THE MILITIA AXD THE ]VAR OF j8i2. 349 



warning for a march. This fall there was a draft made from Capt. 

 Lothrop's company, of ten men. Col. Newcomb Bates was also 

 ordered with the men to Fort Independence at Hull, where was 

 stationed about one thousand militia, besides two companies of 

 U. S. troops; in all 1,200 men. Winter closed the campaign at 

 Cohasset ; the company of drafted men were disbanded. We 

 housed our gun in Eleuzer James' stables and our powder in 

 Town Magazine. 



The fishing fieet that summer was unable to stir from 

 the harbor. It is said that twenty-seven of the vessels 

 were taken at the spread of alarm, up into the Gulf and 

 there scuttled and sunk to prevent being burned by the 

 enemy. 



The owners felt fortunate with their escape from depre- 

 dations when they knew what other towns had lost. 



Wellfleet had to pay $2,000 tribute to escape de- 

 struction of her property, Brewster $4,000, and Eastham 

 $1,200. 



The loss, however, to our fishermen for that year was 

 total. 



The inspector general, Henry Purkitt, in making his 

 report to the governor, Caleb Strong, for that year sent 

 this doleful letter : — 



Boston, January 16, 1815. 

 I regret that the report bears the marks of decay and ruin as 

 do all things else in our once happy country. For in the towns of 

 Scituate, Cohasset, and Hingham that used to take from sixty to 

 eighty thousand dollars' worth of mackerel a year, the last year 

 took but three barrels which sold lor twenty-five dollars. 



Of the loss of life by Cohasset seamen in the War of 

 181 2 not much is known. David Stoddard perished at 

 Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. Isaiah Lincoln, another un- 

 fortunate, died in the prison at Halifax, N. S. The 

 circumstances of his capture are related as follows : " Our 

 fishing schooner Nancy had started out on a risky voyage 



