New Series Vol X No. 2 \ Ohio University Bulletin INSTITUTE NUMBER The Battle of Lake Erie Something to Read to Your Pupils ATHENS, OHIO, JULY , 1913 Published by the University and Issued Quarterly Entered at the ‘Postoffice at Athens , Ohio, as Second-Class Matter TRAINED TEACHERS NEVER LACK FOR POSITIONS Ohio University is ready to be of real service to you, as it has been to hundreds of others. It Trains Teachers for THE GRADES THE HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL IN MUSIC SPECIAL IN DRAWING COMMERCIAL BRANCHES DOMESTIC SCIENCE MANUAL TRAINING KINDERGARTEN AGRICULTURE Why not prepare for some of this work in the Historic College of the “old Northwest?” Its COLLEGE of LIBERAL ARTS is the oldest in Ohio. Read what is said about EXTEN- SION WORK. THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE When you go to the Capitol, in Columbus, you cannot fail to see the very large and hand- some painting hanging on the wall in the ro- tunda . It is a picture showing a scene at the Battle of Lake Erie, which occurred just one hundred years ago. It shows a brave act of a very brave man. If he had not performed this heroic part, the battle would have resulted differently. The man you see standing in the boat is Commodore Oliver H. Perry, the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie. It is of him and this famous battle, we wish to speak. One hundred years ago, our country and England were engaged in war. There had been much jealousy, hard feeling and misun- derstanding between these two nations for many years. It seemed there was no way to get peace without fighting for it. It would give them both a chance to cool their angry blood. So the war came on. There was nothing that might not have been settled without blood-shed if both countries had been as sensible before the war as afterward. But they were not, and many battles were fought and much blood spilled. The Battle of Lake Erie was one of the bloodiest and most important of these conflicts. The possession of the Great Lakes was of utmost importance to both countries. Ever since the Revolution the English had kept High-School Teachers. The call for High-School Teachers has never been so great. Trained Teachers for the High-School are as desirable as in the Grades. A High-School Teacher who makes his pre- paration in connection with a Normal College has many advantages over those less fortun- ate. The close articulation of the work done at the Ohio University between the College of Liberal Arts and the Normal College makes it an ideal condition for the preparation of High School Teachers. Drawing and Music Teachers. The work of the Special Teacher is always pleasant. The compensation is good and there is more liberty permitted. Any one having talent in the direction of these subjects would do well to prepare for work along these lines. The Normal College of the Ohio University is amply equipped to help you. |T Commercial Teachers. The demand for Teachers in Commercial Branches has been increasing for several years and there is little danger of an over-supply. The School of Commerce of the Ohio Univer- sity is not built along the lines of the sporadic, so-called Business Colleges. The teaching is done along approved pedagogical lines, and the presence of the Normal College makes it doubly efficient for the training of teachers for these studies. We could not supply enough teachers this year. Summer Term. The Summer term for 1913 was the largest in the history of the College. There were 1138 students enrolled. The term for 1914 will open June 22. Spring Term. A Special Term for Teachers will open May 4, 1914. Many teachers enroll at that time and so get the benefit of a part of the Spring Term and all of the Summer Term. vessels on these Lakes. Many towns had grown up along the Canadian shores and to take the control of the Great Lakes from the English was one of the tasks of the Americans. They were not a bit successful. General William Hull started out as if he was going to do the job all at once. He marched into Cana- da, fought a few skirmishes and marched back again. At Detroit, a force of English and their friends, the Indians, appeared one day before the fort, and it so scared the General that he raised a white table-cloth above the fort, and without firing a single shot, surrendered the place to the English. This was not only morti- fying to the Americans, but a great loss to their cause. It would take more fighting than ever for them to regain the lost ground. Besides, it cheered the English &nd made the Indians very bold.. The lattter carrying English guns, shooting English lead and pow- der, fell upon the pioneer Americans and burn- ed and robbed and murdered. They even took the scalps of American women and children and carried them to the English, who paid a price for each one they might bring. The whole lake country was at the mercy of the English and their savage allies. Generel William Henry Harrison tried to re- gain Detroit. When within a few miles of the place, on the River Raisin, he was met and ut- terly routed. Many of his soldiers were taken prisoners. Every one captured was brutally murdered by the Indians. It was a terrible Kindergarten. During the Summer School of 1914, the Kindergarten Department will be in full fun- ning order and every opportunity for training in this field will be offered. Manual Training. A course in Manual Training was establish- ed at the Ohio University in the fall of 1911, in compliance with the earnest demand for teachers of this subject from all parts of the state. The work offered is of such a nature that it is not only for those who expect to teach this work, but it is of inestimable value to any teacher or student. The Department is now in successful operation under trained and effi- cient teachers. If you are interested, send for special bulletin. The courses for Supervisors of Drawing, Supervisors of Music, and Kindergartners, are alto two-year College courses. The course for Rural Teachers is now one of the best organized courses in the Normal College and a special Rural Training School is provided, covering all grades, within a half mile of the University buildings. Domestic Science. This is a new department opened in the Fall of 1911. A capable instructor has been secured and no expense is spared in making this one of the attractive features of the University. Send for special bulletin. College of Liberal Arts. Courses are here offered, leading to the de- grees of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. A liberal option in the way of elec- tives is permitted. Two-year courses in practical Electrical and Civil Engineering are offered and are de- servedly popular. The Department of Painting ranks with the best in the country. The Ohio University is able to give you a thorough liberal education. massacre. For years afterward the River Raisin was mentioned with horror. With a fleet on Lake Erie, the British had the advantage. This fleet could carry men and supplies and drop them off anywhere. The American soldier had to march and drag his material through miles and miles of roadless forest. We could hope for nothing so long as the British flag floated on Lake Erie. To get rid of them was the sensible thing to do. But it was a stupendous undertaking. It required a fleet large enough for the task and a man capable to command it. The Americans did not have the first, but they had the second — the MAN. To him was given ‘the work of building the fleet and driving the English from the Lakes. Commodore Oliver H. Perry was certainly the man for the place. He was only twenty- eight years of age, but he had seen much ex- perience as a sailor. His father had served in the Navy during the Revolution and after- ward was Captain of a merchant vessel. In 1798 it looked for a time as if our country might have war with France. Ships were fitted out and preparations were being made. Oliver had always lived in sight of the sea, since his home was at Newport, Rhode Island. He had seen the white winged vessels from all over the world come and depart from the wharf. Besides, his father, being a seaman, he had heard of the life of a sailor and he long- ed to be a captain, too. More than all this his mother, a very fine woman, had taught him how a man must al- Elementary Agriculture. Now, that the elements of agriculture are to be taught in the schools, the teachers are looking for the best places to prepare. The training of teachers in this important subject was in successful operation at Ohio Univer- sity three years before the law requiring it passed. The school-gardens have been one of the features of the Normal School. Now that the teaching is mandatory the Ohio University has provided more teachers and better equip- ment that every advantage may be offered. Send for special bulletin. Normal School Extension. Ohio University was the pioneer in Normal School Extension Work. Last year quite a number of “Extension Centers” were organiz- ed and it is the purpose to extend this field of service the coming year. Normal College credit is given for work done in this way. Any locality can have an “Extension Center” if a sufficient number of students can be obtained. Address, C. L. MARTZOLFF, Supervisor of Extension Department. Note — Teachers desiring a number of these booklets for supplementary reading in classes, can receive any quantity by simply making the request. Any High School in Ohio can secure a hand- some steel portrait of Hon. Thomas Ewing, suitable for framing, for the asking. A limited number of booklets, containing the story of “A Boy Who Made Good” are yet avail- able for free distribution. The story is suit- able for supplementary reading in the middle grades. ways be ready to serve his country. She also told him stories of great sea fights, until his heart was fired. It is no wonder he longed for the sea, es- pecially when he could help defend his country. So, when he was only thirteen he wrote to his father, who was then commanding a vessel, asking him to be permitted to join him, as a midshipman. The consent was given and the young sailor got his first appointment. He went with the vessel to the West Indies and cruised about the islands for about two years. Though the trouble with France was happily settled, Midshipman Perry held his position in the American Navy. About this time some of the small countries in the north of Africa, known as the Barbary States, began to prey on our commerce. They promised to quit it only when the United States would pay a large sum of money. Of course our nation would not do such a thing. So we had to send some war vessels and also teach these folks a well-deserved lesson. Oliver Perry was sent on one of these vessels. Soon after his ship arrived in the Mediterranean, on his seventeenth birthday, his Captain made him a lieutenant. He cruised about with his boat for several years and then returned to America. He mar- ried and made his home at Newport. Here we find him in February, 1813, when the orders came to go and take the control of Lake Erie from the English. The same day he started on his mission. It was a long and tiresome journey. His way lay through the unbroken forest. He would partly go by land and partly by water. He took fifty men with him. The next day fifty more followed. He was accompanied by his younger brother, Alexander, aged twelve. Sometimes they traveled in sleighs over rough roads and uncertain trails. When the ice in the river was broken, they crossed in canoes . Again, they would be required to go afoot, so thick was the underbrush. They would go for miles without seeing a human being, unless it was a skulking Indian. Wild beasts there were in abundance. Finally they reached Lake Ontario. Here they embarked in boats. On March 10th, they reached Erie, Pennsylvania. At this place some carpenters had begun work on five boats. More carpenters were expected, but it was some days before they arrived. It was certainly a big task that lay before the young Captain. But he was equal to it. His mechanics, his sailors, his guns, his am- munition, and his sail cloth — everything need- ed must be brought through the woods, mostly from Philadelphia, several hundred miles away. The timbers to build his vessels were still trees, growing along the lake; the iron to hold the timbers together was still scattered in ware-houses or farmers’ barns. The can- non and other material was dragged through the mud by oxen. By the 10th of July, his fleet was ready for the sea — nine vessels in all. But two problems he had yet to solve. The first was to get his boats across the sand bar which lay across the front of the harbor. All summer the workmen could see out in the lake the white-winged ships of the English. They were lying in wait to pounce on Perry’s vessels when they should come out of the harbor. But Captain Perry was not to be caught napping. One Sunday the English Commodore sailed across the Lake to take Sunday dinner with some of his friends. While he was gone Perry managed to get his boats across the bar. Before leaving he held religious services on board one of the vessels. As the Stars and Stripes went up on the masthead, there went along with it another flag, with a cross upon it. The second problem Perry had to solve was to properly man his fleet. He had been sending for men all summer. But few came to him and many of them had never seen a vessel. Most were backwoodsmen, with a sprinkling of untrained negroes. Finally, he had 490 men, but many of them were sick and unable for duty. Then began a game of hide and seek. The English Commander didn’t seem nearly so anxious for a fight as he did in the early sum- mer. Perry hunted for him but could not get near him. The English were waiting for another vessel to be finished before entering the fight. Early in September the two fleets lay op- posite each other; the American at Put-in-Bay Harbor and the British at Malden, on the other side of the Lake. Perry, with his nine vessels and 54 guns, and the English with six vessels and 63 guns. Perry had 490 raw men. On the English fleet were 502 men. Many of them had seen service in European wars. Their Commander was the brave Commodore Barclay, who had lost one arm in a sea fight for his country. On the early morning of September 10, 1813, from the masthead of the Lawrence, Perry’s flag-ship, the British vessels were seen coming across the Lake. At once the American vessels weighed an- chor and started to meet them. As they were going out to battle, Perry went to a chest and took out a large blue flag. On it, in white let- ters, were the dying words of the brave Captain Lawrence, after whom Perry’s ship was named, “Don’t Give up the Ship.” The sight of this beautiful flag heartened the men and as the flag was hoisted to the side of the Stars and Stripes, cheer upon cheer was given by the brave men, from the decks of all the vessels. It was a beautiful morning. Not a cloud could be seen. The lake was smooth as glass. The English vessels were newly painted white, the flags fluttered all about them. The sails shown with dazzling whiteness in the sunlight. It looked as if six huge white birds were flying across the water. Still the fleets bore toward each other. It was half-past ten. From the deck of Commo- dore Barclay’s flagship a bugle was heard. Then from every English ship could be heard coming across the water the cheers of the sailors. Then the band began to play the national song. How different it was on board the American fleet. The boats were unpainted. The men wore no uniforms. No band was there to cheer with martial music. But there was a brave, determined commander, with men as brave and determined as he. On the Lawrence all was still. Every man was at his post. Perry went among them and in low tones gave commands and cheered them. He made his men feel how great was their responsibility to their country. The fleets were now a mile apart. The English guns could carry farther than the American. Suddenly from the English flagship a cannon ball went skimming over the water. Perry saw that he would have to get close in at once, or he would be shot to pieces be- fore he had a chance to fight. The Lawrence quickly pushed into the English fleet Before the other American vessels could get to her side, she was surround- ed by all six of the English ships. They pro- ceeded to pound the life out of her. It was a terrible fight, lasting half an hour. The Lawrence was literally shot to pieces. Her rigging was cut, her spars were shattered, her sails torn to shreds. Gun after gun had been disabled. Man after man fell dead or wounded, until the number reached eighty-three. The deck grew slippery with blood. Sand was sprinkled about so the men could stand. Cannon ball crushed into her sides. Wounded men crawled about to lend a feeble hand in firing the guns. Only one gun remained, and Perry himself fired it. The good ship was almost lying on her side. It looked like surrender to everyone except the brave Commander. Down came the blue flag, but no white flag took its place. Perry took his little brother and four sea- men and dropped into an open boat. The smoke of the battle was so dense that the British did not see them. The row boat was making its way toward the Niagara, it and the other ships being still unharmed. As they neared the vessel, the English discovered what was being done. Bullets began to rain about them. Then a shot went straight through the boat’s side. Taking off his coat and rolling it up, Perry thrust it into the hole which the ball had made. This kept the boat from sinking. Reaching the side of the Niagara, they were quickly drawn aboard. Perry was met by cheers from the rest of the sailors. Again the blue flag, with the wonderful words, was hoist- ed into the air. The five American vessels had the advantage, for no damage had been done them. Some of the English vessels had suffered from the fire of the Lawrence. Perry quickly brought his boat into action. The others followed. Then began a very hail- storm of lead on the British vessels. The can- nons belched forth their shot; the decks of the English fleet were raked. They were getting now what they had given the Lawrence a short while before. It took just fifteen minutes of this kind of fighting to decide the battle. To the joy of the American sailors, a white flag floated out amid the smoke, and they knew it was an American victory. Perry was taken to the Lawrence, for he wished to receive the surrender there. As he made his way upon the deck, wounded men raised themselves and saluted their Captain. The British Commander, who had been wounded, sent his sword to the victorious Perry, but the latter sent it back, saying he could not accept the sword which had been so ably defended. He then took from his pocket a paper. On it he wrote his famous message to General Harrison: “We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. Yours, with very great respect and esteem, O. H. PERRY.” Then he visited the defeated Commander and offered assistance to make him comfort- able. On the morning after the battle occurred a sad but a very beautiful ceremony. It was the burial of ‘the officers who had fallen on both sides, in the battle. The common sailors had been buried in the waters of the lake soon after the battle. The officers were to be buried on Put-in-Bay Island, where they yet rest, British and American, side by side. During the burial ceremony the flags of both fleets hung at half-mast. From the American side a boat, draped in black, pushed toward the shore. It contained the bodies of the American officers. At the same time a similar boat, with the English dead, fell in behind. Then followed an American boat with Ameri- can officers, and then an English boat. The boatmen rowed with muffled oars, beating stroke with shots fired a minute apart, first from one fleet and then another. When they reached the low shore, they dis- embarked and the march to the grave began. First an American officer, then a British, and so on. Behind the last dead, two Americans march- ed together, then two English. At the end came Commander Perry, and leaning on his arm was the one-armed Commodore Barclay. And all the time the band was playing the dead march. When they stood about the grave, into which all the dead officers were placed, each wrap- ped in the flag of his country, the Episcopal minister read the burial service. It was a beautiful sight. These enemies of yesterday, friends today. But it meant more. It meant that henceforth the two great English speaking nations should be united. From that day neither nation has had an armed vessel on the Great Lakes. This year, 1913, is the Centennial year of this Great Battle. The old ship Niagara has lain beneath the waters of Erie Harbor for years. But it has been raised and rebuilt. From one end of the lake to the other, it is being taken, and wherever it goes, the people are receiving it with great honor. On Put-in-Bay Island a fine Memorial to Commodore Perry and the men who fought with him an hundred years ago is being erect- ed. It is well worth our while to remember the men who helped make our nation what it is today. We are better citizens if we do not for- get these things. 3 0112105799941 ‘REASONS FOR BECOMING A STUDENT AT THE OHIO UNIVERSITY Because it Can Help You Help you to be a better teacher Help you to secure a better position Because it has a well-equipped Training School A Training School for the Grades A Training School for the Rural Teacher Because it is a Saloonless town Because the Moral tone of the College is good Because it offers you a Wide Range of Studies If you think we can help you, send for a catalogue and other descriptive circulars. Any information desired will be cheerfully furnished. ALSTON ELLIS, President, Athens, Ohio.