THE MILITIA AND THE WAR OF 1812. 353 



Cohasset was never so dangerously near to the furies of 

 war as it was on June 17, 18 14, when the British frigates 

 lay off our harbor and eleven barges of British soldiers 

 attempted to destroy our town. The resistance which met 

 the enemy was not too severely taxed, but it shewed 

 itself in such a degree as to warrant a fair confidence in 

 our spirit of self-defense. 



The militia training was still continued with about two 

 regular drills each year, one in May before the fishing 

 vessels sailed, and the other in October when the men 

 were home again. Musters for the brigade or the divisiorL 

 to which the Cohasset company belonged were held in 

 Hingham, Quincy, Dedham, and elsewhere. Our officers 

 were much interested in these events, for promotion and 

 efficiency could be gained upon these larger military fields. 

 The guns were kept by the soldiers each for himself, who 

 reported for inspection with their ammunition every 

 May. The town's stock of powder was kept in a little 

 red house upon a ledge* in a field upon Eleazer James' 

 lane about six hundred feet southwest of the present rail- 

 way station. 



The place for drilling was naturally the Common ; but 

 the marchings used to take them all over the town, and it 

 is said that they usually got very thirsty in the neighbor- 

 hood of "grog shops." 



One red-letter day for the militia was when a general 

 muster was held at Cohasset about seventy-five years ago. 

 The " Rifle Greens " from Hingham were one of the visit- 

 ing companies, and the different companies vied with each 

 other in the skill of military movements. It took place in 

 what was called Barker's Field, on the south side of Sohier 

 Street, where Ripley Road has since been cut through. 

 The fences and road and fields were crowded with the 

 townspeople, who came miles to see it. It is doubtful 

 whether a single boy of the town, big enough to toddle, 



* Behind the present home of Patrick Downs. 



