Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-04-03

having III our correspondence let.
ter published some Of the unkind ex
pressions used towards the HERALD,
We may take occasion after awhile to
compile list of another kind.
A BIT OF HISTORY.
Sergeant q. H. BAses-The Flag ship Law.
rence-Commodors PssSy-His bloody Bat.
tie and Victory On Lake Rsis-The Brig Law
renee or Exhibition ~ the CeasenniaI.
One morning in March re l step.
ped Into the Photographic gallery near
the Judges Hall in the Centennial
Grounds / noticed the name sSer-
geant Bates" lettersd on q sign board.
| said, "What does that mean ?'
pointing to the name on the sign.
board, addressing the gentleman
whose business was to sell pictures.
"Have You got Sergeant Bates here?''
The reply was eyes sir, he is here"
"The same individual what carried
the stars and stripes through por-
ton Of the Southern States after the
War ?" "The same man, SIR" was
the reply. "Well," said, "I'm from
Wisconsin; my name is D-my
business is sightseeing. "Will you be
kind enough to point out the gentle
man to mel" Eyes sir. He has
stepped out, will be in soon, and if
you are here / will introduce you.''-I
"Thank you," l said, and passed out
on the platform to see all manner of
men passing to and fro; Turks. Arabs,
men wearing petticoats Of all colors.
Japanese and Cinnamon, Medes and
Persians, men of all chimes who never.
met before. Now 1 am hack in the
picture gallery. Mr.. Bates is there.
| have an oduction. assured
him was happy to meet him, &c.
found him to be a pleasant, social
gentleman. | met him many times
afterwards. He kindly gave me an
account of his bearing the ssstars and
stripes" from Vicksburg to Washing,
ton, and afterward through England.
in the interest of National and Inter-
national Amlty and the reasons that
caused him to perform the aforesaid
acts. He is Wisconsin man, He
informed me that he had pr iect in
view. He left in few days and went
to Lake Erie and raised Commodore
Perry's Flag Ship the Lawrence"
from her long sleep beneath the blue
waters of Lake Erie, at Dismal Bay,
cut into sections and brought by rail
to the Centennial put together as she
bad lain for 81 years, just of the shore.
Her timbers standing growing in the
trees just 80 days before she bore
the brave Perry and his gallant men
to the greatest victory ever gained on.
inland waters. Dimensions of the
Lawrence are,lsngth ITO feet, 80 feet
beam, 8 feet hold, and carried 81 guns,
10 thirty-two.pound cannonades, and
8 twelve.pounders. The battle of
Lake Erie was fought September 10,
1918, and as soon as the fight com.
menced the enemy concentrated the
fire OF the greater number of their
guns ubon the Lawrence" and by
half past 2 O'Clock, out of l0l officers
and men on board only 10 were not
disabled, and all her guns were rem
dered ineffective. She wen. into the
fight that September morning flying a
flag with Lawrance's dying words.
"Don't give up the ship" emblazoned
thereon, and after sustaining the
combined attack of the enemy's fleet
for hours drifted out of the line help.
less wreck. Her scuppers running
blood, her decks covered with debris
of her spars and rigging, and the dead
and wounded bodies Of 50 of her gal
liant crew. Commodore Perry put off
in his boat under heavy fire Of mus.
kerry from the enemy, to bring up the
Niagara, which by the help of sud
den breeze he was enabled to do, and
the remainder of the American squad
ron being brought into action, the
battle was renewed, and the whole
British fleet soon surrendered. The
smoke of the terrific battle had hardly
cleared from the bloody scene when
Perry wrote his laconlc notes to Gen.
eral Harrison, and the Secretary of
the Navy, using the back of an old let
ter for his note to General Harrison,
and the blank leaf in the letter to the
Secretary, with the top of his navy
cap to write upon. They were as
follows: U. S Brig, Niagara. Sept.
10, 4 p. m, Dear General We have
met the enemy andithey..ar ours
Two Ships, two Briggs, one Schooner
and one sloop." o. H.PERRY.
A few minutes later and after re-
fiecting upon his wonderful preserva-
ton amid such carnage and destruc-
ton and the goodness of that power
who controls all things, he wrote to
the Secretary viz: "Off the west
sister head of Lake Erie, U. S. Brig.
Niagara, Sept. 10. 1913, 4 p, m. Sir
1t has pleased the Almighty to give
to the arms of the United States a
signal victory over their enemies on
this lake. The British squadron, con-
sisting of two ships, two briggs, one
schooner and one sloop, have this mo.
ment surrendered to the force under
my command, after sharp conflict. /
have the honor to be Sir, very Re-
specially, your Obedient Servant"
0. H. PERRY.
Sergeant Bates extended cordial
invitation TO the public to visit the
hulk of the historic old brig, free of
charge, at 50l2 Elm Avenue, oppo-
site west end of Machinery Hall. Rel
les of the ship were for sale including
shot, spikes, canes, cord, baskets,
trinkets of various kinds, pieces Of
wood to suit, &c. Your correspor.
dent procured several relics.
CENTENNIAL.
The Observer quotes and comments
as follows:
President Chadbourne of Williams
College said to the Massachusetts
teachers at their recent meeting: eff