The American Army of Two, sometimes called American Lighthouse Army of Two, is the name commonly given to Rebecca and Abigail Bates of

Scituate, Massachusetts Scituate () is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 19,063 at the 2020 census. History The Wampanoag and their neighbors inhabited the ar ...

. They were lighthouse keeper Simeon Bates' daughters.

History

In September, 1814, Bates was away from the Old Scituate Light station with most of his family when the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

landed a warship, the ''La Hogue'', near the harbor with the intent of sending a raiding party into the town. Soon the ship launched two long boats filled with soldiers. Rebecca and Abigail, then aged 21 and 17, left alone with their mother at the station, realized that there was no time to warn citizens of the impending attack. Seizing a fife and

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

that had been left behind at the station, they began to play. The soldiers, assuming that the sound signaled the approach of the town

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, retreated hastily.

Personal lives

The sisters lived to be quite old, and Rebecca took to selling

affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or ''deposition (law), deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by la ...

s for ten cents apiece in later years, always swearing the story to be true.

References

External links

Account in Highlights for Children magazine
* American lighthouse keepers Women lighthouse keepers Youth activists People from Scituate, Massachusetts People from Massachusetts in the War of 1812 1814 in the United States History of women in Massachusetts {{Warof1812-stub