THE MILITIA AND THE ]VAR OF 1812. 34 1 



and France only. Thus some of our Cohasset captain's 

 and sailors who sailed vessels from Boston to all the ports 

 of the world could again put to sea. 



Our schooner Ruth, under Captain Ephraim Snow, sailed 

 September i, 1810, from Boston ; and Thomas Stoddard, 

 who went in her, tells an experience when they landed at 

 Bristol, England, which illustrates the experience of many 

 during those years : — 



" While walking with three American mates in St, 

 James Square, we were suddenly surrounded by a press 

 gang (soldiers drafting men into the British navy). We 

 offered no resistance and they kept us till midnight, 

 when we had so plied them with Burton ale that they 

 were unable to see us as we walked quietly out, leav- 

 ing them to their cogitations. They never troubled us 

 more." 



But the war came at last. It was declared on June 8, 

 1812, and every vessel of ours upon the sea was in danger 

 of being captured by British men-of-war. The British 

 were rather easy, however, upon our fishermen, for a cargo 

 of fish was but small game compared with the freight of 

 foreign voyagers. And yet our fishing industry was nearly 

 paralyzed. Our catch for the year 18 12 was only about 

 one quarter what it was in 181 1. 



It was in the summer of the year 181 3 that the 

 famous duel of the Chesapeake and Shannon was fought 

 off our coast. Up to that time a series of brilliant naval 

 combats had brought a world-wide renown to our Ameri- 

 can men-of-war. 



The British had whipped every fleet of the sea, but our 

 ambitious little navy had conquered them at every duel 

 for many months. First in August, 1812, our Con- 

 stitution captured the English frigate Guerriere ; the 

 next month the Essex captured the Alert ; then the 

 Wasp annihilated the Frolic with a carnage so terrible 

 that no one was left to pull down the British flag. 



