Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-06-27

trust, require but few explanations. !
would willingly, for my own sake as well
as his, latter the course had pursued
for the purpose Of shielding him. have
still remained silent, but this Capt. Eli
ott will not let me do. lie has acted
upon the idea that by assailing my char
acier he shall repair his own. After he
was lelt in command on Lake Erie,
was soon informed of the inlfigues he
was there practising. These should
not have regarded, ms long as they were
private but l then determined, and de-
clarcd TO many Of my friends in the navy,
that should Captain Elliott ever give
publicity to his misrepresentation, ]
would then demand an investigation of
his whole conduct This necessity j.
now forced upon me-" And a similar
necessity is now forced upon every friend
Of Commodore Perry, of truth and JUS
tice, by MIR. Cooper adopting subsian-
tally the most favorable version OF Capt
Ellioit's behavior.
The charges thus preferred by Com
modore Perry were supported by the al-
fidavits Of Lieut.. now Captain Daniel
Turner, who commanded the Caledonia,
and of Dr.. Usher Parsons, the surgeon
Of the Lawrence. he former states
that the action began when the two
squadrons were about mile apart, by
firing commenced by the enemy, the
signal having been made by Commodorc
Perry for our vessels Ia engage as they
came up, each against the enemy's yes.
sci, as designated in previous orders,
antagonist of the Niagara. IL was un
dersiood before the fight that it was
Captain Perry's intention TO bring the
enemy To close action AS soon as possi
Bile. The Lawrence accordingly closed
with the Detroit very soon. The Queen
Charlotte made sail for the purpose Of
assisting the Detroit. The Niagara
might hare rci,red he Laurence from
the Queen Chariotte's fire, II they had
made proper ereriiOns 10 bring her 10
close action: bit by Keeping her main top
sail aback, and her jib LraiIed up"-|
(Mr Cooper ascrihes 1t to the failure of
the wind )-"she kept al too great dis
tance from the enemy to do him any ma
terial injury, and sustained scarcely any
herself until the commodore took com.
mand of her, who Immediately bore up
and passed through the encIny's line,
firing both his broadsidcs with such tre-
mcndous effect as compelled them in
stantly tn surrender. Soon after the
victory, Captain Elliou's conduct was
spoken OF, nv well in General IIarrison's
army as IN the fleet, with great disappro-
baton and cehsure. Capt. Perry heard
oi 1t, and spoke TO me OF il said he was
sorry reports were in circulation so ruin
ous TO Capt. EIloit's reputaiinn-w wished
they might be silcnced, and desired me l
to go on shore to the camp, and do all
that could with propriety 10 counteraci Il
them. lie said that the American flag
had gained much honor that day, and
he wished all his companions in battle
to share it with him. Several weeks
after this Captain Perry told me that
Capt. Elliott wished him to alter that
part of his official report, which stated |
that the Niagara did not, until late
period OF the engagement get into close /
action-and,nske ed me whether thought \
that part OF his report correct, as it had |
been agreed to leave the question To be 1
decided by two commissioned officers OF !
the fleet. Lieut.. Edwards, who was
present, and myself, being the officers
selected, answered | thought that part
OF his official report was entirely correct,
TO which Lieut.. Edwards assented."
DIR. Parsons states that the wounded
on board the Lawrence, from their first
coming down to the ward room where he
was stationed, "complaincd that the
Ningara did not come up TO her station
and close with the Queen Charlotte, al
though frequently ordered by signal
and this complaint was repeated by |
Lieu's. Brooks, Yarnall and Ciaxton. -
IT was at the same time observed, that
the Caledonia was in close action; while |.
the niagara, faster sailer, was quite |
out Of the reach of the enemy. After I
the action closed, the censures upon
Capt. Elliott's conduct were so general |
and severe, not only among the Lawren-
ce's officers, but those Of the smaller
vessels, that in writing to my friends the
day following, / did not hesitate to say
that Capt Elliott had disgraccd himself
in the action ; and the same sentiment
was expressed in the letters Of every
officer on board, who was capable Of
writing. These letters were on the point
Of being sent, when Mr.. Ilambleton,
who had just had a private interview
with Com. Perry, told us the commodore
wished Us TO be silent on Capt Ellioit's !
conduct that whatever might have been
appearances during the action, he was
then unwilling, after its happy result, to
destroy an officer Of his rank and tina,
honor enough had been gained by the
action to permit It's being shared by eve.
ry one engaged. This reques, was com
piled with as far as practicable one Of
Mr.. YarnalPs letters, however, had slip
ped from his hands before this message II
was received, and was published"
The publication of these documents
was made without the knowledge of the
relatives Of Commodore Perry who re-
GREETED it as leading to a controversy in
which they would not willingly have en-
UaU pd-he Iic yinu that tho ra MT at;o, =,