memorials of retired officers of the army and navy who
were desirous of obtaining lands in Nova Scotia as a reward for their
services, now flowed in upon the provincial and imperial authorities.
The desire to obtain land on the River St. John became so general that
government officials, merchants and professional men joined in the
general scramble. The result was not only detrimental to the best
interests of the country, but in many cases disastrous to the
speculators themselves.

The ideas of some of the memorialists were by no means small. For
example, in 1762, Sir Allan McLean applied for 200,000 acres on the
River St. John to enable him to plant a colony; and in the same year
Captains Alexander Hay,[50] John Sinclair, Hugh Debbeig,[51] Alex.
Baillie, Robert G. Bruce and J. F. W. DesBarres applied for another
immense tract on behalf of themselves and 54 other officers.

[50] Capt. Alex. Hay is said to have saved the life of the Duke of
Cumberland, during the rebellion of 1745.

[51] In Des Barres' splendid chart of St. John harbor, published
according to act of parliament in 1780, the well-known Reed's
Point is called "Point-Debbeig."

War with the French and Indians had been so constant previous to the
peace of 1763, that a large proportion of the young men of New England
had seen service in the "provincial regiments." To those who had held
commissions the inducements contained in Lawrence's proclamations were
especially attractive.

Among the retired officers of the Massachusetts regiments, who became
interested in the River St. John at this time were Francis Peabody,
William Hazen, James White, James Simonds, Nicholas West and Israel
Perley. Captain Francis Peabody was somewhat older than the others;
he had served with distinction in the late war, and is mentioned in
Parkman's "Wolfe and Montcalm" [p. 428]. From the active part he took
in settling the township of Maugerville, as well as from his age and
character, he must be regarded as the most prominent and influential
person on the St. John river while he lived. He died in the year 1773.
Three of his daughters married respectively James Simonds, James White
and Jonathan Leavitt.

A few years ago the writer of this history had the good fortune to
find, in an old rubbish heap, a letter of James Simonds detailing the
circumstances under which he came to take up his residence at St.
John.

"In the years 1759 and 1760," he says