Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-12
BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE.
one q Americas Most Famous Naval Vic'o-
ries-Wsr Of 1912.


naval campaign on Lake Erie uurins
the war of 1si2. He was sent because
he was fighter. He came from u IAN
fly of dauntless courage. iiis ia'ner
had been a privateersman uuIihs ".
Revolution. The son managed 10 ~
into the navy az soon ms ne coulu un''e
himself from the apron strings. Ns
lad of Ia he went as midshipinan LOT
service in West Indian waters lie saw
service in the old Adams, then III ,he
Constitution, and next on the Nhutilus
MS commander. Once he was WreCh.u'
He ran the Revenge on reef. rms
brought him idleness for year,pu ~
The breaking out of hostil!tles in 1917
no was nut in command OF the gun
fotilla at Newport. He was n SORT oI
"Fighting Bob Evans. II was too cam
on the coast for him, and repeated ap
pllcations were sent to tine hecrethiy v.
the navy for n transfer to the scene Vi
actual warfare on the Lakes. me com,
mission finally was granted. II feucheu
him early one morning In FEBRUARY,
1sl3 Before sunset 90 OF MS pickcu
men were on their way West nun.
dred more followed in four days FERRY
himself started ON the 9th. 81,
Erie had been chosen as the phse vi
oneratlons. A navy yard had been es,
taNiishei Cant. Perry found II In bad
shane. There were two Eunboats on
she WAYS nearly planked, third was
ready for planking. and thc keeIs
+wo hrips had been laid. 1t was eVl-
dent that the government was III w.
tncapacity for war. There was not
gun In sight for the armament OF ene
nroposed SQUADRON. Sixty volunteers
were the only protection against ilfe
and attack by the British. Not a mus
vet ar bullet was to be had in ERIE, nor
had a rome or yard OF canvas peeh
sent for sails or rigging. Perry was
equal TO the emergency The day ne
arrived he hired a force TO guard tnc
ships already under construction
sent officers to Buffalo the first even
ing for muslets. cartridges and 40 sea
men, He left the second day for PITTS
burg for necessary supplies
Perry was met on every hand with
difficulty. The very lumber that ne
needed had to he hewn from logs. inc
timber, oak chestnut and pine, was Gu,
on the SPOT. Braces and beams We're
put into the huis In the afternoon that
had been parts OF standing trees the
same morning. The iron was gathered
by foraging parties that searcheu
through stores. shops, warehouses ana
farm buildings A delegation secured
o big find of about thousand POUNDS
in Buffalo A number Of ship carpen-
ters came on from Philadelphia to
offer their services. The citizens OF
Pittsburg held meetings and raised
money for anchors. ropes, cables ana
guns A militia officer In the nelgh-
borhood of the work brought out oV0
volunteers to put Erie under martial
law. The fleet was about ready Tor
launching. He feared fire-brands In
the hands of spies or traitors.
DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP"
This was the inscription of the ban
ner from the peak OF the Lawrence. IL
was unfurled as the craft slid Into the
water early in May followed few
days later by the remainder OF the
fleet. He added five boats which he
had brought down from Buffalo There
were now gathered in the harbor OF
Erie four little sloops with one gun
each. two vessels with two guns each
one with three, one with four and the
Niagara and the Lawrence with q
each. All were rlgbrd and ready FOR
the fight, but the trouble was Just be-
ginning. Perry had only 40 men 1T
for duty. The roads had been kept hot
with courlers for reinforcements. He
needed commanders, gunners and sea
men. "Glve me men, sir, and l VIII
gain both for you and myself honor
and glory on this lake, or perish in the
attempt" he wrote to the secretary
This brought him go. He agreed L
pay volunteers $40 month for foul
months. or until a battle was fought
This brought him 40 more. He refused
to wait longer, and gave orders Aug
to his 300 effective men to get under
sail. 1t was Sunday.
Perry, on the Lawrence. led the
cruise of the sailors The little boats
passed the bar Mt the entrance to the
harbor. The big ones drew too much
water. The schooners stood In bold
battle array on the outside, trimmed
for action, while all hands were put t
work m hn sRn ms luf which ~
lighter the two big boats over tn,
sand. The "camels" were scows tn,
length of the Lawrence and Niagara
They had plugs in the bottom. A,
soon as they were alongside the bis
boats the plugs were token out. TIL,
scows were sunk until their decks wer,
level with the port holes. Spars wer,
passed through the port holes resting
on blocks on the decks of the half sub
merged s,cows. The plugs were driver
back and the water pumped out. Tn,
scows began to rise and the battl,
ships were lifted. The first time tn
lifting was not enough. The whol
program had to be repeated. with dan
ger that the enemy would appear n
any moment. 1t happened, however
that the enemy We're on shore. beini
entertained at dinner. This, by tn
way, was the only piece of good for
tune that befell Perry.
Perry crulsed up and down FOR som
days. He couldn't find the enemy
This walt gave Lieut.. Jesse d. Elliot
and $50 men time to arrive from tn
Constitution and be taken to the Ma
CARA in small boats. The detachmen
of fresh troops added vigor to Perry
valor. This made him entirely ready
With his ten wooden warshipH h
turned his course to the head OF tn
lake, bound to bring back the enemy o
go to the bottom. He got as far as tn
Islands opposite Sandusky and put 4
for harbor. He sighed to get his ey
on the British fleet. but tn
British fleet was hiding up the Can
adian shore, waiting for the compile
tlon OF the ship Detroit. The Detroi
was finished early in September, sill
down the lake to Join the others an
proudly led the squadron of six vessel
in the direction OF Perry's fiotlla. Tn
lookout on the Lawrence shouted tn
approach OF the line at sunrise on tn
10th. Captain Barclay was In com
mand. He had the Detroit. with !
guns; the Queen Charlotte, with II: th
Hunter. with 10; Little Belt, with Is
Lady Provost, with one. The humble
OF guns was about equal. Barcla
had had one arm shot OFF with Nelso
nj Trafalgar. Neither he nor PER-
had white flag on board. 1t was wi
or die.
Barclay opened fire at long rang
from the Detroit Perry had nothin
with which to make reply. The nj
sang with flying shells. Perry gave tn
signal for close action. All the canva
was stretched. a light breeze pickle
up his fleet and bore his crafts ~t-aigh
Into the enemy's line about noon. II