Yale University Library 39002013160834 YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Gift of H. Webster The Battle of Lake Erie September, 1813 One hundred fifty copies were printed This copy is number 31 Co.mmodori: Oliver Hazard Perry, aiiolt 1815 The Battle of Lake Erie A Collection of Documents, chiefly by Commo dore Perry: including the Court-martial of Commander Barclay 6^ the Court of Enquiry on Captain Elliott: edited,with Introduction, An notations, Bibliography, fir9 Analytical Index, by Charles Oscar Paullin Jf^itb portraits, facsimiles, and map Cleveland: The Rowfant Club October, 1 91 8 COPYRIGHT, 19 I 8, BY THE ROWFANT CLUB CONTENTS Preface 13 Introduction 17 1 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Major- general William Henry Harrison, Septem ber 10, 1813 43 2 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 10, 1813 49 3 Lieutenant George Inglis to Commander Rob ert Heriot Barclay, September 10, 1813 . 53 4 Extract from the Diary of Dr. Usher Parsons, September 10, 1813 57 5 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Major- general William Henry Harrison, Septem ber ii, 1813 61 6 Commander Robert Heriot Barclay to Com modore Sir James Yeo, September 12, 1813 . 67 7 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 13, 1813 79 8 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 13, 1813 91 9 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Major- general William Henry Harrison, Septem ber 15, 1813 95 10 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 17, 1813 99 CONTENTS 103 1 1 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 18, 1813 12 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 20, 1813 I09 13 Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Com modore Oliver Hazard Perry, September 21, 1813 "3 14 Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Com modore Oliver Hazard Perry, September 22, 1813 119 15 Dr. Usher Parsons to William Parsons, Sep tember 22, 1813 123 16 Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Com modore Oliver Hazard Perry, September 29, 1813 129 17 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, October 16, 1813 133 18 Court-martial of Commander Robert Heriot Barclay, September, 18 14 19 Court of Enquiry on Captain Jesse D. Elliott. April, 1815 ...... A Bibliography of the Battle of Lake Erie . Analytical Index 137 171 205215 ILLUSTRATIONS Portrait of Commodore Hazard Perry, about 1815 4 From a portrait by Rembrandt Peale. In the collection of the New York Historical Society Map of the Battle of Lake Erie .... 25 Reduced facsimile of a Dispatch of Commodore Perry to Secretary Jones, September 10, 1813 . 48 From the original manuscript in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington, D.C. Portrait of Major-general William Henry Har rison, 1815 63 From the Portfolio (Philadelphia, 1815), third series, vol. v, 305 Reduced facsimile of the Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy Jones 108 From the original manuscript in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington, D.C. Glorious News 115 Facsimile of a broadside announcing the victory. From the original in the collection of the New York Historical Society Portrait of Commander Robert Heriot Barclay R.N., about 1820 149 From a photograph in the Library of the United States Navy Department, Washington, D.C. The original paint ing is in the possession of Mrs. Theodore C Barclay, Edinburgh PREFACE PREFACE The documents selected for publication in this volume are chiefly of an official character, and are those of greatest interest and probative value. There are other documents, to be sure, which the future historian of the battle will wish to read, such as the affidavits of Perry's officers and Perry's charges against Captain Elliott, but these are un official and are biased. Moreover, to have»in- cluded them would have swelled the book beyond its prescribed limits. About one half of the docu ments here presented have not been previously pub lished, and many of those that have been published are now issued in a more complete and precise form. The editor wishes to thank the officials of the United States Navy Department and the Library of Congress in Washington and of the Public Record Office in London for the facilities afforded him in collecting materials for this volume. He is under special obligations to Mr. Charles West Stewart, superintendent of the Library and Naval War Records Office, to Captain Richard Thomas Mulligan, U.S.N. , assistant to the Bureau of Navi gation, and to Mr. Goodloe Earle Yancey, chief 14 PREFACE clerk of that bureau ; all of the United States Navy Department, Washington, D.C. Charles Oscar Paullin Washington, D.C, March 25, 1918 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The primary theater of war in our second con flict with Great Britain, 1812-1815, was the St. Lawrence water-system and the adjacent territory on each side of it. One of the two secondary the aters of war was the maritime frontier and Atlantic seaboard, stretching from Maine to Louisiana (with the exception of Florida) ; and the other, the deep sea, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and In dian Oceans. The Battle of Lake Erie was fought in the western part of the primary theater of war, on September 10, 1813, midway in time between the commencement of the conflict in June, 1812, and its close in February, 1815. This battle was the turning point of the war in the west. Previous to it, the American offensive campaign in that quarter had been uniformly un successful. In the summer of 1812, General Isaac Hull, who had advanced into Canada and had be sieged Maiden, abandoned the siege, retreated to Detroit, and there surrendered that post and his army to the British. About the same time Fort Michilimackinac, near the junction of Lake Hu ron with Lake Michigan, fell into the hands of the enemy; and Fort Dearborn, on the present site of Chicago, was abandoned. The American military BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE boundary in the Northwest was pushed southward to the line of the Wabash and Maumee Rivers. Lake Erie was held by the enemy by reason of his naval superiority on that water. Having obtained possession of a considerable part of the American Northwest, the British car ried the war south and southwest of Lake Erie. In September, 1812, they sent an expedition against Fort Wayne, Indiana. In May, 18 13, they be sieged Fort Meigs on the Maumee River, and in August they attacked Fort Stephenson on the San dusky River. Each of these movements failed. Early in 18 13, with a view to recovering the ground lost in the previous year, General William Henry Harrison, who had succeeded Hull as com mander of the American army in the west, assumed the offensive. In January a division of his army reached the Raisin River in southern Michigan, and was there defeated and captured by the Brit ish. Harrison was compelled to abandon his plan of advancing into the enemy's territory by land, and to apply himself to the defense of his military frontier on the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers. Having successfully defended Forts Meigs and Stephenson, he made preparations to advance into Canada by way of Lake Erie. In the summer of 1 8 13, he collected an army along the line of the Sandusky River and established his headquarters at Senecatown or Fort Seneca, ten miles up the Sandusky from Fort Stephenson, which was sit uated about ten miles from the mouth of the river INTRODUCTION 19 at Sandusky Bay. Some forty miles across the lake, on the Canada side of the Detroit River, near its mouth, was Amherstburg, where the British had a naval depot, and Fort Maiden, which was occupied by British troops. These were Harri son's objectives. His passage across the lake, how ever, was blocked by the British fleet, which was in possession of that water. The outcome of his sec ond plan for offensive operations for 181 3 depend ed upon a trial at arms between the British and American naval forces on the lake. By August his preparations were nearing completion, and he anxiously awaited the coming of the American squadron, with whose commander he had been in correspondence for several months. When the war began, the Americans had no naval force on Lake Erie. As the enemy soon as sembled a small fleet there, he held undisputed sway over that great natural highway which formed a most important part of his line of com munication between Lower and Upper Canada, and along which he transported troops and mili tary supplies. On his possession of Lake Erie depended his ability to hold Upper Canada (west of the Niagara River), Michigan, and the North west. Early in the war the Americans had recog nized the need of a naval force on Lake Erie, and on September 7, 1812, Commodore Isaac Chaun- cey, the commander-in-chief of the naval forces on the lakes, with headquarters at Sacketts Harbor, New York, sent Master-commandant Jesse Duncan 20 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Elliott to Buffalo to select a site for building ves sels. Here in the fall of that year a small fleet was assembled. On February 17 of the following year, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry,1 who had been stationed at Newport, Rhode Island, in command of a flotilla, was assigned to the command of the fleet intended for service on Lake Erie. On March 27, he arrived at Erie, Pennsylvania, not far from the eastern end of the lake, where he found under construction the two sister-ships Lawrence and Niagara. They were brig-rigged, and of four hundred eighty tons burden. In June he removed to Erie the five vessels that had been collected at Buffalo. To these he added three other small craft, making a fleet of ten vessels, all but one of which participated in the battle of September 10. Small as these vessels were, it was necessary to remove the guns from the larger ones before they would pass over Erie Bar, which lay outside Erie Harbor. The existence of this bar made it pos sible for the British fleet, which was blockading Erie, to pen up Perry's forces and render them use- 1 Perry was born in South Kingston, Rhode Island, on August 23 [this date is also given August 20 and August 21], 1785. During the Revolutionary War his father, Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, served both on land and at sea, and from 1798 to 1801 in the navy of the United States. The son entered the navy as a midshipman on April 7, 1798, and became a lieutenant on January 15, 1807, and a master-commandant on August 28, 1812. He served in the naval war with France and in the Tripolitan War, and after the latter struggle he commanded several vessels detailed for duty on the At lantic coast. Early in the War of 1812 he was placed in command of the Newport flotilla. When appointed commander of the squadron on Lake Erie, he was twenty-seven and a half years of age. INTRODUCTION 21 less. Fortunately, at an opportune moment, the British commander relaxed the blockade, and Perry was able to reach the open lake. At nine o'clock in the evening of August 4, the day on which he succeeded in this undertaking, Perry wrote to the secretary of the navy, dating his letter from his flag-ship, Lawrence, at anchor outside of Erie Bar: I have great pleasure in informing you that I have succeeded after almost incredible labour and fatigue to the men, in getting all the vessels I have been able to man over the bar, viz. Lawrence, Niagara, Caledonia, Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Tigress, and Porcupine. They are neither well officered or manned, but as the exigency of Genrl. Harrison and the whole of the Western Country is such, I have determined to proceed on service. My government, should I be unsuccessfull, I trust will justly appreciate the motives which have governed me in this determination.2 Shortly after reaching the open lake, Perry vis ited Long Point, the enemy's naval station opposite Erie. Of this visit he wrote thus to the secretary on August 8 : I have the honor to inform you I have returned from Long Point without having seen the enemy; we are now busily employed in getting in ballast, provisions, and pro curing volunteers from the militia. I propose sailing this evening in pursuit of the enemy. Genl. Harrison writes me - the enemy launched their new ship on the 17th ult. If she is equipped, they will be considerably superior in guns to us. It is much to be re- 2 Masters' Commandant Letters, United States Navy Department Archives, 1813, no. 93. 22 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE gretted that our force could not have been got out before ; nothing but the hope of meeting their fleet before the new ship3 is ready could induce me to sail at this time, officered and manned as this squadron is.4 A few days later Perry was joined by Master- commandant Jesse Duncan Elliott, with one hundred officers and men, and on August 12 he proceeded westward, writing as follows to the sec retary nine days thereafter, from off Sandusky Bay: I have the honor to inform you I sailed from Erie on the 12th inst., and arrived off this place on the 16th, and immediately took steps for communicating with General Harrison; on the 19th I had the pleasure of receiving him on board. He is not yet ready to advance. I shall therefore sail for Maiden immediately and offer the enemy battle. I chaced on the 17th with the squadron one of the small vessels of war of the enemy. She escaped by night coming on and running among the small islands, when we were nearly up with her.3 Perry established his headquarters at Put-in- Bay, an indentation on the northern coast of South Bass Island, which lies some twenty miles north west of the present city of Sandusky, Ohio. Here he was in excellent position to watch the move ments of the British fleet, which had retired to its headquarters at Amherstburg, some thirty miles northwestward of Put-in-Bay. He was also con venient to Harrison, who was at Seneca-town, thir ty-five miles to the southward. A notion of his movements during the last days of August and the 3 The Detroit. 4 Masters' Commandant Letters, 1813, no. 101. 6 — Ibid., no. m. INTRODUCTION 23 first days of September may be obtained from a let ter which he wrote to the secretary of the navy, off Sandusky Bay on September 2 : I have the honour to inform you that I anchored this afternoon with the squadron at this place for the purpose of communicating with Genl. Harrison. Since I last did myself the honour of writing you I have been twice off Maiden-first on the 24th and 25th of last month and again yesterday. Owing to a severe in disposition which confined me to my berth I was under the necessity of anchoring the squadron off Bass Island, a situation which commanded the principal passage. The moment I was able to be on deck I again sailed for Mai den and was yesterday all day off that place, close in. Their new ship is rigged, has top gallant yards athwart, and is anchored at the mouth of the harbour under the guns of a battery, together with other vessels - viz. the Queen Charlotte, Hunter, Lady Prevost, a sloop and schooner. Three other vessels are lying at the navy wharf. The crews of the different vessels have suffered much from a complaint occasioned, it is supposed, by the water. Many are still sick.6 The moment that Perry reached the open lake from Erie, the naval superiority on Lake Erie shifted from the British to the Americans, and the former were compelled to act on the defensive. The British fleet was commanded by Commander Robert Heriot Barclay,7 whose flag-ship, the De- 6 Masters' Commandant Letters, 1813, no. 115. 7 Barclay had fought as a lieutenant at Trafalgar under Nelson, where he lost an arm. "Our father with one arm," Tecumseh called him. He was made a commander in 1813 and a captain in 1824. He died at Edinburgh on May 8, 1837 at the age of fifty-two (L. Homfray Irving's Officers of the British Forces in Canada, 228). When the battle of Lake Erie was fought, he was almost precisely the same age as Perry. 24 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE troit, was his largest vessel. She was ship-rigged, and of four hundred ninety tons burden. When Perry sailed from Erie, she was at Amherstburg under construction. The addition of this vessel to the British naval forces, and their urgent need of supplies, caused their commander to reach the deci sion to leave his headquarters and contest with Perry the possession of the lake. Barclay left Amherstburg on September 9, and at sunrise on the following day his fleet was sighted in the Northwest by the Americans in Put-in-Bay, who at once sailed out to meet their antagonist. The wind, however, was light, and it was almost noon before the two squadrons8 were in range of each other's guns. At a quarter before twelve Barclay began the action by firing a few long guns, and several minutes later Perry returned the fire. The place of encounter was some ten miles about west-northwest of Put-in-Bay, off West Sister Is land. The battle lasted a little more than three hours, that is until about three o'clock, when the 8 The American squadron consisted of the following vessels: brigs - Lawrence (flag-ship), 20 guns, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry; Niagara, 20, Master-commandant Jesse Duncan Elliott; Caledonia, 3, Lieutenant Daniel Turner; schooners - Ariel, 4, Lieutenant John Packet; Scorpion, 2, Sailing-master Stephen Champlin ; Somers, 2, Sailing-master Thomas C. Almy; Trippe, 1, Lieutenant Thomas Holdup Stevens; Tigress, 1, Lieutenant A. H. M. Conckling; and Porcupine, 1, Sailing-master George Senat. The British squadron consisted of the following vessels: ships - Detroit (flag-ship), 19 guns, Commander Robert Heriot Barclay; Queen Charlotte, 17, Commander Robert A. Finnis; schooners -Lady Prevost, 13, Lieutenant Edward WrBuchan; Chippewa (or Chippeway), 1, Master's Mate J. Campbell; brig Hunter, 10, Lieutenant George Bignell ; and sloop Little Belt, 3, Lieu tenant Robert Irvine. BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE SEPTEMBER 10, 1813 Showingr the position of the two fleets at the beginning of the action American Fleet mhm British Fleet »• — SCALE OF STATUTE MILES u.L. P0ATE8 CO., N.\ 0 io 20 S;;.„ INTRODUCTION 27 British surrendered. A dramatic event, which divides the battle into two well-defined parts, was Perry's transferring of his flag from the Lawrence to the Niagara, about half past two in the after noon. Up to this time the Niagara had rendered her consorts comparatively little assistance. The reasons why she was not brought into closer action have long been a subject of controversy.9 For the details of the battle, the account of Colonel Theo dore Roosevelt, an authority on the naval history of the War of 181 2, may be quoted: Perry had nine vessels, the brigs Lawrence, Niagara, and Caledonia, the schooners Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Por cupine, and Tigress, and the sloop Trippe. Their total tonnage was 1671, and their total crews amounted to 532 men; but sickness had been so prevalent that only about 416 were fit for duty. In his vessels fifty-four guns were mounted, fourteen of which were on pivots. In the action his broadside weight of metal was 896 pounds ; 288 of which were thrown from long guns. The Lawr ence and Niagara were large men-of-war brigs, armed in the usual manner with eighteen 32-pr. carronades, and two long 12's apiece. The smaller vessels, in addition to two or three light carronades, carried long 32's, 24's, and 12's. Barclay's squadron consisted of six vessels, the ships Detroit and Queen Charlotte, the brig Hunter, the 9 For an account of this controversy see T. R. Lounsbury's James Fenimore Cooper (American Men of Letters series), 208-230; Justin Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America, vol. vii, 432-433; and Nina Moore and Francis Tiffany's Harm Jan Huidekoper, 188- 189. See also the "Bibliography" at the end of this volume. Rear- admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan (Sea Power in its Relation to the War of 18 12, vol. ii, 76-99) replies to the arguments of Cooper, who was Elliott's ablest defender. Mahan gives a verdict in favor of Perry, which agrees, it would seem, with the expert naval opinion of the present time. 28 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE schooners Lady Prevost, and Chippeway, and the sloop Little Belt. The aggregate tonnage was 1460; the aggre gate of the crews summed up to about 440 men. The total number of guns was sixty-three, five being on pivots. The total broadside weight was 459 pounds, of which 195 were from long guns; for many of Barclay's guns were of very small calibre, including long 2's, 4's, and 6's, and 12-pr. carronades. The difference in number of men between the two squadrons was not very material. Both had scratch crews, made up of regular seamen, of lake seamen, of British reg ulars, and a few Indians in Barclay's squadron, and Amer ican militia and a few negroes in Perry's. In tonnage Perry was superior by just about what would be indicated by the possession of three extra schooners. The decisive difference was in the armament. In weight of broadside the superiority of the Americans in long-gun metal was nearly as three to two, and in carronade metal it was greater than two to one. The ship Detroit mounted chief ly long guns, and was on the whole probably rather supe rior to either of Perry's big brigs. The Queen Charlotte was greatly inferior to either. The small vessels lacked the long guns which made the small American vessels for midable. In smooth water and at a distance the long guns of Perry's smaller vessels gave his squadron a very marked advantage ; in a brisk breeze his two big brigs should have been almost a match for the entire British squadron. When, at daylight on September 10th, Perry discov ered Barclay's squadron he was at anchor at Put-In-Bay. As soon as the ships were made out, Perry got under way and bore down toward them, having the weather gage. Barclay lay to in close column, the Chippeway ahead, fol lowed by the Detroit, the Hunter, the Queen Charlotte, the Lady Prevost, and the Little Belt. Perry went down with the wind off his port beam, and made the attack in column ahead obliquely. The Ariel and Scorpion led the INTRODUCTION 29 line a little ahead, and on the weather bow, of Perry's ship the Lawrence. Next came the Caledonia, and after her the Lawrence's twin sister, the Niagara, under Cap tain Jesse D. Elliott, whom Perry had superseded, and who showed by his actions that he felt no particular zeal in helping Perry to gain glory. The Niagara was followed by the Somers, the Porcupine, the Tigress, and the Trippe in that order. The winds were light and baffling, and, as the American ships came down, they formed a straggling and irregular line which approached at an angle of about fifteen degrees to the line of Barclay's squadron, which was in much bet ter and more compact order. At a quarter to twelve the Detroit opened the action with her long 24's. Her first shot fell short ; her second crashed through the Lawrence ; whereupon the Scorpion replied with her long 32. Ten minutes after the Detroit had first fired, the Lawrence, which had shifted her port bow-chaser into the place of one of the carronades on her starboard side, opened with both her long 12's. At noon she tried her carronades, but the shot fell short. Shortly afterwards the action be came general on both sides, though the rearmost Ameri can vessels were still so far away that they were them selves not exposed to danger at all, and only the longest guns occasionally reached. The Lawrence was steadily nearing Barclay's line, Perry making every effort to close ; but it was half an hour after the Detroit had opened be fore the Lawrence got to the close quarters necessary for the effective use of her carronades. Throughout this half hour Barclay's leading ships had concentrated their fire on Perry's vessel, and so the Lawrence had suffered a good deal; though the schooners Scorpion and Ariel had been pounding away with their long guns to help her. For some time, therefore, the action at the head of the line was in favour of the British. The sides of the Detroit were dotted with marks of shot that did not penetrate, 30 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE partly because of the long range, partly because the Amer icans in this action seemed to show a tendency to over load their carronades. There was a carronade in the Scorpion which upset down the hatchway as soon as it got hot ; and one of the long guns of the Ariel burst. On the other side, the Detroit had her own difficulties. There were no locks for her guns, thanks to the hurry with which she had been prepared, and they had to be dis charged by flashing pistols at the touch-holes. Neverthe less, Barclay fought her to perfection, and the trained artillerists among his seamen and soldiers aimed the guns so well that Perry had his hands full. The Caledonia came down beside the Lawrence, helping to divert the attention of the Hunter and the Queen Charlotte from her. But Elliott handled the Niagara poorly. He did not follow Perry to close quarters, but engaged the Queen Charlotte at a distance which rendered the car ronades of both vessels useless. In fact, the only effective fighting at the rear of the lines was that done by the four American gun-vessels astern of the Niagara. Each of these had a long 32 or 24, of which, on such smooth seas, she could make good use against the Lady Prevost, Queen Charlotte, and Hunter; the latter having an ab surd armament of little guns which threw a broadside of thirty pounds all told. Both Commander Finnis, of the Queen Charlotte, and his first lieutenant, Thomas Stokoe, were killed early in the action. Her next in command, the Canadian Lieutenant Irvine, finding that he could make no effective answer to the long guns of the schoon ers, drew forward and joined in the attack on the Lawr ence at close quarters. The Niagara was left practically without any antagonist, and, at the end of the line, the fight became one at long range between the Somers, Ti gress, Porcupine, and Trippe on the one side, and the Lady Prevost, and Little Belt on the other. The Lady Prevost's armament consisted chiefly of 12-pr. carronades. INTRODUCTION 31 She made a noble fight, but such an armament at long range in smooth water was utterly useless against the heavy guns of the schooners. Her commander, Lieuten ant Buchan, and her first lieutenant, Francis Rolette, were both seriously wounded, and she was greatly cut up and began to fall to leeward. The fight at the head of the line was waged with bloody obstinacy between the Scorpion, Ariel, Lawrence, and Chesapeake [Caledonia?] on the one hand, and the Caledonia [Chippeway?], Detroit, Queen Charlotte, and Chippeway [Hunter?] on the other. Instead of pairing in couples, the ships on each side seemed to choose the largest opponents as special targets. The Americans con centrated their fire on the Queen Charlotte, and Detroit ; while the British devoted their attention mainly to the Lawrence, which had already suffered severely while working down to get within range of her carronades. The Queen Charlotte was soon almost disabled. The Detroit was also pounded practically to a standstill, suf fering especially from the raking fire of the gunboats. Barclay was fighting her himself with the utmost gal lantry; but he was so badly .wounded that he was at last obliged to quit the deck. His first lieutenant, John Gar land, was also wounded mortally ; but Lieutenant George Inglis, to whom the command was turned over ; continued the fight as gamely as ever. Meanwhile the Lawrence was knocked to pieces by the combined fires of her adversaries. Of the one hundred and three men who had been fit for duty when she began the action, eighty-three were killed or wounded. As the vessel was so shallow, the ward-room, which was used as the cockpit into which the wounded were taken, was mainly above water, and the shots came through it con tinually. Many of the wounded were killed or maimed while under the hands of the surgeons. The first lieu tenant, Yarnall, was hit three times, but refused to leave 32 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE the deck, and fought the ship to the last. The only other lieutenant on board, Brooks, of the marines, was mor tally wounded. Every brace and bowline was shot away, and the hull was so riddled that it looked like a sieve. One by one the guns on the engaged side were dismounted, while the men were shot down until they could not man even the guns that were left. However, the slaughter of four-fifths of his crew before his eyes did not daunt Perry in the least. When there were no men left to serve the last three or four guns, he called down through the skylight for one of the surgeon's assistants. The call was repeated and obeyed, until all those officers had been used up. Then he shouted down, "Can any of the wounded pull a rope?" and three or four of them hob bled up on deck to help him lay the last guns. Finally, Perry himself was left with only the purser and chap lain, and by their aid he fired a final shot, and immediately afterwards, the gun which he had used, the only one left, was disabled. Meanwhile Mr. Turner in the Caledonia, having put his helm up, had passed the Lawrence and run into the British line, where he engaged at half pistol-shot distance, though his little brig was absolutely without quarters. Perry's vessel lay an unmanageable hulk on the water, while the shot ripped through her sides, and there was not a gun that could be fired in return ; but Perry had not the slightest intention of giving up the fight. He had gone into the battle flying on his flag Lawrence's dying words, "Don't give up the ship" ; and he intended to live up to the text. The Niagara was at that time a quarter of a mile to windward of the Lawrence on her port-beam. She was steering for the head of Barclay's line, and was almost un injured, having taken very little part in the combat, and never having been within a distance that rendered her carronades of any use. Perry instantly decided to shift his broad pennant to her. Leaping into a boat with his INTRODUCTION 33 brother and four seamen, he rowed to the fresh brig, having literally been hammered out of the Lawrence by the pounding which he had received for two hours and a half. As soon as he reached the Niagara, he sent Elliott astern to hurry up the three rearmost schooners; for the sloop Trippe, on her own account, had steered straight for the British line, and was very near the Caledonia. The Lawrence, having but fourteen sound men left, struck her colours ; but the action began again before possession could be taken of her, -jnd she drifted astern out of the fight. At a quarter to three the schooners had closed, and Perry bore up to break Barclay's line, the powerful brig to which he had shifted his broad pennant being practically unharmed, as indeed were his rearmost gun-vessels. The British ships had fought until they could fight no longer. The two smallest, the Chippeway and Little Belt, were not much damaged ; but the other four were too dis abled either to fight or manoeuvre effectively so as to oppose fresh antagonists. However they answered as best they could, with great guns and musketry, as the Ni agara stood down and broke the British line, firing her port battery into the Chippeway, Little Belt, and Lady Prevost, and her starboard battery into the Detroit, Queen Charlotte, and Hunter, raking on both sides. The Detroit and Charlotte had been so cut up aloft, almost every brace and stay being shot away, that they could not tack, and tried to wear ; but they fell foul of one another, and the Niagara luffed athwart their bows, firing uninter ruptedly, while, under their sterns, the Caledonia and the schooners stationed themselves so close that some of their grape-shot, passing over the British vessels, rattled through*- Perry's spars. The Lady Prevost had sagged to leeward, an unmanageable wreck. Barclay had done everything in the power of man to do. The first and second in com mand of every one of his six vessels had been either killed or wounded; and at three o'clock his flag was struck. 34 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE The Chippeway and Little Belt tried to escape, but were overtaken and brought to by the Trippe and the Scorpion, the commander of the latter, Mr. Stephen Champlin, firing the last shot of the battle, as he had likewise fired the first on the American side. None of the American ships had suffered severely, excepting the Lawrence, to whose share over two-thirds of the total loss had fallen. In breaking the line, how ever, the Niagara had suffered somewhat; and the Cale donia, Ariel, Scorpion, and Trippe had come in for some of the pounding. All told, twenty-seven men had been killed and ninety-six wounded, three mortally. The Brit ish loss amounted to forty-one killed and ninety-four wounded, chiefly in the Detroit and Queen Charlotte.10 The effects of this decisive victory were many and far-reaching. The Americans were left in complete control of Lake Erie, which they main tained until the end of the war. Harrison was able at once to take the offensive. Before the end of September Perry had transported the American army across the lake, and the British had evacuated Maiden, Amherstburg, and Detroit, had aban doned Michigan and the Northwest (with the ex ception of Michilimackinac), and were fleeing eastward through Upper Canada. Harrison pur sued the enemy, overtook him, and on October 5 defeated him and captured his army in the Battle of the Thames.11 All the western part of Upper Canada fell into the hands of the Americans. The 10 From Col. Theodore Roosevelt's chapter "The War with the United States, 1812-15," in William Laird Clowes's The Royal Navy, vol. vi, 120-126. 11 Perry took part in the battle as an aide-de-camp of Harrison. INTRODUCTION 35 results of Perry's victory were not alone of a mili tary character. They were felt at Ghent in 18 14 when the treaty of peace was being negotiated. They greatly strengthened the American negoti ators and correspondingly weakened the British, who attempted but failed to limit the sovereignty of the United States over a part of the Northwest. Perry12 remained in command of the squadron until October 25, when he was succeeded by Elliott. On his return home he was everywhere received with great honor. Already the president had pro moted him to a captaincy,13 the highest rank in the navy known to the law.14 Several cities voted him swords, Boston gave him a service of plate, and 12 Perry lived less than six years after his great victory. On July 17, 1814, he was ordered to proceed from Newport to Baltimore and take charge of the frigate Java, then under construction at the latter city. Six weeks later he was employed in harassing a British squadron, which was retreating down the Potomac, by means of some batteries which he erected at Indian Head, Maryland. In 1816-1817, he was in command of the frigate Java, in the Mediterranean, where we were having trouble with the Algerines. It was during this tour of duty that differences arose between him and his captain of marines that culminated in a duel. In 1818, his controversy with Captain Elliott threatened to lead to a duel with that officer. In the summer of 1819, Perry was sent on an important mission to South America, with sev eral war-ships. Soon after reaching his destination, he fell ill with the yellow fever, and on August 23 he died at Port of Spain, Island of Trinidad. The governor of the island, Sir Ralph Woodford, showed him every possible honor and accorded him a military funeral (Niles' Register, vol. xvii, 71-72). In 1826 his body was brought to his native land by the United States sloop-of-war Lexington, and was re-interred with much ceremony at Newport, Rhode Island. 13 See Document 16. 14 The rank of commodore was not specifically created by statute until 1862. 56 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Newport presented him with a similar token of regard.15 He was dined and toasted at Baltimore, Washington, and Boston, and the legislatures of Pennsylvania and Georgia thanked him for his ^reat victory. On April 18, 1814, Congress author ized the president to purchase the vessels captured by Perry for two hundred fifty-five thousand dol lars, and divide that sum among the captors as prize money; and it gave Perry an additional sum 3f five thousand dollars.18 On January 6, it passed the following resolution : That the thanks of Congress be, and the same are here by presented to Captain Oliver Hazard Perry, and through him to the officers, seamen, marines, and infantry serving as such, attached to the squadron under his command, for the decisive and glorious victory gained on Lake Erie, on the tenth of September, in the year one thousand, eight hundred and thirteen, over a British squadron of superior force.15 The inhabitants of Quebec presented Barclay with a superb piece of plate, on which the following inscription was engraved : "Pre sented to Captain Robert Heriot Barclay, of his Majesty's royal navy, by the inhabitants of Quebec, in testimony of the sense they justly en tertain of the exalted courage and heroic valour displayed by him, and by the officers, seamen, soldiers, and marines of the flotilla under his command, in an action with a greatly superior fleet of the enemy upon Lake Erie, on the ioth day of September, 1813 ; when the presence of a few additional seamen was only wanting to have effected the total discomfiture of the hostile squadron. Of Captain Barclay it may most truly be said, that although he could not command victory, he did more -he nobly deserved it." Barclay received also a piece of plate from the Canada merchants residing in London (Naval Chroni cle, vol. xxxv, 378-379). At a public dinner in his honor, given at Terrebonne, Canada, in 1814, Barclay gave the following volunteer toast: "Commodore Perry, the gallant and generous enemy" (Nites' Register, vol. vi, 175). 16 United States Statutes at Large, vol. iii, 130. INTRODUCTION 37 That the President of the United States be requested to cause gold medals to be struck, emblematical of the action between the two squadrons, and to present them to Cap tain Perry and Captain Jesse D. Elliott, in such manner as will be most honorable to them ; and that the President be further requested to present a silver medal with suit able emblems and devices to each of the commissioned offi cers, either of the navy or army, serving on board, and a sword to each of the midshipmen and sailing-masters who so nobly distinguished themselves on that memorable day.17 17 United States Statutes at Large, vol. iii, 141. DOCUMENTS I Dispatch of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Major-general William Henry Harrison From a copy (probably of the original) former ly in the possession of Mr. William Keeney Bixby, of St. Louis, Missouri. It is not known whether the original dispatch is still in existence. Mr. Ben son John Lossing in his Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812, page 530, publishes a "Facsimile of Perry's Dispatch," without the date and address. Lossing says that Perry's two dispatches of Septem ber 10 were carried to their destination by Lieuten ant Dulaney Forrest, who took with him to Wash ington the captured British flags. Forrest carried the flags but not the dispatches. See Document 10. i. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON U.S. BRIG Niagara, off the Western Sisters,18 Head of Lake Erie Sept. 10, 1813-4 p.m. Dear Genl : We have met the enemy, and they are ours -two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.19 Yours with great respect and esteem O. H. Perry 18 An island near the western end of Lake Erie, about thirty miles northwest of Sandusky, Ohio, and ten miles southwest of Middle Sister, and East Sister Islands. 19 The captured fleet consisted of two ships, two schooners, one brig and one sloop. Perry gives the list correctly in his official letter (see Document 7). [43] II Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From the original in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington, Captains' Let ters, 1813, vol. vi, no. 33. This has been published many times. It appeared in Niles' Register (Balti more), vol. v, 60, and in the National Intelligencer (Washington), September 22, 1813. Lossing's statement {Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812, 531) that it was carried to Washington, together with the captured flags, by Lieutenant Dulaney For rest, is erroneous. The dispatch reached Washing ton on September 21 (see Document 13), and For rest with the flags on October 10 (see Document 10 and the National Intelligencer, October 15, 1813). [Identically the same letter, even to the hour, 4 p. m., was written by Commodore Perry to Commo dore Isaac Chauncey, commanding United States Naval forces on the lakes, the original of which is preserved in the archives of the New York Historical Society, having been presented to it May 2, 1854, by the reverend Peter S. Chauncey, son of Commodore Chauncey.] William Jones was secretary of the navy from January 12, 1 8 13, to December 1, 18 14. After serv ing in the Revolutionary marine, he entered the mer chant service. In 1801-1803 he was a member of Congress, from Pennsylvania. After his term as sec retary of the navy he was president of the United States Bank and collector of the port of Philadelphia. ¦/;/ i$U. Jt/1 1 / -' " /^ ' ' ' ¦tri- 'CI ffi-ry &jA-t o//n.&v & c/A iivy / Reduced facsimile of the Dispatch of Commodore Perry to Secretary Jones, September io, 1813 From the original manuscript in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington, D.C. 2. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U.S. Brig Niagara off the Western Sister, Head of Lake Erie Sepr 10, 1813-4 p.m. Sir: I[t] has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on this lake -the British Squadron consisting of two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop have this moment surrendered to the force under my command, after a sharp conflict. I have the honor to be, Sir very respectfully your obdt. servt. O. H. Perry [49] Ill Letter of Lieutenant George Inglis to Commander Robert Heriot Barclay From the original in the Public Record Office, London. This document is printed in Niles' Reg ister (Baltimore), volume vi, 182, and in the Naval Chronicle (London), volume xxxi, 252. 3. LIEUTENANT GEORGE INGLIS20 TO COMMANDER ROBERT HERIOT BARCLAY His Majesty's late Ship Detroit ioth Septr., 1813 Sir, I have the honor to transmit to you an account of the termination of the late unfortunate action with the enemy's squadron. On coming on the quarter-deck, after your being wounded, the enemy's second brig,21 at that time on our weather beam, shortly afterwards took a posi tion on our weather bow, to rake us, to prevent which in attempting to wear to get our starboard broadside to bear upon her, a number of the guns of the larboard broadside being at this time dis abled, fell on board the Queen Charlotte, at this time running up to leeward of us, in this situation the two ships remained for some time, as soon as we got clear of her, I ordered the Queen Charlotte to shoot ahead of us if possible, and attempted to back our fore topsail to get astern, but the ship lay ing completely unmanageable, every brace cut 20 Inglis was second in rank on board the Detroit. When Barclay, on being wounded, went below, about 2:30 p.m., Inglis succeeded to the command. He gives an account of the battle from this time until its close. 21 The Niagara. [53] 54 INGLIS TO BARCLAY away, the mizen topmast and gaff down, all the other masts badly wounded, not a stay left forward, hull shattered very much, a number of the guns disabled, and the enemy's squadron raking both ships, ahead and astern, none of our own in a situa tion to support us, I was under the painful necessity of answering the enemy to say we had struck, the Queen Charlotte having previously done so. I have the honor to be, etc. George Inglis. IV Extract from the Diary of Dr. Usher Parsons This document is reprinted from the Rhode Island Historical Society Publications, new series, volume vii, 245-246. It is printed in part in Tris- tam Burges's Battle of Lake Erie, 84-85. Its phraseology is that of a ship's log and of a seaman and not that of a diary and of a surgeon. Burges says that it is an extract from the log of the Lawr ence, that the entry in the log was made by Sailing- master W. V. Taylor within twenty-four hours after the action, and that the entry was copied in the diary on the day after the battle. None of the logs of Perry's ships are in the Navy Department at Wash ington. Lossing in compiling his account of the battle used the log of the Lawrence (Pictorial Field- Book of the War of 1812, 533). 4- EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF DR. USHER PARSONS Friday, September ioth, Put-in Bay At 5 o'clock a.m. discovered the enemy's squad ron bearing N.W. Wind S.W. At 7 could see all of the vessels viz. 2 ships, 2 brigs, 1 schooner, and 1 sloop. At 10 called all hands to quarters. At % before Meridn. the enemy commenced the action at 1 mile distance. In y2 an hour we came within musket shot of the enemy's new ship Detroit. At this time they opened a most destructive fire on the Lawrence from their whole squadron. At y2 past one so en/tirely disabled we could work the brig no longer. At 2 p.m. most of the guns were dis mounted breachings gone or carriages knocked to pieces. At y2 past 2 when not another gun could be worked or fired from the Lawrence, Capt. Perry hauled down the fighting flag22 which bore this motto Dont give up the ship and repaired on board the Niagara, and there raised it again. In ten min utes after we struck to the enemy. Cap't Perry made all sail with the Niagara which hitherto had 22 This flag was made at Erie, Pennsylvania (Lossing, Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812, 533). It is now at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. [57] 58 DIARY OF DR. USHER PARSONS kept out of the action and in 15 minutes passed in among the B. squadron, having the Detroit, Queen Charlotte and Lady Prevot on the starboard side and the Hunter on the larboard side and silenced them all and 10 minutes before 3 they hauled down their colours. Two small vessels attempted to escape but being overhauled struck a few minutes after three. Killed on board the Lawrence, Lieut. John Brook,23 Midn. Henry Laub, James W. Allen, Jos. Kennedy, John C. Kelly, John Smith, Wm. Cranson, Andrew Michael, John Hoffman, Charles Pohig, Nelson Peters, James Jones, John Rose, James Carty, Thos. Butler, Wilson Mays, Christian Mayo, Charles Johnes, Eath'eldras Sykes, and three others. 23 Lieutenant John Brooks of the marine corps. He was a son of General John Brooks, governor of Massachusetts from 1816 to 1823. A cannon-ball severed his leg from the body at the hip, and he died two hours later. A letter of Perry, dated September 12, 1813, to the father announcing the death of the son will be found in the New Eng land Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. xix, 194. V Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Major-general William Henry Harrison From a copy (probably of the original) formerly in the possession of Mr. William Keeney Bixby, of St. Louis. It has been published in part in Niles' Register, volume v, 61 (September 25, 1813). 5. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON u. Sept., 1813 Dr. Sir: I am this moment informed by Capt Horton24 that you have commenced your march - I have taken the liberty of requesting your officer, who was bound to Fort Meigs, to return with my despatches to you, and the government- and have promised to take the responsibility of his deviating from his orders, on myself- 1 hope my anxiety to communicate to you, intelligence of so much im portance will be my excuse- We have a great num ber of prisoners, which I wish to land -will you be so good, as to order a guard to receive them? and inform me of the place? -Considerable numbers have been killed and wounded on both sides -from the best information, we have more prisoners, than we have men on board our vessels.25 In great haste, yours very respectfully O. H. Perry 24 The records of the United States War Department show that Benjamin Horton and Benjamin Horton, Jr., of New York; James Horton, of Maryland ; and William Horton, of Georgia, served as captains in the War of 1812. 25 According to Mr. Neeser's statistics of the battle (Statistical and [61] 62 PERRY TO HARRISON Many of the prisoners are of opinion, that Genl. Proctor26 has commenced his retreat march -and that the Indians, after committing great excesses, have withdrawn. Chronological History of the United States Navy, vol. ii, 50-51), the men on board the prizes numbered 323, and on board the American squadron 485. There is however some variation in the figures given by different authorities. One hundred and twenty-three of Perry's men were unfit for duty (see Document 7). 26 Major-general Henry Procter, commander of the British army on the Detroit line. William Henry Harrison, 1815 VI Letter of Commander Robert Heriot Barclay to Sir James Yeo From the original in the British Public Record office, London. This letter has been frequently pub lished, in whole or in part (See Niles' Register, vol ume vi, 181-182; the Naval Chronicle, volume xxxi, 250-253 ; and H. B. Dawson's Battles of the United States, volume ii, 289-290). Yeo was in command of the British naval forces on the lakes. 6. COMMANDER ROBERT HERIOT BARCLAY TO COMMODORE SIR JAMES YEO His Majesty's Late Ship Detroit, Put-in Bay, Lake Erie 12th September, 18 13 SIR: The last letter I had the honor of writing to you, dated the 6th instant, I informed you that unless certain intimation was received of more sea men being on their way to Amhertsburg, I should be obliged to sail with the squadron deplorably manned as it was, to fight the enemy (who block aded the port ) to enable us to get supplies of provi sions and stores of every description, so perfectly destitute of provisions was the post that there was not a day's flour in store, and the crews of the squadron under my command were on half allow ance of many things, and when that was done there was no more ; such were the motives which induced Major-general Proctor (whom, by your instruc tions I was directed to consult, and whose wishes, I was enjoined to execute as far as relates to the good of the country) to concur in the necessity of a battle being risqued under the many disadvantages which I laboured, and it now remains for me, the most melancholy task to relate to you the unfortunate issue of that battle as well as the many untoward circumstances that led to that event. [67] 68 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE No intelligence of seamen having arrived I sailed, on the 9th instant fully expecting to meet the enemy next morning, as they had been seen among the islands -nor was I mistaken, soon after day light they were seen in motion in Put-in-Bay, the wind then at south west, and light, giving us the weather gage ; I bore up for them in hopes of bringing them to action among the islands, but that intention was soon frustrated by the wind suddenly shifting to the south east, which brought the enemy directly to windward. The line was formed according to a given plan, so that each ship might be supported against the superior force of the two brigs opposed to them; about ten the enemy had cleared the islands and immediately bore up, under easy sail, in a line abreast, each brig being also supported by the small vessels ; at a quarter before twelve I commenced the action by firing a few long guns, about a quarter past the American commodore, also supported by two schooners, one carrying four long 12 pound ers -the other a long thirty-two, and twenty-four pounder, came to close action with the Detroit - the other brig of the enemy apparently destined to engage the Queen Charlotte, supported in like manner by two schooners, kept so far to windward as to render the Queen Charlotte's 24 pounder car ronades useless, while she was, with the Lady Pre vost, exposed to the heavy and destructive fire of the Caledonia and four other schooners, armed with long and heavy guns, like those I have already described. BARCLAY TO YEO 69 Too soon, alas, was I deprived of the services of the noble and intrepid Captain Finnis,27 who soon after the commencement of the action fell, and with him fell my greatest support. Soon after Lieutenant Stokoe of the Queen Charlotte was struck senseless by a splinter which deprived the country of his services at this very critical period. As I perceived the Detroit had enough to contend with, without the prospect of a fresh brig; Provin cial Lieutenant Irvine28 who then had charge of the Queen Charlotte behaved with great courage, but his experience was much too limited, to supply the place of such an officer as Captain Finnis, hence she proved of far less assistance than I ex pected. The action continued with great fury until half past two, when I perceived my opponent drop astern, and a boat passing from him to the Niagara (which vessel was at this time perfectly fresh), the American commodore seeing that as yet the day was against him (his vessel having struck soon after he left her) , and also the very defenceless state of the Detroit, which ship was now a perfect wreck principally from the raking fire of the gun boats, and also that the Queen Charlotte was in such a situation that I could receive very little assistance from her, and the Lady Prevost being at this time too far to leeward, from her rudder being injured, 27 For the full names of the officers killed and wounded, see Bar clay's list at the end of this document. 28 Second Lieutenant Robert Irvine, of the Canadian provincial marine. 7o BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE made a noble and, alas too successful an effort to regain it, for he bore up and supported by his small vessels, passed within pistol shot, and took a raking position on our bow, nor could I prevent it, as the unfortunate situation of the Queen Charlotte pre vented us from wearing, in attempting it we fell on board her. My gallant first Lieutenant Garland was now mortally wounded, and myself so severely that I was obliged to quit the deck. Manned as the squadron was with not more than fifty British seamen, the rest a mixed crew of Cana dians and soldiers, and who were totally unac quainted with such service rendered the loss of officers more sensibly felt and never in any action was the loss more severe, every officer commanding vessels, and their seconds, was either killed, or wounded so severely as to be unable to keep the deck. Lieutenant Buchan in the Lady Prevost behaved most nobly, and did everything that a brave and experienced officer could do, in a vessel armed with 12 pounder carronades, against vessels carrying long guns- 1 regret to state that he was very severe ly wounded. Lieutenant Bignal (of the Dover),29 commanding the Hunter displayed the greatest in trepidity, but his guns being small 2, 4, and 6 pounders, he could be of much less service than he wished. Every officer in the Detroit behaved in the most exemplary manner. Lieutenant Inglis, shewed such calm intrepidity that I was fully convinced 29 His Majesty's troop-ship Dover. Bignell was detached from her at Quebec. BARCLAY TO YEO 71 that on leaving the deck I left the ship in excellent hands, and for an account of the battle after that, I refer you to his letter which he wrote me, for your information. Mr. Hoffmeister, purser of the Detroit, nobly volunteered his services on deck, and behaved in a manner that reflects the highest honor on him, I regret to add that, he is very severely wounded in the knee. Provincial Lieutenant Purvis30 and the Military Officer Lieutenant Garden,31 of the Royal New foundland Regiment and O'Keefe32 of the 41st Regiment, behaved in a manner which excited my warmest admiration: the few British seamen, I had, behaved with their usual intrepidity, and as long as I was on the deck the troops behaved with a calmness and courage, worthy of a more fortunate issue to their exertions. The weather gage gave the enemy a prodigious advantage as it enabled them, not only to choose their position, but their distance also, which they did in such a manner as to prevent the carronades of the Queen Charlotte, and Lady Prevost, from having much effect, while their long guns did great execution particularly against the Queen Char lotte. Captain Parry has behaved in a most humane and attentive manner, not only to myself and offi cers, but to all the wounded. 30 First Lieutenant Francis Purvis of the Canadian provincial marine. 31 John Campbell Garden. 32 Arthur O'Keefe. 72 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE I trust that, although unsuccessful, you will ap prove of the motives that induced me to sail under so many disadvantages, and that it may be hereafter proved, that under such circumstances the honor of His Majesty's flag has not been tarnished. I enclose the list of killed and wounded. And have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant R. H. BARCLAY, Commander, late Sen. Officer. A STATEMENT OF THE FORCE OF HIS MAJESTY'S SQUADRON ON LAKE ERIE AND THAT OF THE UNITED STATES 3S Vessels Names DetroitQueen Charlotte Lady Prevost Hunter Little Belt Chippeway British Squadron No. OF No. OF long Calibre Car- Calibre 24 18 12 9 12 96429 69 ronades 14IO 24 18 24 1212 Remarks United States Squadron No. of No. OF Vessels Names long Calibre Car- Calibre Remarks Lawrence Niagara Caledonia Ariel Summers Porcupine Tigress Scorpion Trip Guns 2 2 24 1212 24 12 2432 3232 24 24 ronades 18 32 32 32 32 • all on Pivot R. H. Barclay, Commander. 33 These lists agree with Perry's as respects the number of guns. They give the calibre of the guns, a detail omitted by Perry (see Document 7). A LIST OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS AND VESSELS IN AN ACTION WITH THE AMERICAN SQUADRON ON LAKE ERIE, 10 SEPTR. 1813 Officers Men Total Killed Wounded 3 9 38 85 4i 94 Names of Officers Killed Capt. Robt. Finnis Queen Charlotte Jno. Garland 1st Lieut Jas. Garden Lieut. Royl. Regt. • Detroit Newfdland R. H. Names of Officers Wounded Capt. R. H. Barclay, Detroit, dangerously J. M. Hoffmeister, Purser do. — do. — Jas. Stokkoe, 1st Lieut., Q. Charlotte, severely Jas. Foster, Midshipman, do., slightly Lt. Edwd. Buchan, Commanding Lady Prevost, dangerously F. Rolette — 1st Lieut., Do., severely Lieut. Geo. Bignell, Commandr. — the Hunter, severely Henry Gateshill, Masters Mate, do. — slightly Jno. Campbell, Masters Mate, Commandg. the Chippeway — slightly. Barclay, Commander and late Senior Officer. VII Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol ume i, 295-297. The original of this letter is not in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington. The letter has been frequently pub lished (see, for instance, Niles' Register, volume v, 61-62; James's Naval Occurrences, appendix, pages xc-xcii; and H. B. Dawson's Battles of the United States, volume ii, 287-288). 7. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U.S. Schooner Ariel,34 Put-in-Bay September 13th, 1813 Sir: In my last35 I informed you that we had captured the enemy's fleet on this lake. I have now the honor to give you the most important par ticulars of the action. On the morning of the 10th instant, at sunrise, they were discovered from Put-in-Bay, where I lay at anchor with the squadron under my command. We got under way, the wind light at S.W., and stood for them. At ten a.m. the wind hauled to S.E. and brought us to windward; formed the line, and bore up. At fifteen minutes before twelve, the enemy commenced firing; at five minutes before twelve, the action commenced on our part. Find ing their fire very destructive, owing to their long guns, and its being mostly directed at the Lawr ence, I made sail, and directed the other vessels to 34 Perry transferred his flag to the Ariel, on the morning of Sep tember n. Both squadrons remained at anchor near the place of battle until about nine a.m. of that day, when they sailed for Put-in-Bay, where they arrived about noon (W. W. Dobbins's History of the Battle of Lake Erie, 60). 35 See Document 2. [79] 8o BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE follow, for the purpose of closing with the enemy. Every brace and bowline being soon shot away, she became unmanageable, notwithstanding the great exertions of the sailing master. In this situation, she sustained the action upwards of two hours, within canister distance, until every gun was ren dered useless, and the greater part of her crew either killed or wounded. Finding she could no longer annoy the enemy, I left her in charge of Lieutenant Yarnall,36 who, I was convinced, from the bravery already displayed by him, would do what would comport with the honor of the flag. At half past two, the wind springing up, Captain Elliott was enabled to bring his vessel, the Nia gara, gallantly into close action. I immediately went on board of her, when he anticipated my wishes, by volunteering to bring the schooners, which had been kept astern by the lightness of the wind, into closer action. It was with unspeakable pain that I saw, soon after I got on board the Nia gara, the flag of the Lawrence come down ; although I was perfectly sensible that she had been defended to the last, and that, to have continued to make a show of resistance would have been a wanton sac- 36 The names and titles of the officers mentioned by Perry in this letter are as follows: Lieutenant John J. Yarnall, Master-commandant Jesse Duncan Elliott, Acting Lieutenant Dulaney Forrest, Sailing-mas ter William V. Taylor, Lieutenant (of marines) John Brooks, Mid shipman Henry Laub, Midshipman John Clark, Purser Samuel Ham- bleton, Midshipman Thomas Claxton, Midshipman Augustus Swartout, Lieutenant Joseph E. Smith, Lieutenant John J. Edwards, Midshipman Nelson Webster, Captain Henry B. Brevoort (of the army), Lieutenant Daniel Turner, Lieutenant John Packet, Sailing-master Stephen Champ- Iin, and Purser Humphrey Magrath. PERRY TO JONES 81 rifice of the remains of her brave crew. But the enemy was not able to take possession of her, and circumstances soon permitted her flag again to be hoisted. At forty-five minutes past two the signal was made for "closer action." The Niagara being very little injured, I determined to pass through the enemy's line; bore up, and passed ahead of their two ships and a brig, giving a raking fire to them, from the starboard guns, and to a large schooner and sloop from the larboard side, at half pistol shot distance. The smaller vessels, at this time, having got within grape and canister distance, under the direction of Captain Elliott, and keeping up a well directed fire, the two ships, a brig, and schooner, surrendered, a schooner and sloop making a vain attempt to escape. Those officers and men who were immediately under my observation, evinced the greatest gallant ry; and I have no doubt that all others conducted themselves as became American officers and sea men. Lieutenant Yarnell, first of the Lawrence, al though several times wounded, refused to quit the deck. Midshipman Forrest (doing duty as lieutenant) and Sailing Master Taylor, were of great assistance to me. I have great pain in stating to you the death of Lieutenant Brooks of the marines, and Midship man Laub, both of the Lawrence, and Midshipman John Clark, of the Scorpion; they were valuable and promising officers. 82 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Mr. Hambleton, purser, who volunteered his services on deck, was severely wounded, late in the action; Midshipmen Claxton and Swartwout, of the Lawrence, were severely wounded. On board the Niagara, Lieutenants Smith and Edwards, and Midshipman Webster, (doing duty as sailing master) behaved in a very handsome manner. Captain Brevoort, of the army, who acted as a' volunteer, in the capacity of a marine officer, on board that vessel, is an excellent and brave officer, and with his musketry did great execution. Lieutenant Turner, commanding the Caledonia, brought that vessel into action in the most able man ner, and is an officer that, in all situations, may be relied on. The Ariel, Lieutenant Packet, and Scorpion, Sailing Master Champlin, were enabled to get early into action, and were of great service. Captain Elliott speaks in the highest terms of Mr. Magrath, purser, who had been despatched in a boat on service, previous to my getting on board the Niagara; and being a seaman, since the action has rendered essential service in taking charge of one of the prizes. Of Captain Elliott, already so well known to the government, it would almost be superfluous to speak. In this action he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgment; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance. PERRY TO JONES 83 I have the honor to enclose you a return of the killed and wounded, together with a statement of the relative force of the squadrons. The captain and first lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte, and first lieutenant to the Detroit, were killed; Captain Barclay, senior officer, and the commander of the Lady Prevost, severely wounded. The comman ders of the Hunter and Chippeway, slightly wounded. Their loss in killed and wounded37 I have not yet been able to ascertain ; it must, however, have been very great. Very respectfully, I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, O. H. Perry 37 See Document 6, enclosure 2. [ENCLOSURE 38] LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED ON BOARD THE UNITED STATES' SQUADRON, UN DER COMMAND OF O. H. PERRY, ESQ. IN THE ACTION OF 10TH SEPTEMBER, 1813, VIZ: On board the Lawrence, killed John Brooks, lieutenant marines Joseph Kennedy, ditto Henry Laub, midshipman Charles Pohig, seaman Christopher Mayhew, quarter John Smith, seaman master William Cranston, ordinary sea- James W. Allen, seaman man John C. Kelly, private in the reg- Andrew Michael, seaman iment John Hoffman, ordinary seaman Nelson Peters, seaman James Brown, seaman James Jones, ditto Ethelred Sykes, landsman John Rose, ditto Philip Sharbley, corporal of ma- James Carty, sailmaker's mate rines Thomas Butler, seaman Jesse Harland, private Wilson Mays, carpenter's mate Abner Williams, ditto On board the Lawrence, wounded John J. Yarnall, 1st lieutenant, William Dawson, seaman, severely slightly Westerly Johnson, ordinary sea- Dulaney Forrest, 2d ditto, slightly man, severely William V. Taylor, sailing mas- Samuel Spywood, ditto, severely ter, slightly Robert Hill, seaman, slightly Samuel Hambleton, purser, se- Francis Cummings, ordinary sea- verely man, severely 38 These lists, it would seem, were enclosed with the letter. [ 84 ] PERRY TO JONES 85 Thomas Claxton, midshipman, se- John E. Brown, quarter gunner, verely severely Augustus Swartwout, midship- William Johnson, boatswain's man, severely mate, severely Jonas Stone, carpenter, slightly James Helan, ditto, slightly William C. Keen, master at arms, George Cornell, carpenter's mate, slightly slightly Francis Mason, quarter master, Thomas Hammond, armorer, severely John Newen, ditto, severely Joseph Lewis, ditto, severely Ezekiel Fowler, ditto, slightly Henry Schroeder, ordinary sea man, severely Benoni Price, seaman, severely slightly John Burnham, ditto, severely John Burdeen, ditto, severely Andrew Mattison, ditto, severely Jeremiah Easterbrook, ordinary seaman, severely Thomas Reed, ditto, severely Thomas Robinson, ditto, severely Charles Vandyke, ordinary sea- Peter Kinsley, ditto, severely man, severely Nathan Chapman, ditto, severely William Simpson, ditto, severely Thomas Hill, ordinary seaman, Jesse Williams, ditto, slightly severely James Hadley, ditto, slightly Barney M'Cain, ditto, severely James Bird, marine, severely William Thompson, seaman, se- William Burnett, ditto, severely verely William Baggs, ditto, severely George Varnum, ditto, severely David Christie, ditto, severely James Moses, ditto, severely Henry Vanpoole, ditto, severely William Roe, ditto, severely Joseph Denning, ditto, severely William Daring, ditto, severely John Clay, ditto, severely Stephen Fairfield, ditto, severely George Williams, ditto, severely Lannon Huse, ditto, severely Thomas Tuff, landsman, severely Elijah Barlin, ditto, severely John Adams, ditto, slightly Charles Harrington, ditto, slightly William B. Perkins, ditto, slightly Nathaniel Wade, boy, severely Newport Hazard, ditto, slightly James Waddington, ditto, severely On the morning of the action, the sick list of the Lawrence contained thirty-one unfit for duty. 86 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE On board the Niagara, killed Peter Morell, seaman Isaac Hardy, ordinary seaman On board the Niagara, wounded John J. Edwards, lieutenant Henry Davidson, seaman John L. Cummings, midshipman John M. Strebeck, ordinary sea- Edward Martin, seaman (since man dead) John Freeman, ditto Charles Davidson, seaman James Sansford, seaman Daniel Bennet, ditto Thomas Wilson, ditto John Felton, boatswain's mate Sergeant Mason, marine William Davis, ordinary seaman Corporal Scott, ditto (since dead) Thomas Miller, ditto Joshua Trapnel, marine (since John Rumas, ditto dead) George McManomy, ditto Ronvell Hall, ordinary seaman George Scoffield," ditto George Piatt, seaman Samuel Cochran, ditto Elias Wiley, ordinary seaman On the morning of the action, the sick list of the Nia gara contained twenty-eight unfit for duty. On board the Caledonia, wounded James Artus, slightly Isaac Perkins, slightly James Philips, slightly On board the Somers, wounded Charles Ordun Godfrey Bowman On board the Ariel, killed John White, boatswain's mate Wounded William Sloss, ordinary seaman, John Lucas, landsman, slightly slightly Robert Wilson, seaman, slightly PERRY TO JONES 87 On board the Trippe, wounded Isaac Green, soldier, 26th regi- John Nailes, soldier, 17th regi ment, badly ment, slightly On board the Porcupine None killed or wounded On board the Scorpion, killed John Clark, midshipman John Sylhamamer, landsman On board the Tigress None killed or wounded. Two days previous to the action, the sick lists of the small vessels contained the names of fifty-seven men unfit for service. Recapitulation Killed Wounded Tot; Lawrence, . . . . 22 61 83 Niagara, 2 25 27 Caledonia, 0 3 3 Somers, O 2 2 Ariel, 1 3 4 Trippe O 2 2 Porcupine, 0 O 0 Scorpion, 2 O 2 Tigress, O O 0 27 96 123 S. Hambleton, Purser. O. H. Perry, Captain and Senior Officer. [ENCLOSURE 2] STATEMENT OF THE FORCE OF THE BRITISH SQUADRON 19 guns, one on pivot, and two howitzers 17 do. do. 13 do. do. 10 do. 3 do. 1 do. and two swivels Detroit, ship Queen Charlotte, ship Lady Prevost, schooner Hunter, brig Little Belt, sloop Chippewa, schooner 63 guns Note -The Detroit is a new ship, very strongly built, and mounts long twenty-fours, eighteens, and twelves. Statement of the Force of the United States Squadron Lawrence, brig 20 guns. Niagara, brig 20 do. Caledonia, brig 3 do. 4 do. (one burst early in action) 2 do. 2 do. 1 do. 1 do. 1 do. Ariel, schooner Scorpion, schooner Somers, schooner Trippe, sloop Tigress, schooner Porcupine, schooner 54 guns The exact number of the enemy's force has not been ascertained, but I have good reason to believe that it exceeded ours by nearly one hundred men. [88] VIII Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From the United States Navy Department Ar chives, Captains' Letters, 1813, volume vi, number 41. 8. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U.S. Schr. Ariel, Put in Bay, 13th Septr., 1813. Sir: I have caused the prisoners taken on the 10th inst. to be landed at Sandusky, and have re quested Genl. Harrison to have them marched to Chilicothy,39 and there wait until your pleasure shall be known respecting them. The Lawrence has been so entirely cut up, it is absolutely necessary, she should go into a safe har bor. I have therefore directed Lt. Yarnall to pro ceed to Erie in her, with the wounded of the fleet, and dismantle and get her over the bar, as soon as possible. It will probably be impossible to repair her this season in time to be of any service. I have to ask your directions as respects the disposal of the prizes, the two ships in a heavy sea this day, at anchor lost their masts, being much injured in the action. I shall haul them into the inner bay, at this place, and moor them for the present. The four other prizes, I shall fit out for the expedition against Maiden, and for transporting Genl. Har- 39 Chillicothe, Ohio, then capital of the state, situated about one hundred miles east by north of Cincinnati. [91] 92 PERRY TO JONES __ rison's troops. The Detroit is a remarkably fine ship, sails well and is very strongly built. The Queen Charlotte is a much superior vessel to what has been represented. The Lady Prevost, is a large fine schooner. I also beg your instructions respecting the woun ded. I am satisfied, Sir, that whatever steps, I might take governed by humanity, would meet your approbation, under this impression, I have taken upon myself to promise Capt. Barclay who is very dangerously wounded that he shall be land ed as near Lake Ontario as possible, and I had no doubt you would allow me to parole40 him, he is under the impression that nothing but leaving this part of the country, will save his life. There is also a number of Canadians among the prisoners, many who have families. I have the honor to be, Sir, very respectfully your obd. serv. O. H. Perry 40 See Documents 14 and 16. IX Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry TO Major-General William Henry Harrison From Niles' Register, volume v, 263. 9. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON U.S. Schr. Ariel, Sept. 15, 1813 Sir: The very great assistance, in the action of the 10th inst. derived from those men you were pleased to send on board the squadron, render it a duty to return you my sincere thanks for so timely a reinforcement." In fact, sir, I may say, without those men the victory could not have been achieved ; and equally to assure you, that those officers and men behaved as became good soldiers and seamen. Those who were under my immediate observation, evinced great ardor and bravery. Captain Bre- vort,42 of the second regiment of infantry, serving on board the Niagara, I beg leave to recommend particularly to your notice: he is a brave and gal lant officer, and as far as I am capable of judging an excellent one. I am convinced you will present the merit of this officer to the view of the honorable secretary of war, as I shall to the honorable secre tary of the navy. Very respectfully, I am, sir, your obedient ser vant, Oliver H. Perry 41 The names of the officers and men serving with Perry will be found in the American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i, 566-572. 42 Captain Henry B. Brevoort. [95] X Letter of Commodore Oliver. Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From the United States Navy Department Ar chives, Captains' Letters, 1813, volume vi, number 65. io. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U.S. Schoor. Ariel, Put in Bay, Sepr. 17th, 1813 Sir: I send by Mr. Forrest43 the flags taken in the action of the 10th inst. on Lake Erie. I have the honor to be, sir, your Obd. Servt. O. H. Perry 43 Acting Lieutenant Dulaney Forrest. See page 45. [99 J XI Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From the United States Navy Department Ar chives, Captains' Letters, 1813, volume vi, number 66. ii. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U.S. Schooner Ariel, At anchor off Portage River44 18th Septr., 1813 Sir: Among the officers taken are a number who have large family's in Canada.45 I have di rected that they be left near the lake, until your orders may be had respecting them. They are ex tremely anxious to return home. Very respectfully, I have the honor to be, sir, your obd. sert. O. H. Perry 44 The Portage River empties into Lake Erie a few miles to the westward of Sandusky Bay. 40 For officers of the Canadian provincial marine, see L. Homfray Irving's Officers of the British Forces in Canada, 202-207. [ 103 ] XII Letter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones From the United States Navy Department Ar chives, Captains' Letters, 1813, volume vi, number 73- -zszS. /0x^a-^>iJ 7 aft-^ &~ e&&^ 7*" &>&f e*es£},i & Kjl2 /-C*tA~ ''Jfovi^ cl7r£>. ycs&\ ^z<^fe^ t^fcfe. y 7 Reduced facsimile of the Letter of Commodore Perry to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, September 20, 1813 From the original manuscript in the United States Navy Department Archives, Washington, D.C. 12. COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY TO SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES U. S. Schoor. Ariel, Sepr. 20th, 1813 off Portage River Sir: Still wishing to return to Rhode Island the moment my services can be spared from this lake I hope I may be honored with your permis sion to that effect.48 I beg leave, Sir, to call your attention again to the case of Capt. Barclay. I have taken upon my self to promise him, his parole. In fact, Sir, in his situation I could not have refused him any thing - although I am sensible I ought to have waited for your orders -I trust, Sir, you will estimate the mo tives which have governed me in this affair.47 With great respect, I am, Sir, your obd. sert. O. H. Perry 46 See Documents 16 and 17. 47 See Documents 8, 14, and 16. [109] XIII Letter of Secretary of the Navy William Jones to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry From the United States Navy Department Ar chives, Letters to Officers of Ships of War, volume xi, 93- 13- SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WILLIAM JONES TO COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY Naval Department [Washington, D. C.J Septr. 21st, 1813 Sir: Rumour48 had preceded and prepared the public mind for the enthusiastic reception of the glorious tidings, confirmed by your letter of the 10th received and published in handbills this day. Every demonstration of joy and admiration, that a victory so transcendently brilliant, decisive, and important in its consequences, could excite, was ex hibited as far and as fast as the roar of cannon and the splendour of illumination could travel. In the absence of the President I have no hesi tation in anticipating his warmest admiration and thanks, in behalf of our country, for this splendid achievement, which must ever continue among the brightest honours of the nation. You will please accept, for yourself, an ample share, and communi cate to the gallant officers, seamen, and others, un der your command, the full measure of those senti ments and feelings, which it is my duty to express, and my delight to cherish. 48 The first news of the battle reached Washington on September 18. ["3] ii4 JONES TO PERRY Tomorrow, I trust, will bring the interesting de tails, for which so many hearts are palpitating be tween the laurel and the cypress. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. Jones HERALD— EX i CARLISLE, IK the arrival of the esfin re of ih«- \\\:: : **¦ V. s. sqtiadroi PERRY. The p: yet been received ; but ;: "ii :d their fleet with an extra proportion ¦ ~" I'* ~J*w...*i ¦¦ ...Ml tiji II.V'.IJ^ <>l II ¦ .brmauonthe town was illuminated •!.!:•..¦. r .i<- 79"87! account by Inglis, 53-54; account by Parsons, 57- 58, 123-125 ; prisoners taken, 61- 62, footnote; account by Bar clay, 67-75 > casualties, 75 ; Sec retary of Navy respecting, 113- 114, 119-120; information con cerning, 141-167, 174-201 ; bib liography of, 205-212 Battle of Lake Erie Celebration: 205 Battle of Lake Erie Centennial: 205 Belvidera (British naval ship) : '37, footnote Bennet, Daniel: 86 Bignell, Lieut. George: 22, 70 and footnote, 75, 163 Bird, James: 85 Bixby, William Keeney: mention ed, 41, footnote, 59 Black, Capt. James: 141 Black Rock: see Buffalo Boston (Mass.) : 35, 36 Bowen, Abel: work cited, 205 Bowman, Godfrey: 86 Brace, Capt. Edward: 137, 139 Brackenridge, Henry Marie: work cited, 206 2l6 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Brevoort, Capt. Henry B: 80, foot note, 82, 95 Brooks, Lieut. John: 32, 80, foot note, 81; sketch of, 58, foot note; death of, 81 Brown, James: 84 Brown, John E: 85 Brown, Samuel R: works cited, 206 Buffalo (N. Y.): 20, 159 Buchan, Lieut. Edward: 24, foot note, 31, 70, 75 Bunnell, David C : work cited, 206 Burdeen, John: 85 Burges, Tristam: work cited, 55, 206, 207 Burnett, William: 85 Burnham, John: 85 Butler, Thomas: 58, 84 Byron, Capt. Richard: 137 and footnote, 139 Caledonia (U.S.S.) : 21, 24, foot note, 27-34, 68, 82, 144, 147, 174- 184, 186-192, 194-196, 199, 200; armament of, 73, 88 ; wounded on board, 86 Calvert, George Henry: work cit ed, 206 Campbell, John: 24, footnote, 74 Canada: 18, 19, 34, 103 Carry, James: 58, 84 Champlin, Sailing-master Stephen: 24, footnote, 34, 80, footnote, 82 Chapman, Nathan: 85 Chauncey, Commodore Isaac: 19, 45, 120, 130 and footnote, 206 Chauncey, Peter S: 45 Chillicothe (Ohio) : 91 and foot note Chippeway (British naval ship) : 28, 31, 33, 74, 75, 83, 88, 157, 180, 192; armament, 148 Christie, David: 85 Clark, Midshipman John: 80, footnote, 87; death of, 81-82 Clark, Thomas: work cited, 206 Claxton, Thomas: 80, footnote, 85 ; wounded, 82 Clay, Cassius Marcellus: work cited, 206 Clay, John: 85 Clowes, William Laird: quoted, 34; work cited, 212 Cochran, Samuel: 86 Conkling, Lieut. A. H. M: 24, footnote Congress, U. S ; purchases captur ed fleet, 36; honors Perry, 36- 37 Constitution (U.S.S.) : 137, foot note Cooper, James Fenimore: defends Elliott, 27, footnote; works cit ed, 207, 209 Cornell, George: 85 Couche, Edward: 164 and footnote Cranston, William: 58, 84 Crowninshield, B. W. (secretary of the navy) : 172 and footnote, 202, 208 Cummings, Francis: 85 Cummings, Midshipman John L: 86; testimony of, 198-199, foot note Dacres, Capt. James Richard: 137 and footnote, 139 Daring, William: 85 Davidson, Charles: 86 Davidson, Henry: 86 Davis, William: 86 Dawson, Henry Barton: work cit ed, 65, 207 Dawson, Moses: work cited, 207 Dawson, William: 84 INDEX 217 Decatur, Capt. Stephen: 133 and footnote, 171, footnote Denning, Joseph: 85 Detroit (British naval vessel) : 23, 24, footnote, 27-34, 53, 57, 58, 67-69, 71, 75, 83, 91, 138, 140, 143-148, 151, 152, J59; 161, 176, 180, 189, 191, 192, 195, 198, 199; armament, 73, 88 Detroit (Mich.) : 17, 37, 124, 133 Detroit River: 19, 120 Dobbins, Daniel: 207 Dobbins, William W: work cited, 79, 207 Dover (British ship) : 70 and foot note, 142 and footnote, 152, 163 Drummond, Capt. Adam: 137, 139 Easterbrook, Jeremiah: 85 East Sister Island: 43, footnote Eaton, Joseph Gilis: article cited, 207 Edwards, Lieut. John J: 80, foot note, 82, 86, 187 and footnote, 200 Elliott, Capt. James Duncan: con troversy with Perry, 13, 27, 206- 210; sent to Buffalo, 19-20; joins Perry, 22, 24, footnote, 29, 30, 33, 80, 206; medal, 37; court of enquiry, 167, 171-199; letter of, 171-172; opinion of court, 201 ; defense of, 207, 210; speech of, 207 Emmons, George Foster : work cit ed, 208 Epervier (U.S.S.) : 179, footnote Erie (Pa.) : 20, 23, 24, 91, 124, 156, footnote, 158-160 Erie Bar (near Erie, Pa.) : 20, 21, 120 Evans, Capt. Samuel: 174, l84, 197 Fairfield, Stephen: 85 Farquhar, Capt. Arthur: 137, 139 Felton, John: 86 Finnis, Commander Robert A: 24, footnote, 30, 69, 75, 144, 146, '55, 159 Foote, Edward James (British rear-admiral) : 137, 139 Forrest, Lieut. Dulaney: 41, 45, 80, footnote, 81, 84, 99, 181; testimony of, 199-200 Fort Dearborn: 17 Fort George (Canada) : 156 Fort Maiden: see Maiden Fort Meigs: 18, 63 Fort Michilimackinac: 17, 34 Fort Seneca: 18, 22 Fort Stephenson: 18 Fort Wayne: 18 Foster, Midshipman James: 75 Fowke, Capt. George: 137, 139 Fowler, Ezekiel: 84 Freeman, John: 86 Frolic (U.S.S.) : 171 Frost, John: work cited, 208 Garden, Lieut. John Campbell: 71, 75, 144 Garland, Lieut. John: 31, 70, 75 Gateshill, Henry: 75 Georgia, legislature of: thanks Perry, 36 Ghent, treaty of: 34 Gilmour, — (deputy commission er general) : 164 Gilmore, Richard: 164, footnote Gladiator (British naval ship) : 137, '39 Graham's Magazine: cited, 207 Green, Isaac: 87 Greetham, Mr. — : 139, 154 Guerriere (British naval ship) : 137, footnote 2-1.8 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Hall, Ronvell: 86 Hall Jr., Dr. A: 125 Hadley, James: 85 Hambleton, Samuel : 80, footnote, wounded, 82, 84, 87 Hammond, Thomas: 85 Hardy, Isaac: 86 Harland, Jesse: 84 Harrington, Charles, 85 Harrison, Gen. William Henry: movements of, 18-19, 34 an(^ footnote; 21, 22, 23; dispatches to, 41, 43! letters to, 59, 63-64, 9i, 93, 95, 124, 158, 207 Harvey, Lieut.-Col. John: 159 Hazard, Newport: 85 Heath, Capt. — : 205 Helan, James: 85 Heywood, Capt. Peter: 141 Hill, Robert: 85 Hill, Thomas: 85 Hoffman, John: 58, 84 Hoffmeister, J. M: 71, 75 Holdup, Lieut. Thomas: 24, foot note, 181 Horton, Capt. Benjamin: 63, foot note Horton, Jr., Capt. Benjamin: 63, footnote Horton, Capt. James: 63, footnote Horton, Capt. William: 63, foot note Hull, Gen. Isaac: 17, 18 Hunter (British naval ship) : 23, 24, footnote, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33, 58, 70, 75, 83, 180, 189; arma ment of, 88, 148 Huntington, Webster P: work cit ed, 208 Huse, Lannon: 85 Indian Head (Md) : 35, footnote Ingersoll, Charles Jared: 208 Inglis, Lieut. George: 31, 71; let ter of, 51, 53-54 Irvine, Lieut. Robert: 24, footnote, 30, 69 and footnote, 144 Irving, L. Homfray: work cited, 103, footnote Irving, Washington: work cited, 208 James, William: work cited, 77, 208 Jarvis, Russell: work cited, 183, footnote, 208 Johnes, Charles: 58 Johnson, Westerly: 84 Johnson, William: 85 Jones, James: 58, 84 Jones, William (secretary of the navy): dispatch to, 45, 49; sketch of, 45 ; letters to, 77, 79- 89, 91-92, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 109, 131, 133-134; letters of, m, 113-114, 119-120, 127, 129- 131 Keen, William C: 85 Kelly, John C: 58, 84 Kennedy, Joseph: 58, 84 Kingsford, William: work cited, 208 Kingston (Canada) : 155, 162 Kinsley, Peter: 85 Lady Prevost (British naval ship) : 23, 24, footnote, 28, 30, 33, 58, 68, 70, 71, 75, 83, 92, 157, 157, 181, 189; armament of, 73, 88, 147 Lake Erie: military movements near, 18, 19, 34, 103, footnote, 123, 156, 171 Lake Huron: 17, 120 Lake Michigan: 17 INDEX 219 Lake Ontario: 92 155-157 Laub, Midshipman Henry: 58, 80, footnote; death of, 81, 84 Lawrence (U.S.S.) : 20, 21, 24, footnote, 29-34, 55, 57, 58, 79" 81, 87, 121, 123, 124, 145, 146, 147, 175-179, 181-182, 184-200; armament of, 27, 73, 88 ; killed and wounded, 84-85 ; sick on board, 85 Leonard, Master - commandant James T: 134 and footnote Lewis, Joseph: 85 Lexington (U. S. sloop) : 35, foot note Library of Congress (Washing ton, D.C.) : 13 Linnet (British naval brig) : 155, footnote Little Belt (British naval ship) : in battle of Lake Erie, 24, foot note, 28, 30, 33; armament of, 88, 148 and footnote Lloyd, Capt. David: 137, 139 Long Point (Canada) : 21, 157, 160, 161 Lossing, John Benson : works cit ed, 41, 45, 55, 208 Lounsbury, Thomas Raynesford: 27, footnote; work cited, 208 Lucas, John: 86 Lucas, Sir Charles Prestwood: work cited, 209 Lyman, Olin Linus: work cited, 209 McAfee, Robert Breckenridge: work cited, 209 McCain, Barney: 85 MacKenzie, Alexander Slidell: 207 ; work cited, 209 Maclay, Edgar Stanton: work cit ed, 209 McMahoney, George: 86 Madison, President James: 113, 129, 133, 171 Magrath, Purser Humphrey: 80, footnote, 82, 200 and footnote Mahan, Rear-Admiral Alfred Thayer: work cited, 27, foot note; 135, 153, footnote, 209 Maiden (Canada) : 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 91, 120, 124 Martin, Edward: 86 Mason, Francis: 85 Mason, Gen. John: 119, footnote Mason, Sergeant — : 86 Mattison, Andrew, 85 Maumee River: 18 Maverick, P: cited, 212 Mayhew, Christopher: 84 Mayo, Christian: 58 Mays, Wilson: 58, 84 Michael, Andrew: 58, 84 Michigan (State) : 19, 34 Michilimackinac: see Fort Michil imackinac Middle Sister Island: 43, footnote Miller, Thomas: 86 Mills, James Cooke: work cited, 209 Montgomery, Midshipman John B: testimony of, 187-194, 187, footnote Morell, Peter: 86 Morton, Edward Payson: work cited, 209 Moses, James: 85 Mudge, Capt. Zachariah: 137, 139 Mulcaster, Sir William Howe: 156 and footnote Mulligan, Capt. Richard Thomas: 13 Murray, Commodore Alexander: 173, 184, 197, 202 220 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Nailes, John: 87 National Intelligencer : reference to, 45 Naval Academy, U.S: 57, footnote Naval Chronicle (British) : cited, 36, footnote, 51, 65, 140, 171, footnote, 174, footnote Naval Temple: cited, 209 Navy Department, U.S: docu ments from, 13, 21, 22, 45, 55, 77, 89, 91, 97, ">i, 105, in, 113, 117, 119, 127, 129, 131, 135, 169, 171 Neeser, Robert Wilden : mentioned, 63, footnote; work cited, 207, 209 Newen, John: 85 New England Historical and Gen- eological Register: cited, 210 Newport (R.I.) : 20; honors Per ry, 36 New York Historical Society: 45 Niagara (U.S.S.) : 20, 21, 24, foot note, 29-34, 43, 49, 53 and foot note, 57, 69, 80-82, 87, 95, 144- 147, 171, 172, footnote, 174, 202 ; armament of, 27, 74, 88 ; killed and wounded, 86 Niagara River: 19 Niles' Register: cited, 35, footnote, 3«, 45, 5i, 59, 65, 77, 93, "9, footnote, 141, 209 O'Keefe, Arthur: 71 Ontario (U.S.S.) : 171 and foot note, 172 Ordun, Charles: 86 Packet, Lieut. John : 24, footnote, 80, footnote, 82 Page, Capt. Benjamin William: '37, 139 Page, Hugh N: 183 Parsons, Charlotte: 125 Parsons, Dr. Usher: quotation from diary, 55, 57-58 ; letter of, 121, 123-125; works cited, 209- 210 Parsons, William: letter to, 121, 123-125 Pennsylvania, legislature of: thanks Perry, 36 Perkins, Isaac: 86 Perkins, William B: 85 Perry, Capt. C. R: 20, footnote Perry, Commodore Oliver Hazard: 20, 24, footnote, 36, 43, footnote, 73, footnote, 153, footnote, 211 ; sketch of life, 20, footnote, 35, footnote; early movements on Lake Erie, 20-24; 'n battle of Lake Erie, 28-34, 57, 59, 63"<>4, 69, 72, 174-181; quotations from letters, 21-23 j movements after battles, 34, footnote, 35 ; honors to, 35-37; despatches of, 41, 43; letters of, 45, 49, 59, 63-64, 77, 79-87, 89, 91-92, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 109, 127, 129-130, 131, I33"I34, 206, 208; letters to, m, 113-114, 117, 119-120; pro motion, 27 ; books and articles on, 206-212 Perry-Elliott Controversy: 13, 27, 206-210; book on, 210 Perry Memorial and Centennial Celebration: 210 Perry Monument: 210, 211 Perry Statue: 211 Perry's Victory Centenary: 211 Perry's Victory Centennial Sou venir: 211 Peters, Nelson: 58, 84 Philadelphia (U.S.S.) : 133, foot note Philips, James: 86 INDEX 221 Piatt, George: 86 Pohig, Charles: 58, 84 Porcupine (U.S.S.): 21, 24, foot note, 27, 29, 30, 86, 87, 88, 147, 176, 191; armament of, 73 Portage River: 103 and footnote, 109 Portsmouth (Eng.) : 137, 139 Presque Isle: see Erie (Pa.) Prevost, Sir George: 155 and foot note, 160, 162, 165, 167 Price, Benoni: 85 Pring, Commander Daniel: 155 and footnote Procter, Gen. Henry: 64 and foot note, 67, 160-167 Purvis, Lieut. Francis : 71 ; testi mony of, 144-15 1 Public Record Office (London) : documents from, 13, 51, 65 Put-in-Bay (Lake Erie) : 22, 24, 28, 57, 67, 68, 79, 91, 99, 123, 175, 210, 212 Queen Charlotte (British naval ship) : 23, 24, footnote, 27, 28, 3°, 31, 33, 34, 53, 54, 58, 68-72, 75, 83, 92, 142-144, 146, 151, 152, 157, 158, 180, 187, 189, 193, 198, 202; armament of, 73, 88, 147 Quilliam, Capt. John: 137, 139 Raisin River: 18 Rattlesnake (U.S.S.) : 171 Reed, Thomas: 85 Rhode Island Historical Society: 55, "I Robinson, Thomas: 85 Rodgers, Lieut. George Washing ton: 174, 184, 197 Rodgers, Commander John: 137, footnote, 174, footnote Roe, William: 85 Rolette, Lieut. Francis: 31, 75 Roosevelt, Col. Theodore: quoted, 27-33; works cited, 211-212 Rose, John: 58, 84 Rottenburg, Gen. Francis Baron de: 160 and footnote Rumas, John: 83 Sacketts Harbor (N.Y.) : 19 Salmagundi: cited, 208 Sandusky Bay: 19, 22, 23, 103, footnote, 120 Sandusky River: 18 Sansford, James: 86 Schroeder, Henry: 85 Scoffield, George: 86 Scorpion (U.S.S.) : 21, 24, foot note, 27, 29, 31, 34, 82, 87, 147, 176, 180, 187, 191; armament of, 74, 88 Scott, Corporal — : 86 Senat, Sailing-master George: 24, footnote Senecatown: see Fort Seneca Seymour, Capt. George Francis: 137, 139 Sharbley, Philip: 84 Simpson, William: 85 Sloss, William: 86 Slyhamamer, John: 87 Smith, John: 58, 84 Smith, Lieut. Joseph E: 80, foot note, 82, 200 and footnote Somers (U.S.S.) : 21, 24, footnote, 27, 29, 30, 86, 147, 176; arma ment of, 74, 88 South Bass Island: 22, 23 Spalding, Rufus Paine: work cit ed, 212 Spears, John Randolph: work cit ed, 212 Spywood, Samuel: 84 Stevens, Lieut. Thomas Holdup : see Holdup 222 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE Stewart, Charles West: 13 Stokoe, Lieut. Thomas: 30, 69, 75; testimony of, 142-144, 151-152 Stone, Jonas: 85 Strebeck, John M: 86 Swartout, Midshipman Augustus: 80, footnote, 85 ; wounded, 81 Sykes, Ethelred or Eatheldras: 58, 84 Tatem, Robert S: testimony of, 195-197 Taylor, Sailing-master W.V: 55, 80, footnote, 84, 181 Thames, battle of: 34, 124, foot note Thompson, William: 85 Tiffany, Francis: work cited, 27, footnote, 212 Tiffany, Nina Moore: work cited, 27, footnote 212 Tigress (U.S.S.) : 21, 24, foot note, 27, 29, 30, 87, 147, 176, 183, footnote; armament 73 Trapnel, Joshua: 86 Trippe (U.S.S.) : 24, footnote, 27, 29, 3°, 34, 87, 147, 176, 183, footnote; armament of, 73 Tuff, Thomas: 85 Turner, Lieut. Daniel: 24, foot note, 32, 80, footnote, 92, 183 and footnote, 188 Upper Canada: see Canada Vandyke, Charles: 85 Vanpoole, Henry: 85 Varnum, George: 85 Vincent, Gen. John: 156 and foot note, 159, 160 and footnote Wabash River: 18 Waddington, James: 85 Wade, Nathaniel: 85 Ward, James Harman: work cit ed, 212 Warren, Admiral Sir John Bor- lase: 155 and footnote, 166 Washington (D.C.) : honors Per ry, 36, 4i, 45, 77, "3, "9, 129, 169, 173 Webster, Lieut. Nelson: 80, foot note, 83 ; testimony of, 174-179, 184-187 West Sister Island or (Western Sisters) : 24, 43 and footnote, 49 Wheaton, Henry: 174 and foot note, 184, 202 White, John: 86 Whitman, Benjamin: work cited, 212 Wiley, Elias: 86 Williams, Abner: 84 Williams, George: 85 Williams, Jesse: 85 Wilson, Robert: 86 Wilson, Thomas: 86 Winsor, Justin: 27, footnote Wolfe (British corvette) : 155 Wood, Capt. Sir James Athol: 137, 139 Woodford, Sir Ralph: 35, foot note Yancey, Goodloe Earle: 13 Yaple, George Reid: work cited: 212 Yarnall, Lieut. John J: 31, 80 and footnote, 84, 91; wounded, 81; testimony, 179-184 Yeo, Commodore Sir James Lu cas: letter to, 65, 67-75; *37 and footnote, 140, 141 and footnote, 156-163, 166, 167 Young, Dr. George Peter Martin: testimony of, 152-153 York (Canada) : 156 Prepared for publication and privately printed for The Rowfant Club, on Venetia handmade paper, by The Arthur H. Clark Company Cleveland, MCMXVHI 0834