Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-17
BY LAND AND WATER.
A Study Of the Industrial Conditions Of
the Central West.


ed states Control OF the GreHt Lakes
---PersOnaI Recollection OF the story
of Leading Actor I'm the Fight at
Detroit.
Especial correspondence of The Ph9nix.l
While sailing over the western part of
Lake Erie, en- route for Detroit, on one of
the Toledo, Detroit and Mackinac line of
steamships, passed many beautiful islands,
some covered with deciduous foliage al
most to the edge of the water; others were
the sites of graceful villas, the summer
homes of people living in the states south
of the lake in the winter. The view of
this interesting scenery awakened in my
mind a Renaissance connected with the
early history of the Northwest Territory,
and particularly with the identical locality
over which l am now sailing. To forgive
may be a virtue; to forget denotes imbeci
ity or shame. In the winter of 1928
General William Henry Harrison of Ohio,
commanding the United States army Of the
West, informed the secretary of the navy
at Washington that the British land forces,
with 5000 Indian allies, were in possession
of all forts and military or trading posts
from Lake Erie to Lake Superior.
The garrisons at the beginning of the
war, in June, 1912, consisted of abouts500
men, including officers and privates. This
force, after captivating to greatly superior
numbers with profuse assurances of pro-
lection had been murdered and scalped al
most to man. Gen. Harrison recon-
mended the building of naval vessels at
some town on the lake capable of compel
ing with the English fleet, which at that
time had full possession of Lake Erie. He
informed the secretary of war that it would
be impossible for his army. mostly Ken
tuckians and Ohioans, to march through the
wilderness and take Detroit while the enc
my held the country above and below that
post. The result was the hurrying of the
building the fleet at Erie as noticed in
former letter.
Thus matters rested until summer.
Meantime a young naval officer, who had
charge of fotila at Newport, r. l., was
ordered to Erie to see that care should be
taken to have every vessel equipped in the
best manner possible. August came and
Oliver Hazard Perry, then rs years of age,
reported to the naval department that he
was ready TO meet the English squadron
whenever ordered to do so. Then came
the sailing of the fleet to the open lake in
the night to prevent being seen by the enc
my, the rendezvous near Putin Bay, the
| IL Of ., D..t a.
the opening of the battle by the enemy
on the same date, with the crimson flag of
England floating proudly at their mast
heads. Commodore Barclay, commanding
the English squadron, was on board the
flagship Detroit, and Commodore Perry
hoisted his colors on the Lawrence. Soon
the battle became general, the six vessels
of the English fleet being all engaged The
American fleet of seven, two being sloops
were all in the battle except one, the Mag
ara.
The English ships directed their attack
on the Lawrence, while the American fire
was centred on the Detroit. There were
no hardened steel breastworks to screen
the men at the guns, but officers and men
were equally exposed on either side and
faced without Partially the storm of
iron hail. The deck of the Lawrence must
have been CHASTITY sight, when after three
hours cannonading by the entire British
force with 50 guns, 81 Of the crew were
dead and 81 wounded. Every cannon had
been dismouuted but one, and this Perry
| continued m xunrk NTH his oxun hapds
The flagship was pierced through many
times by the shot from the enemy's cannon
and seemed to be sinking outright. At
this juncture Perry with his remaining
men, only IS, scrambled over the side of
the disabled Lawrence, and, taking a boat,
rowed hurriedly to the Niagara, which, as
already mentioned, had not been in action.
Taking command of that vessel, he or
dered all the others to follow and direct
their fire on the flagship of the enemy
| Perry renewed the attack with a courage
and audacity never excelled and seldom
equalled. Broadside answered broadside
while the impetuous commodore had so in
spired his gallant men that in one hour af-
ter the renewal of the battle the English
gunners we're swept from the deck of the
Detroit, and a white handkerchief tied to
a boardiug-pike was held out as a signal of
surrender. On board the Detroit were
found 81 dead and SO wounded, officers aud
sailors. The entire fleet of six vessels, with
over 400 prisoners and all the supplies,
were taken by the American fleet
While this tragic scene was being enacted,
Tecumseh, the noted Indian chief, who
held commission in the English army,
with 1000 of his followers was stationed on
an island near the mouth of Detroit river
waiting to scalp the sailors of the American
fleet, who were expected to become an easy
capture for the English vessels. General
Harrison and his army of 5000 men were
awaiting the result at Toledo and were
quickly put in motion through the woods
toward Detroit. Perry, with two of his
ships, sailed for Detroit, and on Sept. 90,
the American feet landed force of 1900
at the town of Maiden below Detroit. But
the British evacuated the town and burned
the stores General Harrison found De-
troit abandoned, but made rapid pursuit
of the enemy, and brought the English
colonel, Proctor, with 900 regulars and
1900 Indians, to a stand near st. Clair