on New Year’s Day 1777. Daniel led the 5th Company, which was largely composed of men from Buxton, Falmouth, and neighboring towns. Lane’s regiment fought in several major campaigns in New York, including the Battle of Saratoga and the Sullivan Campaign. On July 21, 1777, during the campaign against General Burgoyne in New York, Lane was captured by the British. He regained his freedom several weeks later after Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga on October 17. The
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following year, his regiment was involved in the defense of Cherry Valley against the Iroquois. His commander was killed in November 1778 during a notorious raid. The following year, Lane’s regiment was part of the Sullivan Expedition–a massive military offensive aimed at breaking the power of the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee). Lane resigned his commission on October 18, 1779, at the end of that campaign.
Jabez Lane (1743-1830) was the youngest of three Lane brothers. He first served as an ensign in his father Captain John Lane’s unit at Cape Ann. He stayed there until the beginning of 1776, when he joined Colonel Nixon’s regiment in the 6th Massachusetts and participated in the siege of Boston and the Battle of Long Island. On January 1, 1777, Jabez was commissioned as Captain in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment, serving alongside his brother Daniel. He commanded a company during the battles leading the British surrender at Stillwater and Saratoga in late 1777. Like his brother and nephew, Isaac, he was stationed at the remote outpost of Cherry Valley in New York through the brutal winter of 1778-1779. Jabez remained within the 6th Massachusetts until 1780, when the army was reorganized and he was honorably discharged. He returned home to Buxton.
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Jabez carried this sword during the Revolution. Called a spadroon, this type of sword is typical of the type of weapon carried by many officers of the Continental Army. The gilding on the hilt and the engraved decoration on the blade, which also retains traces of its original gilding, indicate that this would have been a dress sword—not a weapon carried in battle.
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Spadroon, 1765-1780, probably Solignen, Germany, brass, steel.
Gift of Anne B. Goodwin. |
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The eldest son of Captain Daniel Lane, Isaac (1765-1833) is known for his long military service. Isaac enlisted as a fifer at the age of 12 or 13 in January 1777. He served in his father’s company within the 6th Massachusetts commanded by Colonel Alden. Isaac served first from 1777-1780. After the Sullivan expedition, Isaac returned to West Point and was discharged on December 25, 1779. In 1781, he reenlisted as a fifer in Captain Zebulon King’s Company and served until the end of the war in December 1783. Later, during the War of 1812, Isaac raised a regiment of 500-600 volunteers, which was mustered as the 33rd US Infantry. He served as its Colonel.
Tara Raiselis, Museum Director traiselis@dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org
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Portrait of George Sutherland,unidentified artist, oil on canvas, circa 1832. Gift of Darrel E. Sass, Jr. in memory of Kenneth Sutherland McCann and Constance McCann Sass.
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Readers of this newsletter who visited the Saco Museum’s 2025 summer exhibition Behind Closed Doors: the Secrets of Museum Work may remember seeing a portrait of a distinguished local gentleman holding a sheaf of paper in his left hand. The portrait of George Sutherland 1793-1879) arrived at the museum in 2014 from family descendants in less than perfect condition and, as such, was not exhibited until 2025 in a section dedicated to collections conservation issues.
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In the meantime, Anatole Brown uncovered an old notebook among F. C. Deering’s personal collection of local historical manuscripts. The typewritten label on the cover reads: “The burials in this book were probably made in the cemetery in Pepperell Park - rear of Unitarian Church." The book lists approximately 684 names between December 1822 and October 1842. It was started by George Sutherland in December 1822 and taken over by Benjamin Hall (1786-1843) in July 1830. The notebook
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Page from the Pepperell Park Cemetery Burial Book. |
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contains a list of names with burial dates (not death dates), ages, causes of death and other notes, including family connections. The Pepperell Park Cemetery was then called the “Old Burying Ground” and local names such as Spring, Cutts, Thornton, Jordan, Scamman, Cleaves, and more appear throughout. The Cutts family tomb was located on the grounds.
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The burial book is on view in this summer’s exhibition Remembering the Revolution. Eleven of those interments listed were for local men who fought in the war for American independence, survived, and died many years later due to old age or disease. Samuel Woodsum, for example, died of consumption in 1841 at the age of 86.
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Portrait of George Sutherland prior to conservation, 2025. |
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As for the portrait, it was cleaned, stabilized, and securely mounted in its frame by the conservators at Northeast Painting Conservation, LLC in York after the 2025 exhibition closed. Once again, it is in the main gallery alongside the burial book, a reminder of the close connection between the written word and the physical object in the Dyer Library and Saco Museum collections. As of this writing, the artist who painted Sutherland’s likeness remains unidentified. A tantalizing inscription
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appears on the back of the painting, in the artist’s hand in black paint: “Geo. Sutherland A[ge] 39 Pinxt. [undecipherable].” For now, the name of the artist remains a mystery.
For more information on the burial book and the fascinating history of the Old Burying Ground aka Pepperell Park Cemetery, visit Remembering the Revolution online through the Dyer Library/ Saco Museum website. Click on the Museum’s drop down menu, Saco Museum Catalog, “view all folders” at the bottom of the page, then Remembering the Revolution. Information about past exhibitions or thematic collections is also available.
Carolyn Parsons Roy, Collections Manager, Saco Museum croy@dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org |
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