Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-10-19
pERRY'S VICTORY

PERRY'S VICTORY
Extract Of a letter from 1aaDat eg1eff
nozu at Erie 10 his Friend in his CAy,
dalrd tn Der 1918,
Had | been able, should before now
aaye sent you some particulars OF the
action of the memorable 10th OF Sept
As we have not, many letter writer's M
our squadron, the public will have to pu'
up with the Commodore's "round un-
yarnisned tale" which however Ia very
we'll told. All the fault find with 1t Is
that ne himself is too much in the back
ground
In no action fought this war has the
conduct Of the commanding officer been
so conspicuous or so evidently decisive
# the fate of the battle, as In this
When he discovered that nothing fur
tner could be done in the Lawrence, ne
wisely removed to the Niagara, and ny
one of the boldest and most Judiclous
maneuvres ever praotised decided he
contest at once, Had the Niagara shar-
ed the fate of the Lawrence, 1t was his
intention TO have removed to the next
best vessel, and so on as long as one OF
MS SQUADRON, continued to Hoat The
enemy saw him put off, and acknowlege
that they fired broadside at aim. WIN
his usual gallaatry he went OF standing
up in the stern of the boat; but the
crew insisted on his sitting down. The
enemy speak with admiration OF the man
ner in which the Lawrence bore down
upon them. She continues her course
80 long and so obstinately, that they toot
we were going to board them They
had great advantage IN having long
guns. Many of our men were killed o"
he birth deck and in the s,eerage, alter
hey were taken below to be dresseo--
midshipman Laub was Of this number
One shot went through the light room
and knocked the snuff of the candle lHto
the magazine--the gunner happened to
see it immc dlately and extinguished |;
with his hand /: two shot passed through
the magazine two through the cAbl" +:
three or fourca into the ward room =
but believe only one went quite thro'
and that passed few inches over the
surgeons head as he sat in the COCK pit.
Our short guns lodged their shot m inc
oulwarks of the Detroit; where oum
Der of them now remain. Her bulwarks
however we're vastly superior 10 ours,
oeine Of oak and vesy thick Many Of
their CRAZE shot came through ours
rhcy acknowledge that they threw CON
bustible matter on board OF as, which
set our sails and rigging on FIRE In sc
veral places. am clearly ct opinion
that they were better manned thaa we
were They had a much greater num-
Der; they had veteran troops; their men
we're all we'll. We had as motley crew
as ever went into action, md our YES
sells looked like hospital ships.
During the whole of the action the
most complete order prevailed on board
the Lawrence-there was no noise, no
hustle no confu.ion--as fast as the men
were wounded they were taken below Il
replaced by others--tbe dead remained
where they fell until the action was over.
Capt Perry exhibited that cool, collect
ed. digni6ed bravery which those &C,
auaihted with him would have expected.
His countenance oil the time was Just as
composed as if he had been Engaged 10
ordinary duty As soon as the action
was over be gave all his attention to the
securing of the prisoners and to the
wounded on both sides. Capt. Barclay
declared to one of our officers, several
DAYS after the action. that capt. Perry
had done himself immortal honor by his
humanity and attention to the wounded
prisoners The action was fought on
Friday-we got into harbor next day
On Sunday all the officers on both sides
who fell. were buried ON South Bass
Island, at Put in Bay, with the honors OF
war.
IN sorry toinform you that Midship'
man Cl.x,on died of his wound this
morning.
There were two Indian chiefs or
board the Detroit The I'd li.ut. inform
| ed me hal as soon as the action became
| general they ran Below
National Intelfsencer.