, 1879-01-04
Interesting "reminiscences Of a
Last Survivor"
Old John Norris, OF Kentucky,
Interviewed,
Graphic Account Of a Conflict on the
Water,
1Iow Perry Banged tho British tu the
Year 1919.

let located m the Ohio shore, nearly opuotto |
1,awrcncctnre, In1., and but short distance |
from Norll 1'cu1 o., Whcrc President liar
ttso,i sleeps. has lived Tor oEcr half Century
old John Norris, a "1ast survivor" Of pcrgy's |
victory III Lake Eric. hfr. Norris Is now tn llfs |
sstl ycar, hes for several months hceu confined |
to his he'll, and WA yesterday reported dying. |
I'robably before this chapter reaches tho reader !
DC will have Gntahed lila course+ Ths vrltor |
Visited tho old gentleman few days sncr and |
heard hin rchearse the scenes Ut nearly seventy
years nep. Tho memory Of tho stirring eyonts
in Atnerlca't eatly history APPEARED to uuickcl,
lis blngg!sh blood, and hs llu tn1ketl hr iunnl-
tested all tho arlor uf nov!ca In tie lecture
field. saYo faT expotlycs,
TIM OLD MANS HAnHATIvH |
IA given to the realcr rs 1t wa4 to the writer.
II enlisted from Mason County, Kentucky,
IN May. 1871, md was soou after mustered into
a cavalry COMPANY at tho old Newport Barsacks.
Capt. John Payne, OF Augusta- commanded ttio
cpu,!,any, whcl, wns made up Of lncu frafu
Mtspn. Lowls, Lemon. Dracken. and fayottc
Counties. We wcrc mustered In d sir month";
u1c,,, and were assigned to COL Johnsoll's tt,rHc
u,otsths' regiment. nuar1y every member OF wlrt'h
ras from Kentucky. Almost our first roll-c Ill
was while wo were cn ronto to Northern 0tio,
vtcre tho Indians had bcen committing onlc
1epreilat!ons. Wc messed In Fort Alcigs lind
stopped In Camp Seneca, on tue Snndut Ky
River, In cor,Inand Of Gen. Harrison, and II en
wc }oincl Col. Balls forces from Maryland, and
proceeded down towaid Lower Sanduslty. Cur
nrn,s consisted only Of swords and pistols. '0n
our march we wcEc
AMDr5i1ED 1T 4 HAND OF INDIANS
numbering only thirteen. Wo rcclprocatcl i hc
fayor by surrounding tho savages and kill ,g
them all. After this sk!rmst, as tho inen Gu, no
trapping back iuto ltnr, over fifty aoldi FRI
clnitned to have 'hloodel his sword In 'th,
heart Of live Indian, when, rs you know, there
wcrc only thirteen Of tho redskins, harlly
enough to 90 'round. NY sword wasn't
4bl1odlel'
ain inc nclghhorhood OF Lower sandus1 ,
md Seneca, VIZ carrlod OH d predatory warfnt u
ull summer. Toward the cIoac Of the seas, II
Co,n1odorc Perry sent n message to Gen. IL lr-
rlson stating TINT he wanted company Of 1iullt-
Ing men. Gen. IIurrison called upon our COLT
pany for:1olunteers. Prior to this he had t1ckled
our pride by the remark that Wi kcntucktaus
didn't know when we wcro whipDcd.' In tue
message which he sent to ,,B ho sud lie war'ted
volunteers only had been cugesr to ice somo
good lighting before my term OF si: months ok
plred 60 when tho message wns t:eaa aloud to
lis, was onu OF the nret to jump tofthc front
With, PM ono to- go.' I'm Nuotherf' aud
I'm auothcr,' PASSED rapidly q. Mn tho liae
until twenty meHpefs I'll our 60 nip1hf a!nno
Ind offered themselves as volll itecrs. Tho
next day VIC were taken down tic fTcr to-
TIE coMMoDoRns RLeE :.
which was lying nt Fortuge, hear what ID now
called Bands1slsy City. a
"e Wcrc pnccd On board IN Caledonia,
commanded BY Capt. Turner. The |dnto can't
Just remember; l know tt Was tlo"tlr0s tho
!attcs part Of August. Ferry Ind y, tatio several
uetfertua] nktempta to cntftc tho E,rlfsh fcun1-
linuder FROM llts stronghold IN hiaicicn to come
out aud engage him. but thus far Ats attempts
hna paem iate; m Ine WY nrstshcr maintained
eiled fts force by building aud maln ne ant'tlIcr
sup, callcd tic Detroit lie occasionally showed
hlS teeth W 9 B!lort crfitse on hls osn s!t:o Of
tue lake, ont ho was careful TO Eeep out or
pcrry's reach.
'terrys flect, ~ remember right, consisted
Of eight vrssels Tho British Ind stx. Wa wcres
outhamberod, however, tn men !1Hd gnns. While,
w., we eaa gnsy ni.y Gpns monnfed they had sixty
-, "mhen ing morning ct the mt'morablc day OF !
tho !ott Of scptcmbGr caslle. was alecplng OF :
INC neck O. the Ca!cdonia. alNl was suddenly J
aWasenra m by @ o. excited conversation yery near
ne. ne on inguissuE the eaute, waa told tliat tho
lon@-"ishcu Tor time tad cotnc,-tmt
-,,,, TIE ESEMy WAS APPROACHING W.
Mith thc TAXED eJu eou1l see nothing, but
tug who'll whole Brltish M squadron II battle array.
"Eageriy rs ilau wished for this day. tho
immediate prospect was not cheering. 1p sp!te
o.. o e ny knees w9 n sst IN playing tattoo
met the enemy my knees were ready, aud Ut NY
arbitrary soms1nt1t:
j., ino niua bunting on Which Was Inscribed
1T ~htGn the Immortal words Of tho dying Lnw-
renee. Never ftva up the ss'tp,' was run up to
pied by the Commodore, and rs It was unfurlcd
hnfi