1812
A TALE of
CAPE COD
By Michael Fitzgerald
YARMOUTHPORT, MASS.:
C. W. SWIFT, Publisher and Printer,
The “Register” Press,
1912.
Copyright, 1912, by
Charles W. Swift.
TO
THOMAS CHANDLER THACHER,
A LOYAL SON OF CAPE COD,
THIS VOLUME
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.
PREFACE.
In this story of Cape Cod during the War of 1812 the authorhas essayed to give an accurate picture of some of the trialswhich the harassed inhabitants endured under the guns of theBritish warships.
The plight of Eastham in those days was that of many othertowns on the Cape. The seafaring population of the district wasutterly at the mercy of the enemy and all trade was at a standstillin consequence of the embargo on commerce. Deserted bythe National and State governments, the sturdy people bore theirsufferings with heroic fortitude and stubbornly resisted theinvasion of their shores, now meeting the arrogant foe in deadlycombat and driving him to his boats, and again, successfullymatching their wits against his might, capitulating only whenfurther resistance appeared useless.
The author has had the advantage of many years’ residencein the district and the privilege and pleasure of close acquaintancewith the descendants of some of the characters in thistale, and, as an interested student of local history and tradition,his researches have instilled him with intense admiration for thevirile race that first settled on this historic ground and whoseindomitable perseverance and success in the face of almost insuperabledifficulties have won the applause of the world.
“Old times have changed, old manners gone,” but in thelittle towns of the Cape today the sons of this brave old stockpreserve many of the salient characteristics of their sires andare not lacking in the spirit which made Cape Cod somethingmore than a geographical expression in the annals of the Nation.
“Hoppy” Mayo, Peter Walker, Squire Harding Knowles andothers mentioned in the story were sterling citizens of Eastham acentury ago and they were typical of the men who lived in thosedays; men of keen intelligence and patriotism, graduates of thelittle red schoolhouses where they were taught to express theirthoughts in the clear English which was the language of theirPilgrim ancestors.
In this little volume the author has followed closely the factsas recorded by such writers as the Rev. Enoch Pratt, the Hon.Charles F. Swift and others who have given attention to thestory of Cape Cod. The main purpose of the book is to stimulateinterest in the study of the chronicles and traditions of theCape and the author hopes that his efforts in this direction willmerit the approbation of the public.
East Brewster, Cape Cod.