Tag Archives: Bridgton

Sumter’s 911 aftermath: “Speak well of the land we love”

The Fort Sumter news stunned and confused many Americans, who in turn scanned the newspapers to learn the battle’s facts and how the Lincoln Administration would respond to Southern effrontery. But each individual assuredly thought, “How will this affect me?” At Bridgton bordering Long Lake in western Cumberland County, Bridgton Reporter editor Enoch Knight eschewed […]

When Confederate spooks came calling, Bludgeon the Horse got going

Neither Winsor B. Smith nor Bludgeon the Horse ever forgot that dark Virginia night when the Confederate spooks came calling. Born in Bridgton in 1842, Smith joined the 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment’s Co. K as a private in August 1862. He developed an impressive wartime resume, including a six-month stint as a Confederate prisoner. That […]