of nature it must have been not only
beautiful, but magnificent. The curse of civilization was upon it,
however. For lumbering purposes a dam had then been built across the
outlet of Indian Lake, and the intervale had been overflowed until all
the trees were dead. The grass was rich and we were told that it was
a favorite feeding ground of the deer.

At Louis Lake I made an excuse to visit Burr Sturgis' mother who lived
with her husband on the opposite side of the lake from our camp. I
asked Burr to take me across that I might get from his mother some
corn cakes. We found Mrs. Sturgis to be a woman about forty-five years
of age with some of the freshness of youth in her appearance, and in
conversation quite above her surroundings. She had had a large family
of children all born in the woods. The rumor among the guides was that
she was from Connecticut. There were rumors about all the inhabitants
of the woods, but of authentic history there was but little. The
imagination might sketch the history of Mrs. Sturgis.

NOTE.--Burr Sturgis and James Sturgis were brothers.

XXI
ORGANIZATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN MASSACHUSETTS IN 1855--AND THE
EVENTS PRECEDING THE WAR

In the month of August 1855, the Republican Party of Massachusetts was
organized, and under the head of those who signed the call, a
convention was held at Worcester, the eighteenth day of September, of
that year. In Mr. Webster's time the Whig Party had been divided into
two parts, known as Conscience Whigs and Cotton Whigs. The Conscience
Whigs had become Free-soilers, and the Cotton Whigs upheld the flag of
the party in the belief that trade would follow the flag. The death of
Mr. Webster and the election of General Pierce ended the Whig Party in
the State. In 1855 the Democratic Party was a nerveless organization,
and without hope, except as the leaders looked to the supremacy of the
party in the country as a guaranty of office-holding to the few who
were in the ascendency in the commonwealth. In one short year of power
the Know Nothing Party had destroyed its influence in the State. Thus
was the way prepared for a new and formidable organization, destined
to succeed under the declaration that slavery was not to be extended
to the territories of the Union.

The first meeting of the men who led the organization of the Republican
Party was held at the United States Hotel. By adjournment the second
meeting was held at Chapman Hall.