Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-22
Perry's Victory.

IcTTS NlCtUTy,
In the little hamlet, located on the
Ohio shore, nearly opposite Lawrence
burg, Ind, and but a short distance
from North Bend, o., where President
Harrison sleeps, has lived, for over half
a century, old John Norris, q "last sur
vivor" of Perry's victory on Lake Erie.
Mr.. Norris is now in his SSth year, has
for several months been confined to his
bed, and was yesterday reported dying.
Probably before this chapter reaches
the reader he will have finished his
course. The writer visited the old gen.
tleman few days since and heard him
rehearse the scenes of nearly seventy
years ago. The memory of the stirring
events in Americas early history APP
peared to quicken his sluggish blood,
and as he talked he manifested all the
ardor of novice in the lecture-feld.
Save q few expletives, the old mans
narrative is given to the reader as it was
to the writer:
81 enlisted from Mason County, Ken
lucky, in May, 1913, and was soon after
mustered into cavalry company at the
old Newport Barracks. Capt. John
Payne, of Augusta, commanded the
company. which was made up of men
from Mason, Lewis, Lemon, Bracken,
and Fayette Counties. We were mus
tered in as six months men, and were
assigned to Col. johnson S three months
regiment, nearly every member of
which was from Kentucky. Almost
our first roll-call was while we were en-
route to Northern Ohio, where the In
dams had been committing some depre-
dations. We messed in Fort Meigs and
stopped in Camp Seneca, on the San
dusky River. in command of Gen. Har-
rison, and then we joined Col. Balls
forces from Maryland. and proceeded
down toward lower Sandusky. Our
arms consisted only of swords and
pistols. On our march we were am
pushed by band of Indians number
ing only thirteen. We reciprocated the
favor by surrounding the savages and
killing them all. After this skirmlsh,
as the men came trooping back into
line, over fifty soldiers claimed to have
'bloodied his sword in the heart of q
live Indian, when, Us you know, there
were only thirteen of the redskins,
hardly enough to go round. Ny sword
wasn't bloodied.'
" In the neighborhood of Lower San
dusky and Seneca, we carried on pre-
datory warfare all summer. Toward the
close of the season Commodore Perry
sent message to Gen. Harrison stating
that he wanted company of fighting
men. Gen. Harrison called upon ouI
company for volunteers. Prior to this
he had tickled our pride with the re-
mark that we Kentuckians didn't know
when we were whipped In the mes.
sage which he sent to us he said he
wanted volunteers only I had been
eager to see some good fighting before
my term of six months expired. sc
when the message was read aloud to us
was one of the first to lump to the
front with, I'm one to CO. I'm an
other, and I'm another passed rap.
idly down the line until twenty mem.
bers OF our company alone had offered
themselves as volunteers. The mex
day we were taken down the river to the
Commodore's fleet, which was lying al
Portage, near what is now called San
dusky City.
We were placed on board the Gale.
donid, commanded by Capt. Turner
The date l can't Just remember.
know it was towards the latter part Of
August. Perry had made several in.
etfectual attempts to entice the British
Commander from his stronghold in
Madden to come ont and engage him,
but thus far his attempts had been
futile. The willy Britisher maintained
his dignity all the while, of course, and
strengthened his force by building and
manning another ship, called the De.
hod. He occasionally showed his
teeth by short cruise on his own side
OF the lake, but he was careful to keen
out of Perry's reach.
Perrys fleet. if I remember right.
consisted of eight vessels. The British
had six. We were outnumbered, how.
ever, in men and guns. While we had
only fifty guns mounted, they had
sixty-nine, and nearly all heavier than
ours.
=" When the morning of the memora-
BILE day of the 10th of September came,
was sleeping on the deck of the Gale.
donia, and was suddenly awakened by
an excited conversation very near me.
On inquiriDg the cause, 1 was told that
the long-wished-for time had COME
that the enemy was approaching us.
With the naked eye / could see moth.
ing, but being proffered a spy-glass 1
could readily discern the whole British
squadron in battle array.
Eagerly as / had wished for this
day. the immediate prospect was not
cheering. In spite Of me, my knees
would insist in playing tattoo on each
other. This feeling, however, was soon
Lost In the excitement of the hour.