St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-02-18
MOTHER OF HEROES.
Noble Woman Who Governed as Well as
Loved Her Children.

Loved Her Children.
When the news of Captain Perry s
victory ON Lake Erie reached his moth
er's home in Newport, an old farmer
on the island said: at was Mrs. Perry
who licked the British" Living in the
same village with the Perrys, he had
observed the excellent discipline main
tanned by their mother during the alb
sence of their father on the sea. There
were five boys of them, all governed
with firmness and good sense, tempered
with tender affection, by one of the best
of mothers, and all five became officers
of the United States navy.
Sarah Alexander was the maiden
name of their wise mother She was an
Irish girl, twelve years of age, living
at Newry in County Down, when she
first saw young Christopher Perry, an
American prisoner of war quartered
at Newry. He was boy of fifteen
when the American revolution began,
and enlisted at once in the little Col
onial navy. Captured soon by a British
cruiser, he endured for three months
the horrors of Il prison-ship in New York
harbor, anchored near the spot where
the great Brooklyn bridge now casts
its broad shadow across the East river.
He escaped with "little besides his
bones,' but was soon atloat again, and
remained in the naval service as long
as the struggling nation had an armed
vessel on the high seas.
It was in 1880 that he was captured
again while cruising in the Irish Sea, and
was carried into Neary. where, being
released on parole, he met the pretty
Irish girl who was &c tined to be his
wife and the mother of our gallant
Perrys. Two years later, drawn by
the light of her eyes, he shipped us
mate on board Philadelphia vessel
bound for Ireland, where he had the
exquisite joy of receiving her on board
his ship as a passenger. bound on a Wis
it to one of her uncles living in Phila-
delphia.
This was a piece of luck so extraor-
binary that a novelist would hardly
dare to introduce its parallel into TO-
nance. The young sailor improved
the golden chance, and before the yes
sci reached the American shore the
lovers were engaged. They were mar
ried at Philadelphia in 1871, when Per-
~ was twenty-three and his bride was
sixteen. From her have descended many
naval officers, besides the f,mous Cap
tain Oliver H. Perry, whose victory on
Lake Erie is one of the most gallant
and picturesque exploits of naval war
fare.
She was q lady of beautiful form and |
face, as well as of vigorous health and /
great stamina. Her lovely brown eyes,
her rich dark hair, her perfect teeth,
her firm and graceful carriage of body, /
are not yet forgotten by the few living
persons who had opportunities of see
ing her. She trained her boys to the |
practice of virtue, real virtue, courage
and fidelity. q just regard for the
rights of others, respect for age and /
services. She was a warm patriot, and |
felt most keenly the insults the flag
of her adopted country which led to
the war of 1912. Her special merit as
q mother was that she governed as well
as loved her boys. Most mothers are
fond and afiectionate enough, and she,
too, was one of the loving mothers;
but she did not permit her fondneSs to
relax her discipline. She exactcd a
prompt and complete obedience 10
reasonable commands. She main-
tanned in her home the same discipline.
Just and firm, kind and consilerate,
which her noble sons were famous for
in the vessels they commanded
Youths Compaaioaa.
Il