Stranger Honored on Memorial Day

Gray, Maine sent more men to fight in the Civil War in proportion to its population than any other town in Maine.

Surrounded by flags fluttering at their tombstones, lies the body of a Confederate soldier.

Lt. Charles Colley of Gray Village went to fight for the Union. He was one of 175 men wounded in the battle at Cedar Mountain, Viriginia. Colley was removed to an Alexandria, Va medical facility where he later died. His parents, who lived in on Colley Hill, sent money for his body to be embalmed and sent home to Maine. When the coffin arrived, it wasn’t the body of their Union soldier they found, but that of a Confederate soldier. They buried the boy in the Gray Cemetery and a few weeks later, the body of Lt. Colley arrived in Gray.

The Confederate's tombstone reads, “Stranger. A soldier of the late war. Died 1862. Erected by the Ladies of Gray.”

The 15th Alabama Regiment, Confederate reenactors held ceremonies on Memorial Day at the grave of the “Stranger” in Gray Cemetery. They traveled from as far away as Massachusetts to honor the dead soldier. "His mother lost him twice," said the speaker. "Once when she sent him off to war, and again when his body was lost."

The Stranger has been featured by Charles Kurault, and in many magazine articles. It's included on the Maine Civil War Trail and people from all over stop by. When I went to the site early in the day, a medallian had been left on the tombstone reading "Sons of Confederate Veterans, Keep the Colors Flying."

Beware of Flying Cat

MaxiCat was full of spit and vinegar this mornng. Now that the weather is finally above 40 up here in Maine, seems like everything is livening up! MaxiCat brought me a live mouse right to my bed - Good Morning! Zoe and I got Thunder dog out of the room, got Maxi back out the window and trapped the mouse and took it outside. Not the least bit interested in the mouse, Maxi was waiting and yowling outside the kitchen door ready to help me make lunches by trying to push everything but the tuna can off the counter, gave him the tuna juice and he pushed my other cat off the food table. Waiting for the school bus he was on the roof, flying back and forth between the tree and the roof, yowling the whole time. I don't care for the mouse in bed trick, but I've got to say that Maxi is pretty entertaning!

DJ Art

DJ Landry (on the left) discusses her work with a patron at Little Sebago Gallery & Frame in Windham. DJ's work is strong and colorful, much like DJ herself. The paintings in this show explore DJ's fascination with the way free and random art connects people. The painting shown was inspired by a "parking lot band," the guys set up in a parking lot one day and played for homeless people.
DJ's art was included in the 10 year anniversary show. Try to stop in and see the art work, it's varied and by accomplished local artists. If you need framing done ask for Sandy - her framing work is incredible.

More ice. 2007
It's so cold I can't wait for Mud Season!

Seeds in Ice, winter 2007.
My garden is always surprising me.

Scepter, 2004. Beach rock, driftwood, leather, feathers, copper wire.
I really have enjoyed this piece. It was strong, and a symbol of a time which has passed. This summer I plan to travel to the secluded beach in Northern Maine where the elements were found and return them. I'll dismantle the piece and save the copper wire for a new piece, to carry forward. For some inspiration on working in nature check this out: www.naturesculpture.com.

Ice 1, 2006. Taken in the parking lot behind the old IGA where the Subway and the credit union are now.

History displaced

Or how we ended up in the graveyard this morning by Jeanne Adams

My sister Jenna is reading a book, fiction based on fact, about a fishing village off the coast of Maine. As she was relating the story I recognized the tale. That's how we ended up at the Webber Cemetery, in New Gloucester, Maine during a snowstorm this morning.

Headstones tell a tale of endings. One at a time, people die. Excepting tragic accidents, we die one at a time.




Nine small white headstones stand in a row shrouded with a dusting of snow under gray sky. On each only a name and date of death. On each, that date is Nov. 1912. One stone lists five children, another three. One stone is for a couple. All in all, 17 people share a death date, all in a row.

They are tucked away, at the edge of a wood, behind a bigger cemetery.

But this isn't a secret borne in New Gloucester, it's a secret borne by New Gloucester.

The graves mark the final resting place of people who were forcibly removed from their homes and committed to the Pownal School for the Feeble Minded.

In 1912, Maine's Gov. Plaisted ordered the removal of the inhabitants of Malaga Island, a mixed race community just off the coast of Phippsberg, mid-coast Maine.

Malaga was a poor fishing community, and both blacks and whites were settled there. Interracial marriage was common on the island. In 1900 there were 42 individuals on the island. The towns of Phippsburg and Harpswell refused to claim the island, neither wanting to accept responsibility for the welfare of the islanders. It was a "no-mans land" and Malaga became a ward of the state. Maine was 99% white and newspaper accounts of the day sensationalized the race issue, blaming dark skin for all sorts of ills, including idleness, poverty and immorality. A combination of events, including the rise of tourism and competition for the local fishing grounds caused the state to step in with a solution to the Malaga "problem".

The people were forcibly removed, their shanty homes destroyed. Some residents floated their shanties up and down the New Meadows River, but no community would have them.

Even the island cemetary was desecrated - all remains were placed in 5 zinc-lined coffins and buried in the New Gloucester cemetary.

In spite of grandiose plans, the island never sported a fancy hotel and in fact, has remained uninhabited to this day.

This information is all available on the web, what I need to find out now, is WHY and HOW did the 17 people from Malaga Island die so soon after arriving at Pineland? I haven't been able to find out.

The book Jenna was reading is for the progam where she mentors a younger girl. It is called "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt. It's fiction based on real events. He says that Lizzie Bright Griffin lived only 10 days after arriving at the Pownal School for the Feebleminded.


In recent years, Malaga has trickled into the media from time to time and more information pops up on the internet. The School for the Feebleminded is now a pristine and beautiful business campus with beautiful views, a YMCA, a school and arts center.

Photos by Jeanne Adams. In the top photo, are stones for residents of Pineland. The Malaga stones are centered in the first row at the top of the photo. Midddle photo: one of the stones dated Nov. 12. Here is the plaque at the cemetery;