Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-12-01


exPectedly shifted in his favor. Captain Bar
clay observing this, Immediately hove to, and
laying with his topsails aback, waited the ap-
proach Of his adversary.
With all his canvas out, Perry bore slowly
and steadily down before the wind. The
breeze was SO light, that he scarcely made
two miles an hour
The shsfe was lined with spectators gazing
on the exciting spectacle, and watching with
intense anxiety the movements Of the Ameri-
can squadron Not cloud dimmed the clear
blue sky overhead, and the lake lay like a
mirror, rejecting upon its beauty and purity.
Perry, in the Lawrence, led the line.
Taking out the flag which had been pre-
viously prepared, and mounting the gun-slide,
he called his crew about him, and said, My
brave lads, this flag contains the last words of
Captain Lawrence. Shall hoist it! 'Ay,
ay, sir, was the cheerful response. Up went
the flag with will, and as it swayed to the
breeze it was greeted with loud cheers from
| the deck. As the rest of the squadron beheld
that flag floating from the main mast of their
commanders vessel, and saw Don't give up
the ship! was to be the signal for action, a
long, loud cheer rolled down the line.
The excitement spread below, and all the
sick that could move, tumbled up to aid in the
approaching combat. N'a i't
Perry then visited every gun, having word
| 81
of encouragement for each captain. Seeing
some of the gallant tars who had served on
board the Constitution, many Of whom now
stood with handkerchiefs tied round their
heads, all clear for action, he said, well,
boys, are you ready1' 'Ail ready. your hon
or was the quick response. i need not say
anything 10 you. You know how TO beat
those fellows he added smilingly as he passed
on. la s1H-- sIHsr ga .t
The wind was SO light that it took an hour
and half, after all the preparations had been
made, to reach the hostile squadron. This
long interval of idleness and suspense was
harder TO bear, than the battle ITSELF Every
man stood silently watching the enemy's YES
sci, or in low and earnest conversation with
each other, leaving requests and messages to
friends in case they fell. T
Perry gave his last directions, in the event
of his death, to Hambleton-tied weights to
his public papers, in order to have them ready
to cast overheard In case they should be de-
feated--read over his wife's letters for the last
time, and then tore them up, so that the enc
my should not see those records of the heart,
and turned away, remarking, This IS the most
important dag Of my Efe' The deep serious
ness and silence that had fallen on the ship,
was broken by the blast Of bugle that came
ringing over the water from the Detroit, fol-
lowed by cheers from the whole British squad
ron. A single gun, whose shot went skipping
past the Lawrence, first uttering its stern
challenge, and in a few minutes all the long
guns Of the feet began to play on the Ameri-
can fleet ln
Being mile and half distant, Perry could
not use his carronades, and he was exposed
to this fire for half an hour before he could get
within range. Steering straight for the De-
troit, fourth larger than his own, he gave
orders to the schooners that Jagged behind to
range up within cable length
Those orders, the last he gave during the
battle, were passed by trumpet from vessel to
vessel. ..i.-...a .a.1 .--a
The light wind having nearly died away,
the Lawrence suffered severely before she
could get near enough to open with her car
ronades, and she had scarcely taken her posi-
ton before the fire of three vessels was direct
ed upon her, ...t ..-. .. ....f ..-r at
Enveloped in fame and smoke, Perry strove
desperately to maintain his ground till the rest
of the fleet should close, and for two hours
sustained without finching this unequal con-
test. veaf -a a1-i fvriaIas bUo aig ~,
The balls crashed necessarily through the
sides of the ship, dismounting the guns and
strewing the deck with the dead, until at
length, with 'every brace and bow-lme
shot away, she lay an unmanageable wreck
on the water. But still through the smoke,
as it went before the heavy broadsides,
her colors were seen flying, and still CLEANED
forth in the sunlight, that glorious motto
Don't gipe up the ship 2
Calm and unmoved at the slaughter round
him, and his own desperate position, Perry
gave his orders TRANQUILITY, as though execut-
ing maneuvre.
Although in his first battle, unaccustomed
to the scenes Of carnage, his face gave no tok-
en- of the emotions that mastered him. Ad-
vanciRg to assist sailor, whose gun had got
out Of order, he saw the poor fellow struck
from his side by twenty-four pound shot
and expired without groan. His second
lieutenant fell at his feet. ta@ls 'a i''
Lieutenant Brooks, gay, dashing officer
of extraordinary personal beauty, While speak
ing cheerfully to him, was dashed by a can.
non-ball to the other side of the deck. anf
mangled in the most horrid manner His
shrieks and imploring cries to Perryrto xii
q him and end his misery, were heard eyel
above the roar of guns in every part of tn
ship. ,o
The dying who strewed the deck, woul,
turn their eyes in mute inquiry upon thei
youthful commander, as if to be told they ha
done their duty. The living, as a sweepin,
4 shot rent huge gaps in the ranks Of their com