The Raymer enterprise., 1913-05-22

be built from the forests near by. A fleet OF nine
vessels was built by him and his men. regi
ment OF Pennsylvania militia covered the snip
builders while they were at work.
The battle against a superior British squadron
lasted all day and the Lawrence was dsmcntled
so that Perry had to row through a hail OF shol
to the Niagara where he hoisted his flag again
At O'Clock he was able 10 send his famous dis
patch I'VE have met the enemy and they are
ours
Commodore Perry was then twenty.seven years
old
Perry was a Rhode Islander by birth. The son
OF naval officer and the daughter OF an Irish
woman OF unusual attanments, he had the most
careful early training. so that after Lake Erie
some who knew the family spoke Of II as Mrs
Perry's victory" Young Oliver Hazard Perry
was fond OF Plutarch's Lives Shakespeare and
Addison, He was pupil OF Count Rochambeau.
At fourteen he commissioned midshipman
When the war with England began there was
probably no better ordnance officer In the Amer
lean navy, and In the training OF his crews he was
unwearyng in personal attention to details. BY
assembling his gunboats occasionally he gained
actual knowledge OF the evOlutions OF fleet
He also practiced sham battles, which taught him
much,
Within twcnty.four hours after receipt OF Com
modore Chauncey's order to go to Lake Erie he
nhu sent on n uetuCN1nent OF Hlly men, anu HFe
days later he set out himself with his younger
brother. Alexander Travelling chiefly In sleghs
he reached Erie 'on March 81. There he found
Noah Brown shlpwright, and Sailing Master Dob
bins awaiting fifty carpenters from Philadelphia.
The carpenters were more than five weeks max.
ing the wintry Journey.
The keels Of two twenty gun brigs and three
gunboats had already been laid. Incredible toll
in the wilderness enabled Perry to collect nine
vessels OF 1871 tons with "a guns capable Of
throwing broadside OF 935 pounds OF metal, OF
which 2SS pounds could be fired at long range,
Puny figures these seem in this day OF dread.
naughts, but In 1918 they were respectable II not
exactly impressive.
The Lawrence and the Niagara, which were
the two twenty gun ships, carried two long
twelve Founders and eighteen thirty.two FOUNDER
carronades The long range guns were the chief
dependents OF the Americans To make his car
ronade fire effective Perry relied on grape and
canister shot and favorIte American ammunition.
langrage, which was made out OF scraps OF iron
sewed up In leather bags,
Perry's force OF men consisted OF about 500
landsmen and sailors, many OF whom had never
seen salt water. On the British side Captain
Barclay had six vessels OF 1,i60 tons. manned by
nearly 800 men. but he had slxtythree cannon.
Barclay was one OF Nelson's veterans.
As the fleets approached each other at about
II o'clock the buge sounded from the flagship.
The men OF the whole British line gave three
cheers and the long guns OF the Detroit opened
on the Lawrence at distance OF a mile and
half by noon tho battle began in earnest in
the form OF duel the heaviest vessel In each
fleet confronting the other. Barclay had at FIRST
a manifest advantage The gunncrs Of the Law
renee, depending too much on their carronndes
fred too fast, and overshotting their stumpy guns
we're able only to pit and dent the sides Of the
Detroit So the Lawrence was reduced to hulk
by steady British nre After two hours only
one gun was left mounted the cockpit was
crowded with wounded and only eighteen un.