Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-06
NEW YoRK. Sept. 9TH. 1860.

City" on the memorable TENTH, to witness
the imposing ceremonies of the Inauguration
of the Statue in honor of the gallant PERRY
to hear the GRAFTON of the elegant scholar,
and accomplished Historian, and genial man,
GEORGE BANCROFT-to see the grand
Military and Masonic display, and more than
all, to greet old and cherished friends, whom,
perhaps, may never see again, until we meet
con the other side"
I trust the heavens will not weep on the
10th, and that the Day may be as beautiful
as the event you celebrate was fortunate.
So much have we heard OF Perry's Victory,
that we can hardly believe, it is torty-ssUen
years since that memorable triumph CT Amel-
ican courage and valor, when Commodore
Perry wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, as
follows:
U. S. BRIG NIAGARA, LAKE Erie,
September 10, 1913.
SIR-It has pleased the Almighty to give
to the arms of the U. States a signal victory
over their enemies on this Lake. The Brit
ish squadron, consisting Of 2 ships, brigs,
schooner, and one sloop, have this moment
surrendered to the force under my command,
after a sharp conflict. I have the honor to
be, &c, o. H. PERRY"
1t will be remembered that the LAWRENCE,
the flag ship of Con-. PERRY, early in the ac-
ton, was completely riddled, 'eyery gun rem
dered useless-and the greater part of her
crew either killed or wounded. ''Soon af-
ter Com. P. got on board the Niagara, the flag
of the Lawrence came down, although she
had been defended to the last The enemy
was not able to take possession of her, and
her flag was again hOisted," under the COM
mand of the young and brave and gallant
"LIEUT. YARNALL, who, although several
times wounded, refused to quit the deck of the
Lawrence"
LIEUT.. YAREALL was brother of the ven
cradle Maj. P. YARNALL, who yet lives in a
green and vigorous old age, in Wheeling,
Va, a fine specimen of Virginia gentle
man of an earlier day. At his bospitable
home saw an elegant sword, presented to
his brother by the Legislature Of Virginia
for his heroic conduct in the Battle of Lake
Erie. I hope that Maj YarnalI will be at
your celebration. He was once a Buckeye,
and believe a member of the Ohio Legisla-
ture.
In a second letter Com. Perry says:
81 am satisfied, Sir, that whatever steps 1
might take, governed by HUMANITY, would
meet your appreciation"
Truly, the AngeI Of Mercy hovered over the
waters crimsoned with human blood, and the
Hero of Victory, in his hour of triumph and
of glory, did not forget that he was "man
and brother" and that to save was more
glorious than to destroy.
The American squadron had "a gpns-the
British 60 guns. The American loss, 25
killed and ss wounded.
Com. Perry says: 'The exact number of
the enemy's force has not been ascertained,
but have good reason to believe that it ex-
ceeds ours by nearly 100 men,"
The part the "Lawrence" bore in the fight
may be learned from the fact that t1Denti-tl0O
were killed, and sirty-Ons wounded on her
deck.
How wonderful has been the change along
Lake Erie in fOrty-seven yearsl Then, there
were only a few vessels on the Lake, and
they were fitted out with the implements of
death; the murderous cannon was ready to
open its mouth, and was eager to speak de-
struction. Nol0, vessels, white with the Com
merce of Peace, and freighted from the Horn
of Plenty, which the abundant Harvests OF
the great and prosperous West have filled to
overhowing, beautify the Lakes, and enrich
the farmer, and add large profits to the credit
side Of the Merchants Ledger. Then, along
the heavy forests on its borders, here and
there, a few houses gave evidence of a new
settlement in the wilderness, and the hardy
and enterprising and laboriOus pioneers had
erected their log cabins-girdled the sturdy
trees-broken the soil, planted their corn
sOwed their wheat, cultivated a little garden
patch, and looked forward with hope for gen
erous crops, and with fear for the almost sure
approach of fever and ague. They toiledand
suffered, and to-day their beautiful fields
their lowing fiocks-their bleating herds
their green pastures-their comfortable homes
decorated within and without by the hand of
educated taste-their inviting gardens, filled
with fruits from almost every cline, and Jew
elled with fowers-their pleasant villages
their hourishing tOwns-their populous and
prosperous cities-the seats of q large and in
creasing trade and commerce, and of grow
ing manufactures above all, their
schools, academies, and colleges, and church.
es, all supported by the voluntary contribu-
tons, or the self-imposed taxes, of men who
know that intelligence and virtue are the
strength of nation-all these, tell of the
proud triumphs Of the Pioneers, and those
who followed them.
InIsI3, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois had
$50, 600 population. Now these States and
their children in the Northwest have some
100000 Of people.
God grant that hereafter all the victories
on the great Lakes may be the victories of
PEAoE-and that when statues are in the fu-
ture erected to heroes, they may be commem-
oratlve Of MEN who have done most TO ele-
yate and ennoble their race by improvements
IN art-0y Investigations in science-by per-
teehng human laws, and institutions of Gov
ernment and adapting them more and more to
the wants Of man-to the necessities of So
ciety-and to make them all to accord in