The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-25
A Surviving Heroine OF 1879.

There is an interesting story connect
ed with Cedar Point, Scituate Harbor,
Mass. The heroine is Miss Rebecca
Bates, bright, genial old lady of eighty
four, whose memory continued remarka-
bly, clear. The story, ia ken from her
own lips, can be depended on as thor
oughly 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 following year English cruisers were
numerous in Massachusetts bay, and on
one occasion the launches of an English
frigate were sent in to Scituate Harbor.
They set fire to vessels at the Wharves,
and towed out two, at the same time
threatening to destroy the town If any
resistance was offered. After this event
a home guard was formed, and detach-
ments were stationed on Cedar and Crow
points, and in front of the village, with
brass piece. When there was no sail
in sight, the guards were allowed to 60
OF to their farms.
Nothing to occasion alarm occurred
again until the following September:
Rebecca, at that time eighteen years OF
age, and her sister Abigail fourteen years
old, and still living, were sitting toward
evening sewing with their mother. Capt
Bates and the rest of his large family
and the guards were all away. Mrs.
Bates told Rebecca it was time to put on
the kettle. As Rebecca went into the
kitchen she for the first time perceived
an English ship of war close at hand and
lowering her boats. "I knew the ship
at a glance" she said. 1t was the La
Hogue. 90 Lord!' says l to my sister,
the La Hogue is off here again! What
shall we do? Here are their barges com.
ing again, and they'll burn up our YES
sells as they did afore.' You see, there
are two vessels at the wharf, loaded with
flour, and we couldn't afford to lose that
in those times, when the embargo made
it SO hard to live that we had to bile
pumpkins all day to get sweetening fol
sugar. There were the muskets of the
guards. was good mind to take those
out beyond the lighthouse and fire then
at the barges; 1 might have killed one
or two, but it would have done no good
for they would have turned round ano
fred the village. 'Tll tell you wha
we'll do I said my sister; lool
here says /, you take the drum
I'll take the FIFE l was fond of mill
tary music, and could play four tunes OF
the fife. Yankee Doodle was my mas
terpiece. l learned on the fife which
the soldiers had at the lighthouse
They had drum there, too; so | said T.
her, You take the drum, and I'll tax
the ffe.' what good'll that do?' say
she. Scare them,' says |. All you'v
got to do is to call the roll, I'll scream
the fife, and we must keep out of sight
if they see us, they'll laugh us to scorn
| showed her how to handle the sticks
and we ran down behind the cedar wood
So we put in, as the boys say, ard prett
soon l looked, and could see the me-
in the parges resting on their ears an
listening. When j looked again saw
flag fiying from the masthead Of til
ship. My sister began to make speech
and ] said, Don't make a noise; 20
make me laugh, and can't pucker m
mouth When l looked again ! SAY
they had seen the aag, and they turne
about 20 quick q man fell overheard