Oliver Hazard Perry--Prompt and Effective Work--"We Have Met the Enemy
and They Are Ours"--Death of Perry.
Oliver Hazard Perry was born in Rhode Island in 1785, and entered the
American navy as midshipman when fourteen years old, under his father,
Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, who commanded the 28-gun ship
_General Greene_, which did good service in the war against France. The
son also served on the _Constellation_ in the Tripolitan war, and
afterward gave his attention to ordnance.
The surrender of Detroit by General William Hull at the opening of the
war gave the British control of the Territory of Michigan and Lake Erie.
They had formed the formidable plan of extending the Dominion of Canada
along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico, thus
inserting an immense wedge between the United States and the great West,
which has since become so important a part of our country. The only way
of blocking this far-reaching and dangerous scheme was for the Americans
to regain control of Lake Erie, and to young Perry was assigned the
seemingly almost impossible task.
At the little town of Erie, Perry began the construction of his fleet,
and pushed it with such vigor, in the face of every sort of obstacle,
that early in July, 1813, he had ten vessels ready for sea, but only
enough men to man one of them. The end of the month made the total three
hundred, but he determined to get to sea on the first opportunity.
Outside was a powerful blockading squadron, and the water in the lake
was so low that it was not until the 4th of August that he was able to
get all his vessels over the bar. They comprised the _Scorpion_,
_Ariel_, _Lawrence_ (flagship), _Caledonia_, _Niagara_, _Somers_,
_Porcupine_, _Tigress_ and _Trippe_. The total guns carried were 54,
with a force of 490 men.
The British squadron consisted of six vessels, with an aggregate of 63
guns and 502 men. They were under the command of Commander Robert H.
Barclay, who had fought under Nelson at Trafalgar, and in another battle
lost an arm. It was less than three months before that the dying
Lawrence had uttered the appeal, "Don't give up the ship!" and Perry
hoisted a flag with the words displayed in large letters. As it floated
in the breeze from his vessel it was received with enthusiastic cheers.
It was on the 10th of September, 1814, that the two squadrons met at the
western end of Lake Erie. When a mile apart, the _Detroit_, the British
flagship, fired a shot to test the distance. It ricochetted past the
_Lawrence_. A few minutes later she fired a second shot, which smashed
into the starboard bulwarks of the _Lawrence_ and sent a cloud of
splinters flying. The reply to these was a 32-pounder from the
_Scorpion_. Then the firing became more rapid, the enemy possessing the
advantage at long range.
Most of the shots from the British vessels were directed against Perry's
flagship, which suffered considerably. He therefore made sail to get to
close quarters. His ship and the _Scorpion_ and _Ariel_ drew
considerably ahead of the rest of the fleet. As a consequence they
received the main fire of the enemy, which soon became concentrated on
the _Lawrence_, that was gallantly fighting against overwhelming odds.
Moreover, she was at a hopeless disadvantage with her short guns, and
soon became a wreck, with a large number of her men killed or wounded.
Gradually the boats drifted nearer and the Americans were able to make
use of their short guns and small arms. Perry's clothing was torn by
splinters and two musket balls passed through his hat. The battle
continued for more than two hours with the utmost desperation, during
which the scenes on the _Lawrence_ were too frightful to be described.
Finally the wrecked flagship began drifting helplessly out of action,
when Perry determined to transfer his flag to the _Niagara_.
[Illustration: COMMODORE PERRY AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE.]
With his broad pennant folded over his arm, and accompanied by a younger
brother and four seamen, he stepped into the small boat, which began
pulling in the direction of the _Niagara_. The thick smoke concealed
them for a time, but it soon lifted, and Barclay aimed a shot at the
boat. He said in his official report that he saw the shot strike the
boat, whereupon Perry took off his coat and plugged the hole with it.
But for the temporary veil the American commander could not have made
half the brief distance between the _Lawrence_ and the _Niagara_. As it
was, however, he reached the latter without a scratch. He hoisted his
pennant and the flag bearing the immortal words of the gallant Lawrence.
Then an officer was sent in a boat to communicate the orders of the
Commodore to the other vessels. This was hardly done when Perry saw with
the keenest distress the surrender of the _Lawrence_. Such submission
was inevitable, for almost every man on board was either killed or
wounded and every gun on the engaged side was disabled. The English
crews broke into cheers, believing the battle won, but they could not
take possession of the _Lawrence_, which drifted out of range.
Captain Barclay now made an attempt to change his line of battle with a
view of bringing his other broadsides into action. The line became
broken and entangled, observing which, Perry took instant advantage of
it. The _Niagara_, passing through the disorganized squadron, raked the
vessels fore and aft, while the other American vessels promptly
followed, and added to the confusion of the enemy and the dreadful
destruction on board. The Americans were now at close quarters and able
to do their best work, and so dreadful was it that fifteen minutes later
a white handkerchief was waved at the end of a boarding-pike on one of
the boats as a signal of surrender.
Firing ceased, and in the smoke and confusion two of the enemy's boats
darted away in an attempt to escape; but they were followed and brought
back. Determined to honor the _Lawrence_, Perry now had himself rowed to
the wreck, drifting some distance away in charge of the few that had
survived the awful conflict. Perry took his position aft and with calm
dignity received the surrender. As the defeated officers approached and
presented their swords in turn, he told each to retain the weapon,
accompanying the remark with words of compliment for the bravery he had
displayed.
The loss of the Americans was 27 killed and 96 wounded, and that of the
British 41 killed and 94 wounded. Perry showed every possible kindness
to the suffering prisoners, who expressed their gratitude. Commander
Barclay displayed conspicuous bravery throughout the battle and was
twice wounded, one of his injuries depriving him of the use of his
single remaining arm.
From what was stated at the beginning of this chapter, it will be seen
that this battle was one of the most important of the war. Not only was
it a glorious victory of itself, the occasion being the first time in
England's history that she surrendered a whole squadron, but it settled
a much more momentous matter. The British General Proctor was waiting
with his army on the Canadian shore ready to be carried across the lake
by the English fleet, in the event of their being successful, and
pressing his invasion of Ohio, which would have been an almost fatal
blow to our country.
On the Ohio shore General Harrison was waiting with an American force to
invade Canada, if Perry gained a victory. Hardly had the surrender been
made when the commandant, using his cap for a desk and the back of an
old letter for paper, pencilled the despatch which has become famous:
"We have met the enemy and they are ours--two ships, two brigs, one
schooner and one sloop," which he sent by messenger to General Harrison.
[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE.]
In the following month Harrison invaded Canada, with Proctor retreating
before him, and accompanied by the famous Indian, Tecumseh, and several
hundred of his warriors. Proctor halted near the Moravian Towns, where a
battle was fought October 5, in which the British and Indians were
decisively defeated. The Indian confederacy was destroyed and all danger
of the invasion of Ohio ended.
Master-Commandant Perry's victory caused his promotion to the rank of
captain, and Congress awarded him a gold medal, besides suitably
rewarding his officers and men. After the war he was sent into southern
waters to help suppress piracy, which had become very troublesome. While
engaged on this duty he was seized with yellow fever, and died August
24, 1819, just as his ship reached Port of Spain, Trinidad.