The Republican journal., 1910-08-04
THE OLD NAVY.
~ ,oHN O. JOHNSON OF LIBERTY.
D. w

-. THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL:
10 last letter l said that our pre-
In ~Y situation upon the Great Lakes
cafl0D. Won our borders adjoining Can
ana q. aF The time of the two great naval
so1 roments on Lakes Erie and Cham
eag's ado those victories of much more
Pla'" ..nce TO rs than would seem on
mp. Before the battle on Lake
is !. =. ', csneraI Hull of the American army
bi'' ansij}anImously, or traitorously and
d." f...f,ljy surrendered Detroit and
al's s1o mon to Sir Isaac Brock, a major
Ivy. commanding the British forces.
g sa,sot surrender can learn but little.
" g-. ,, +. strangely silentin relation to
nm Ill.,. historian of Michigan calls it an
i' .-aos,r surrender, while others call
u'I i,.,,rq.st,l and the military authori-
y W.T. .t.t i0e called it a traitorous
"" -4.. ami history records that he
.... .r court martial, found
WI - ,-rtented to death, but was
.--... President Madison and sub
f-.. ..rame Governor of Michigan.
nus he had published book
!.ns proved to the world that he
..... .-..t, IL treason. Such was the
....-......r axe Erie, and it was even
,,s- Lake Champlain at the time
Y.,..n.ra.- victory, for the British
-...rlt "a agge force under General
n.r,-.t,. f5othold in Northern New
- .-. g possessions along all the
H.. So -reat jeopardy.
t---.. a. The United States had no
..-- ..r.-s .n the Lakes. The only
~.,.--s .aaElng to the government had
t.ss 7p,er5 by Brooks forces at De-
..+ r-. southern or American shore
fra. Erie was principally sandy
A,..... r.s~ by sediment driven by
+s-sra.lt winds and afforded but few
to,5,s.. a,t even those We're cucumber
4.,-rJ. -.a.. bars at their entrance. AT
p,.soa s ll miles west from Buffalo,
+. ,,sr,....4 tending a considerable dis
cam. ,-- The AXE encircled harbor
,c The a,r..rs Of which was Port Erie.
A-..,s -.ay. Commodore Perry was d.
r+lr. a,ste and superintend naval
s-sr.=arat, the object of which was
lament superior force on the lake.
Ts- guus- Of building navy in the
rf.-r- @re very great and can
ta ucejved by those who have
h nereuee in that direction.
7ler WAS aothing at this spot out of
Ut sings coud he built but the timber
Ia RI lowest. Shipbuilders, sailors,
fa~s -uos guns and ammunition were
al transported from Albany by
rsg -u .-o, a distance of 400 miles.
b. these embarrasments, by
h. August, 1913, Commodore
II .. .ttei a totilla consisting
ii .Is lawrence and Niagara of
EACH and seven smaller
Hg from one to four guns
" these ships were building
IT, -rlently appeared off the
bar. l-atened their destruction;
bur- .91a-ss Of the water on the
|ba-.-- being but i've prevent
ea .Mseu, The same cause that
f..e -st-ty Of these vessels while
BUM l- likely to prevent their
bar - rvice when completed.
| H. ri. -r-r drew several feet more
Vs . ra.H- was on the bar. Some
71r the inventive genius of
F. 'n The way, but this is mis-
F. vr camels had been used
r H-r bars and shoal places
p. years before Perry was
r.. en- used million times
Ea cashier in which it is done is
a ge fiat bottomed scows
Eo1gs -eL one on each side, fill
r. N- .J. and make them securely
" '.. esseI by running heavy
aaa' nr The ships bottom and Sc
r-F' .Hm 'Q aeavy timbers across the
So7' s- 1a pump the water out of
"7s that manner the largest
fh.E lrhtened more than one
r. manner the rebel ram Ten
AUS Dated over the bar at the
FalaH Log river into Mobile Bay,
gart in that memorable
gu .e -aptured by the Union
e= aH',- uoagut.
HsW." nesl med that the govern
s'' a'I Ht permit these ships being
VI" 70 'r aoai water harbor without
i''i7. a~ they We're to be gotten into
lEe COWS used IN this way
'ye' lN The ships and enabled them to
''' 'ae .l H safety. This operation
d performed IN full sight of the enemy.
''~s s--'eA ms heet in readiness Com
'0lt ferry proceeded to the head of
I'A- and anchored in Putin Bay, op-
''''e '' and thirty miles from Maiden,
-la'a' @nere the British fleet lay
-s' me protection of the guns of the
VIZ at that place, He remained at an
io' several days, watching the Brit
meet aa waiting an opportunity to
cattle on the morning of Sep
1''- .- lsl3, the enemy was discov-
bearing down upon the American
Winch Immediately got underway
+f. L l.. !