346 IJISrORY OF C OH ASSET. 



assembled at the meeting-house at one o'clock, all the enrolled 

 men composing one company of militia numbering about one hun- 

 dred and thirty: Peter Lothrop, captain; John Beal, ist lieut. ; 

 Henry Prentice, 2d lieut. ; every man well equipped with ball, 

 cartridge and provision. VVe were marched to Hominy Point, 

 where we found a trench dug about two feet deep, the dirt thrown 

 fronting the water. Into this we were marched and ordered to 

 remain ready for action : a miserable defense, truly. Here we all 

 remained until after sunset : we were then disposed of in the fol- 

 lowing order : Capt. Lothrop with fifty men stationed at the head 

 of the Cove, Lieut. Beal with forty men stationed as guard on the 

 seaboard from Hominy Point around White Head to Sandy Cove, 

 Lieut. Prentiss with forty men to relieve guard. A large building 

 on White Head erected for a lifeboat house was occupied for a 

 guardhouse. 



I was in Lieut. Beal's guard and was stationed near where the 

 road merges from the woods on to the beach at White Head, 

 where was an iron six-pounder ready loaded, which I was directed 

 to tire in case of an alarm. About ten o'clock in the evening, a 

 boat from Plymouth came in ; they were from the Bulwark, 74 

 guns, and frigate Nymph at anchor off Scituate. These were the 

 enemy's ships, which had burnt the vessels at Scituate and were 

 now threatening the same to Cohasset. The men in the boat 

 came for a sloop, which the enemy had driven into Cohasset, 

 having obtained permission of the Commodore to take her to 

 Plymouth. They reported the force intended to attack Cohasset 

 at 400 men in eleven barges, with ten pieces of artillery. 



During the afternoon and evening of this day, there arrived at 

 the head of the harbor, two companies from Hingham, two com- 

 panies from Weymouth, one company of artillery from Hanover, 

 one company of artillery from Randolph and the Hingham Rifle 

 Company ; which with the Cohasset company, would number 

 about six hundred effective men, all under the command of 

 Colonel Webb of Weymouth. The out-of-town companies were 

 quartered in the best possible manner as circumstances would 

 admit. At dawn of the following day, the cannon awakened 

 those who might be fortunate enough to get some sleep, however 

 few their number might be. The drums beat the reveille, a hasty 

 breakfast was prepared and at 6 a.m. the whole camp was in march- 



