Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-02-08
tFrom the Washington Cit, Gazette.
10 TIE PUBLIC.

/
the action between the American and D.i,i fleets Lake
Erie.
1t is reasonable suppose that nothing material relating
'oit was omitted. The part bOrs, i'm that able
tion presented TO the pubic. without my lsuowg By
Cum. Perry. with whom then stood in the relation OF
friendship, AMI by others. who ony
and could moi mistake the deGrre Of merit due meas
men of honor they spontaneously defended inc when ru
inors nidew breath attempted wicr il. gsn
erous ard liberal efforts hcn felt AMI sill feel that grat
tude, which mag'animiiy alone Inspire The public
mud had weighed ami appreciated the actions every man.
whose happy intit to he that engagement Congress-
with knowledge of all the facts bestowed us high aud
imperhabIe honors and the legislatures several s,aes
with no less knowledge of The subject, ceereed, With d
guishcd appreciation, theirs.
THESE letters and documents voluntarily OF red
compuson. which could not ftrtsee. or foreseg could
control, has made this coursc. absolutely NECESSARY to
maintnin my reputation. The pamphlet lately published
was d signed inict DELIBERATE and curablr wornd on
1T lift has not effected Its avowed object it is because
informed and dispassionae judgment of the public would
not be msd, deceived because generous motive
suspended its decision until all the facts should fairly
and without disguise, published.
In this statement enny against any person aulgd
no annasy To the living throws shade it,
aspernns the niory Of tledcai iisonor -all differ
ences between Commodore Perry and mys-lf terminated
will his lamented death. His letters published in hi, life
time and those published ace his death, show the different
feelings and circumstances under which they
and the change wrought by them. the relation in which
we stood to each other. They give the the COM
mentary.
1h, publication closes forever, hssuhicct Public opn
ion, the good Of the service the hold sefr SPEC
and opposition TO forget aud forgive iniu.,,e, urge
forcibiy the necessity Of such DENOMINATION
J. d. ELLIOTT.
Washington, JAM 81, 1921.
No l.
Copy Of letter from Com. Perry to the Sc
cretary of tile NAVY
U. S. Schr. Ariel, Put in BAY, !,
September l3, 1919
SIR-lb my last | inInrmcd you that
| we had captured The encmys feet on this
| lake
now have tlie horror 10 give Won the
| most important particulars of The acIinu.
On the morning of the 10Th inst. "A, sun
| rise. they were discovered from Put IN
bay, where lay al anchor, With q squad.
ron under my command. We go, under
| way, the wind light at SW. and S ooi for
them. Al 10 A. NJ. the vim lIauei 10 Sc.
aud brought us>io the wirdward formed
the line and bore up. Al Is miDnles before
IL, Tie enemy commenced firing al 5
minutes beforr ~ the actin commenced
on our part. Finding their fire very dies
iruc tive, owing to their long guns. and
lis being mostly directed al HE Lawrence.
| made sail and directed the other vessels
to follow, for The purpose of closing with
the enemy. Every brace aud bnw line
| beng shot away, she became unn,anage.
able. Notwithstanding the grra, excriions
o. thr sailing master. In this situation
| she sustained the action upwards of two
hours wilii1 grape and canister distance
! until every gun was rem ered u-elcss. and
the greater part of her crew either Killed
| or wounded.
! Finding she could no longer annoy The
enemy left her IN charge -i Ii. Iarnail,
whe was convinced, from The bravery
already displayed ly him, would 10 ha,
would compori with Tie honor of The flag
Al halt past ., the wind spriBg,ny on.
capi. Elliott was enabled 10 briag his ,es-
sci. the Niagara. gaIIantly into close ac-
ton; | immediately went on board Of
her, when he anticipated my wish BY vo-
iunteering 10 bring Tie schuonris WHICH
had been kept astern by The I'ghiupss oil
the WIND, into close action. II vas with
unspeakabie pain. thai saw, soon after
| col on board the Niagara, The flag OF
the Lawrence come down, although Vas
perfectly sensible that size had been de
Tended 10 The las!, and thai 10 have con-
ilnued to make shew OF re <;siance would
have been waniOn sacrifice OF The
remains OF her brave crew. But the enc.
my was not abb 10 take possession OF
Der, and circumstances soon permitted
her flag again 10 be hostcd.
Al IS minutes past Q, the signal was
made tor " clnse action" The Niagara
beng very little injured, determined 10
pass through the enemy's line, bore up
and passed ahead OF their two sl,ips and
a brig, giving raking fire 10 them lroG,
The siarb0srd guns, AID 10 large schr.
and slonp from the la, beard side, a, hall
pistol shot distance. The smaller vessels
at this time having got within grape AID
canister distance. under HE direction oi
capt. Elliott, and Keeping UP veil d
recIed fire, The iwo sllips, brig and a
schooner surrendered, d schooner and -
sloop making vain attempt 10 escape.
Those officers and rntn who WIRE in
mediately under my observation eviuced
the greatest gallaNtry, aud ! have no
doubt that all Others conducted them
selves as became American officers and
! seamen. Leu. Yarnall, frat OF The Law
| renee, although several times wounded
refused TO quit The deck.
Forrest (doing duty "a lieuieuan) and
a sailing master Tailor, were OF great ass ST
ance TO me. | have great pam in sia,,nt
/, 10 you the death OF Lieut.. Brooks of ,bt
e marines, aud Midslpmsn Lsnb, both O
L the Lawrence, and Midsbipman join
r Clarke OF the Scorpion they were valus
bic and promising officers. Mr.. Ham,
= bleion, Purser, Who volunteered his ser
Nc vices on deck, WAS severely wOunde,
E. late IN the acton. Midshipmon Claxior
Of aud Swari"out Of The Lawrence. we're Sc
~ vereIy wounded. On board The Niagara
Lieuis. Smith and Edwards, and Mid
q sbipman Webster doing duiy az ssiln
I'd mssier) behaved in very l,audsom