The Accident

On September 7, 1821, a horse reared on its hind legs, fell backwards, and crushed its rider, Charles Lowell. Lowell landed on his backside, slightly inclined to the left, and took the horse’s weight on his left thigh. The force pushed his leg outwards, away from his body, and afterwards he could not bring himself to stand or walk. Josiah Coffin, who saw the accident, ran to fetch a doctor, and carried Lowell to a neighbor’s nearby house in Lubec, Maine. Dr. John Faxon, the local physician came quickly, assessed the situation, and sent for Dr. Micajah C. Hawkes in Eastport, the next town over.