Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-09
A Yankee Maiden's Stratapem

Miss Rebecca Bates died at scituate
Massachusetts, recently, at the AGE ~
lightweight years. In 1872 the borders
of Massachusetts Bay were looked ate,
by a number Of British cruisers. In.
habitants of the fishing villages were
forced to band themselves in sort NJ
military fashion, and repel by arms
attacks made upon their chicken coons
The maratime enemy had their hearts
set on poultry, which was natural. con.
sidaring their long and forced subsist.
ence on tough salt meats. To thwart
them WAS to excite their anger and
malice, and not unfrequently, failing to
get chickens, they restored to harsh
measures in retaliation. In the spring
of the year named British frigate ran
into Scituate harbor, set fire to the YES.
sells and seized others, and threatened.
if resistance vas offered, to lombard
the town. When the frigate departed,
citizens of Scituate banded themselves
into a home guard and fortified Grow
Point with a brass cannon. The Brit
ish took the hint and stopped away.
and gradually, as alarm subsidized, the
home guard went about his farming.
September came. One pleasant even
ing of that month Miss Bates, then a
maiden Of eighteen, sat sewing. Her
sister, Abigail, fourteen years old, and
her mother, sat with her. Captain
Bates, the father, likewise the keeper
of the lighthouse. was away, and the
home guard was scattered all about.
Mrs. Bates had just said to Rebecca that
it was time to put the kettle on. The
maiden rose and went into the kitchen.
CHANGING through the window as she
passed she saw a British frigate close at
hand, and about lowering her boats. In
her own narrative of the occurrence
Miss Bates says that she knew the ship
at glance as La Hogue, and she cali
ed out TO her sister:
80, Lord, the old IL Hogue is off
here again! What shall we do? Here
are their barges coming, and they'll
burn up our vessels just as they did
afore."
Two vessels lay at the wharf lader
with Ho1r, and Miss Bates in her mar
rative says, owe couldn't afford to
lose that in those times, when the en-
barge made it so hard to live we
had to bile pumpkins all day to get
sweetening for sugar" Her quick mind
decided to repel the enemy by.a strata
gem. The musical Instruments of the
home guard were stored in the house.
She could play four tunes on the fife,
ana her sister Abigail could beat the
drum in an exceedingly wild manner.
+" Yankee Doodle" was their master
piece.
The idea thus conceived was quickly
put through. Rebecca and Abigail,
with the drum and fife, ran do be-
hind the cedar wood, and in moment
the quite September evening was
startled by the most remarkable mar
tial outburst that ever was heard. II
looked" said Miss Bates, "and | could
see the men in the barges resting on
their oars and listening. Then | saw
flag flying from the masthead of the
ship, recalling them. My sister began
to make speech, and | said: Don't
make me laugh, for / can't pucker
my mouth When the men in the
barges saw the flag they went about so
quick that one fell overheard, and they
picked him up by the back of his neck
and hauled him in."
A quarter of an hour later the La
Hogue sailed away, the strains of
=" Yankee Doodle pursuing her.