Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-19
Built of Green Timber.

The Brtship flagship Detroit. like Per-
rvs ships. was entirely new and built Of
green timber. The delay of the battle
was due to Barclays determination not
10 be drawn into a fight until she was
finished She was built at Maiden, on the
Detroit river. just above its mouth.
The British had the advantage Of crews
OF trained men. nearly all of them having
had experience in handling ships and
fighting in battle. Capt Barclay was a
veteran Of reputation, who lost an arm
at the battle of Trafalgar, where he
served under Nelson. OF the SOC men en-
sa@ed on the British side, 16O were reg
uar sailors from the British navy, 240
were regular soldiers from the British
army and the remaining 1O2 were Cana
| dian boatmen and fishermen.
The personnel of Perrys fleet was in
| feror in training and experience Only
1oi of them were from the regular navy.
and most of those were on the Niagara,
/ well trained and abe-bodied men; seven
| ty-eight were common sailors and fisher
men who had been picked up on the lake
and had never had any experience upon
a naval ship or in battle The remainder
of Perry's crew were militiamen and vol
unteers He tells US that when he got
his ships over the bar OF the bay at Erie
and started in search of the enemy he
did not have sufficient number OF exper-
rienced sailors to handle the sails and
was compelled 70 teach the landsmen how
10 do it, Shortly before the battle he Wis
tied the camp Of Gen. Harrison near Port
Clinton, Ohio. and there obtained thirty
six men TO act as gunners and marines.
one of the American crew was Mar
ragansett Indian named Charlie, who
came with the sailors from Newport, r. I.
Two OF the British crew were Canadian
Indians, who fled from the deck at the
first shot and hid themselves in the holds
OF the vessel behind packages of supplies.
where they remained In concealment dur
ing the entire engagement. After the
surrender they were discovered by Amer
prizes and dragged before Commodore
Perry He assured them that they would
not be murdered or tortured and ordered
that they be supplied with food and
treated kindly.
Had Never Seen Ship.
The men furnished by Gen. Harrison
were volunteers from Kentucky. who had
recently joined the army. None Of them
had ever seen a vessel before and their
establishment and curiosity when they
got on board were irrepresible. They
were dressed in the frontier militia cos
tune of linsey woolsey shirts and trous-
ers and were as much an object OF curl
| osity 70 the sailors and soldiers from the
| east as the ships were to them.
AS soon as they had satisfied their curl
osty Perry had them mustered on the
deck and explained TO them the nature
/ OF the duties and the line of conduct
/ which they would be required TO preserve.
1 He told them of the discipline that pre-
! vailed at sea and asked them to submit
| 10 II with good grace. The valiant Ken
/ tuchians received his admonitions good
i naturedly and during the engagement
/ that followed bore a brave and honorable
/ part When the fleet was disbanded they
/ were sent back TO Gen. Harrison 20 tell
1 the tale of their adventures, which was
/ an enduring source of qualification.
/ After leaving Erie with his little fleet
| Perry stopped for two days at Cleveland
for supplies and then started on a cruise
of the lake in search of the enemy. whom
he finally discovered at Maiden on the
| Detroit river, where the finishing touche;
we're being given to the Detroit under
the protection of land batteries. PER-,
| then Withdrew TO South Bass Island
| where was the most favorable anchorag e
70 nut his ships in better order He gave
| written instructions TO the commander o.