Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-01-05

to the masthead of Perry's ship the
, Lawrence, and then the terrible battle
began. Prior to this, and while drill
ing, it had generally required six and
eight men TO move the twenty.iour
Founders with which the Caledonia was
, armed now, in the excitement OF bat
tie, three Of us could load and fire our
gun as often as one could an ordinary
muslSet. So long as we saw our ban
ner flying from the mast of the Law
renee, we felt to fight like tigers. Sud
denly, however, we saw the old flag
coming down. Never could | forget
the feelings | then experienced. l
thought the day was lost and that the
glory we had dreamed of was gone. /
wanted to die. Yet We fought on, but
without spirit. Meantime we saw q
small row boat leaving the side OF the
Lawrence manned by six men, and
suddenly we saw an officer rise up in
that boat and fling out tho same old
banner that had waved from the Law
renee, and then our spirits took new
courage. We knew that officer to be
our Commodore, and we knew, too,
that the day was not lost. We saw
the frail boat making for the Niagara,
and soon we saw the old banner climb.
ing the Niagara's mast, and then
cheer went up and the struggle was
renewed, The Niagara pushed in be-
tween .ho enemys of.wars-men,
and vomitcd forth her broadsidos.-
From Perry came the order to the Cal.
edonia to close up nearer and let the
enemy have il fresh from the mouths
Of our twenty-four Founders, The or
der was no sooner given than VIC did
close up, and so did the whole line.
The effect was terrible, and the British
pride was soon conquered. by one
the cnemy's flags kissed the deck, and
one by one his guns ceased to speak,
until just before four o'clock, three
hours and forty minutes afterth strug-
gle began, the last gun was fired
That last gun was on the Caledonia,
and was the one manned by myself
and Others, and not by Stephen Chap
lain, rs has been before stated. And
il was the last shot that the gun ever
fired, for she had then become disabled.
At her breach she had seam wide
enough to insert case knife. This
scam | discovered, and when calling
Captain Turner's attention to it he ex-
claimed: "My God, how We have es-
capped Another fire and We would
have been blown to atoms p | know
that after this there was not another
shot fired, and / can recall all the cir
cumstances. We On the Caledonia felt
very proud. We felt proud when we
learned Of the Commodore's message,
"Wohave met the enemy and they are
ours" and wefelt proud when we heard
that in his official report he would say
'tho Caledonia did more real damage
to the enemy than any other vessel, -
and my Kentucky pride sweled, | tell
you, when Colonel Todd told me that
he heard Commodore Perry say to
General Harrison, when talking of the
men which The latter had sent him, that
if it had not been for those twenty
men sent him from Seneca he believed
he would have lost the battle. | es-
capped without scratch, though ON
the deck Of the Caledonia it would
have been hard, after the battle, to find
spot larger than your hand where
cannon ball had not done some damage.
The dead and wounded cared for, the
dead privates heavod into the lake and
the officers carried ashore and buried,
We soon after left the Caledonia, and
after a short trip to Maiden we were
again made Gland lubbers." Soon af-
ter this change our time expired, and
back to Washington, Mason county, !
Kentucky, We marched, where we were !
mustered out. In honor of the event
a grand champagne supper was given
us, in the midst of which Captain Gra-
ham, of the regular army, proposed, | |
think for the first time, this toast, so
often quoted "Here's champagne TO
our roal friends and real pain to our
sham friends
AT this, an appropriate ending, Mr..
Norris celsed his "reminiscences and in
sisted upon my friend and myself par
taking of his hospitality under his own
roof. We were not reluctant in ac-
eepting, and while there were shown
n medal which the Kentucky Legisla-
turo presented Mr.. Norris in 1860. 1t
is Of gold, somewhat larger than n
double eagle, and on one side is repre-
scented the battle of Lake Eric, in re.
lief,'inscribed around which are the
immortal words, ave have met the
enemy and they arc ours Under this
representation is
Lake Erie, September 10, 1913.
On the opposite side are the words
To John Norris, by Resolution Of the Kentucky
Legislature.
February II, 1860.
Four of these medals were struck at
that time, and besides the one to Mr..
Norris one was given to the late DIR.
Tollivcr, of Cincinnati; one to James
Artist, living near Maysville, Kentucky,
but recently deceased, and one to John
Tucker, of Mason county Kentucky,
who died some years since.
ELOQUENT WAYsIDE ADDREss.-Sam