The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-07-27
HOW TWO BRAVE GIRLS DROVE OFF A
gag4f BRITISH MAN OF WAR. Oh.

There is an interesting story connected
with Cedar point, Soituate Harbor, Mass.
The heroine is Miss Rebecca Bates, now G
bright, genial, old lady Of 81, whose mem
DRY continues remarkably clear. The story,
from her lips, can be depended upon M
thoroughly reliable. Her father was Cap
tain Simeon Bates he was light. keeper at
the time, and was the first who lit the light
in April, 1911. In the Spring Of the follow.
ing year English cruisers were numerous in
Massachusetts Boy. and on one occasion the
launches of an ENGLISH frigate were sent
into Scituate harbor. TGey set fire to yes.
sells at the wharyes, and lowed out two, Mt
h same time threatening to destroy the
town if any resistance was offered. After
this event u home guard was formed, and
detachulents were stationed on Cedar and
Crow points. and in front of the village,
with a brass piece. When there was no sal,
in sight Tie guards were allowed tn go of
10 their farms.
Nothing 10 occasion alarm occurred again
until the following September. Rrbecca,
ut that time 10 year, of age. and her sister
Abigail, IA years old, and st IL living, were
sitting toward evening sewing with their
mother. Captain Bates and the rest of his
family and the guards were al away. Mrs.
Bates told Rebecca it was time to put on
the kettle. As Rehecca went into the
kitchen she for the tirst time perceived an
English ship of war close ut hand and lower
ing her boats. II knew the ship ut O
glance" she said. alt was the La Hogue.
% Lord.' says l to my sister. THE old La
Hogue is off here again: What shall we do?
Here are their barges coming again, and
they'll burn up our vessels just us they did
afore.' You see there were two vessels at
the wharf. loaded with fiou-, and we
aA,,11,ft &c.! - l,-@ Al-@ = IT,
when the embargo made it so hard to live
we had to bile pumpkins all day to get
~sweetening for sugar. There were the
muskets of the guards. l had n good mind
to take those out beyond the lighthouse
and fire them at the barges: l might nave
killed one or two, but it would have lone
no good, for they would have turned round
and fired the village. IN tell you whit
weIl do said | to my sister look here
says i, you take the drum, I'll take the
fife l was fond of military music, and
could play four tunes on the fife. Yankee
Doodle was my masterpiece. 1 learned on
the fife which the soldiers had at the light
house. They had a drum, too SO 1 said
to her, You a the drum, and Tn take
The fife what goodll that do p says
she. Scare them,' says /. All you've
got to do is to call the roll, I'll scream the
fife, and we must keep ont of sight if they
see us they'll laugh us to scorn.' 1 showed
her how to handle the sticks, and we ran
down behind the cedar wood. So we put
in, as the boys say, and pretty soon l looked,
and l could see the men in the barges rost-
ing IN their oars and listening. When l
looked again | saw q flag flying from the
masthead Of the ship. My sister began to
make n speech, and | said, Don't make q
noise; you make me laugh, and I cant
quicker my mouth When 1 looked again
1 saw they had seen the flag. and they
turned about SO quick a man fell overheard,
and they picked him up by the pack of his
neck and hauled him in. When they went
off, / played Yankee Doodle" Is not
his heroine, who saved two ships laden with
flour, and perhaps other vnluables, from
destruction, entitled to a pensiong She
has five brothers and sisters still living, the
eldest eighty-ive, and the youngest seven.
ty-one. Her grandfather WINS one hundred
years and one month old at the time of his
death.