Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-09-10
MORNING LEADER.
FTlm tic Ere D1Ily BulletE-
THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE.

battle. \ brieI history OF the expedition and
terrible contest will be interesting at this time,
and we propose to co!late the most material
pOrtio.s of the Address The facts may be
taken as authentic, DR.. Parsons being Surgeon
of the flagship Lawrence at the time Of the
battle
At the commencement of the war Of 1912, |
Government undertook the conquest Of Upper
Canada. Gen. Hull was at tue head Of the
army at Detroit, and Gen. Van Rensselaer, Of
another on Niagara river. The former was
captured and the latter defeated At this time,
the British held possession OF Lake Erie, with
five armed vessels, aud had captured the Adams,
the only armed vessel we owned on the Lake
Their vessels, carrying sailors and Indians,
could AZ any moment strike fatal blow upon
any deienseless settlement on the south side Of
the Lake. Three fruitless and disastrous eI-
petitions taught US the nece ssity Of creating
feet upon Like Erie that should command II,
sad cooperate with Gen. Harrison, who then
commanded the Northwestern army. Accord
ingly, in the winter Of lsI2-I3, the keels Of
five vessels we're laid at Erie; az the same time,
four or five merchant schoOners, being all that
were then owned by Us upon the Lake, were
purchased, and armed with two or three guns
each.
Perry was at that time commander Of hOtilla
of gun boats Newport, K. J., and volunteered
for the Lakes He was ordered to superntend
The Outitting of the feet of Lake Erie. He
took with him many of the officers and seamen
from Newport, and arrived st Ere in March Of
1913. 1t is worthy Of remark that majority
of the officers of the fleet, and a large portion
of the men were from Rhode Island.
In May, 1913, Perry left Erie in four cared
boat for Buffalo, where be arrived in twenty
four hours. From thence he proceeded to Lake
Ontario and rendered important service to Com
modore Chauncey in the capture Of Fort George.
On his way he stopped at Black Rock, to hasten
the arming and Quitting oil the five merchant
schOOners and on his return he took with him
from ChauBcey's feet few men, and borrowed
two companies of infantry from the army, with
which he manned the vessels and sailed to Ere.
The feet narrowly escaped being captured by the
British feet which was in the nsighbOrhCOd Of
Erie the day before Perry arrived. Many diff
culties had to be encountered in obtaining
eordage, canvas, powder and balls, and oil other
outfits which were to be brought mostly from the
seabOsrd. distance OF five hundred miles, over
bad roads.
The work progressed rapidly under the superb
or management Of the officers, and on the 10Th
of July the guns were mounted on board oil the
vesses, and the men were exercised at them
several times aday. The timber had been taken
from the forest and converted into vessels in less
than five months.
The bar at Erie served as 4 fertilization to
prevent the enemy from entering the haTDor
where the feet was building, and also presented
a serious obstacle 70 the egress of the larger
vessels All the guns and ammunition had to
be taken Off the Lawrence and Niagara to get
over the bar. Before the large vessels were
fairly over the enemy hove in sight, and fired
few shots which failed to do any execution. The
Pennsylvania Regiment paraded on the old block
house ground and made as formidable show as
possible, and the smaller American vessels which
we're over the bar returned the FIRE Forum
stely the enemy did not know how easy victory
might have been obtained at the time, and sailed
up the Lake.
On the 9th of August Peny's feet sailed
across the Lake hoping TO meet the enemy, but
not discovering them returned TO Erie the next
day, and was then reinforced by Capt. Elliott
with nearly 100 officers and men. Perry again
made sail up tb, lake in pursuit of the British,
and on the 18th Of August anchored in Putin
/ Bay. On the 18th he sailed 10 the mouth Of
SaDdusky Bay, and there by previous arrange
ment was met by Gen. HarnsOn, who remained
on board to settle the plan Of future operations.
/ a reinforcement Of some thirty or forty vOlun-
/ teers also Joined the fleet After cruising about
at the head Of the lake, the feet again anchored
At Put-ln-Bay on the 9th Of September.
! The following morning the British feet was
/ discovered making up the Lake. AL hands
were piped up, aud the American vessels got In
trim for battle The British feet consisted Of
six vessels, carrying 90 guns, and the American
Of nine vessels, with 81 guns Com. Perry
having got his feet ready for action brought out
his fighting flag. 1t was inscribed with the last
words of the expiring Lawrence, ''DoS'T GIVE
CP THE SHIP" and was hoisted 10 the mast head
of the ship bearing has name. spirited sp-
peal was made TO the crew assembled on the
quartsr-deck, who returned three hearty cheers
that were repeAted along the whole line ofves-
sells, and up went the flag to the top fthe fore
royal, where the whole fleet could read the mot
to distinctly.
Every preparation being made, and every man
at his post, profound silence reigued for more
than an hour, the most trying part Of the whole
scene. l. was the stiffness OF the atmosphere
that precedes the hurricane, while the feet nov
ed on steadily I'LL quarter before - u when
the awful suspense was relieved by a easn0n
shot aimed at the Lawrence from the British
flagship Detroit, one mile distant. In short
time the whole feet was engaged, except the
Niagara, which was kept out Of close action BY
the ineIplicable conduct Of Captain Elliott who
utterly falled to perform tbe duty assigned him
in the battle, and hung back for nearly two
hours in the heat Of the contest. The fight was
fierce and sanguinary, and the carnage on board
the Lawrence was fearful. That vessel. afteE
one of the most determined struggles on record,
was at last disabled, and Perry abandoned her
and passed in an open boat 10 the Niagara,
which he Immediately brought into action. In
a short time the tide was changed and the Brit
ish surrenlered. The battle had ragged for over
three hours. The whole loss on the American
side was % killed and 90 wounded, Of which %
were and 81 wounded on board the Lawrence,
leaving only killed and IS wounded On all the
other American vessels. The whole number
killed on the side Of the British was Al WOuR-
ded 81
About O'Clock Commodore Perry resumed
the command Of his tattered flag ship, the Law
renee determined that the remnant OF her crew
should have the satisfaction of witnessing the
formal surrender Of the British officers. 1t was
time OF conflicting emotions when he stepped
on deck; the battle was won and he was safe,
but the deck was slippery with blood and
stre8n with the bodies of twenty officers and
men, and the ship resounded everywhere with
the groans of the wounded. Those who were
spared and able to walk met him on board, but
the salutaiion was a silent one on both sides;
not word could find utter1nee.
When the British officers rendered their
swords Perry received them with dignifed
and solemn air, the most remote possible from
any betrayal Of eIultatiOn, and in low tone Of
voice requested them 70 retain their side-arms
and inquired with deep concern for Con. Bar
clay, and the wounded officers, and rendering
to them every comfort which his ship af
forded
Those who were killed in battle were com
mitted to the deep at night-fall, the Episcopal
service being read over them. On the foluw-
ing morning the two fleets sailed into PUTIN
Bay, where the slain officers were buried on
shore. Equal respect WAS paid to the slam OF
the two fleets. Minute guns were fired from