Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1950-12-08
PRENTICE CLAIMS DODBiNS WAS
UNSUNC HERO IN PERRY VICTORY
CONTINUED from Page u

when the lookout sighted the
: British feet approaching. 1t was
a calm day with very little wind
Perry Immediately ordered hi.
men to prepare for battle AMI
the American fleet sailed west
northwest to meet the British.
First shots were fired about
11:30 and during the first hour,
the British we're scoring a top
heavy victory by using their long
range guns.
"Knowing that defeat was in
evitable unless something was not
done Immediately, Perry turned
his flagship, the Lawrence, direct
ly at the British and sailed close
to Barclays flagship, the Detroit.
"For the next two hours, the
crew of the Lawrence was SUBJ
Kitted to murderous attacks from
the British fleet as the other
American boats were a mile away.
During this time, casualties
aboard the Lawrence were 80 per
cent with every gunner being q
casualty.
According to Perry's log, he
was forced to use the chaplain
who had come up from sick bay,
the purser and himself as the gun
crew during the final few mill
utes.
Finally the Niagara was
brought closer. Perry, with four
other men, rowed between one
quarter and one-half mile to the
Niagara where he ordered its
commander to leave and take COM
mand of the smaller boats.
"Perry's brother was not in the
group which left the Lawrence
for the Niagara. The brother
had miraculously escaped death
when a blast from the British
ships hit the Lawrence. He was
knocked unconscious and was in
jured when the charge hit mat
tress before it hit him. The bro
ther had been missing when Per-
ry left the flagship and was
thought dead, but he was later
discovered unconscious.
"By this time, the smaller boats
in Perry's fleet had been brought
up and Perry headed the Niagara
directly at Barclays biggest ships.
the Detroit and the Queen Char
lotte.
can accident at this point en-
abled Perry to take advantage of
the breaks. All commanders and
seconds-in-command aboard the
British ship had been casualties
and the British ships were in
charge of third officers.
Attempting to maneuver, the
Queen Charlotte became entang-
led with the Detroiter for several
minutes. Perry took advantage
of the mishap and slammed
double broadsides at the vessels
After taking several charges al
terrific life toll, the two British
ships struck their colors.
A little later the smaller Brit
ish boats surrendered. but the
two smallest boats attempted to
escape.
ut is believed that the British
surrendered about 3 o'clock that
afternoon, as it is known that
Perry sent his famous I'VE have
met the enemy, and they are
Ours" to General Harrison at Port
Clinton at four o'clock.
incidentally, Mr.. Prentice states
that Perry's famous message was
written on excellent u. S. Navy
stationery and not on the back
of an envelope as is popularity
believed.
None of the British or Ameri.
can ships were sunk during the
Battle of Lake Erie although
all were badly damaged. The
ships were repaired and were
used to transport HarriSon's Army
from the mouth of the Portage
River" to Canada where it helped
defeat the British and end the
war.
Mr.. Prentice stated that the
Treaty of 1914, at the conclusion
OF the war, was written largely
due to Perry'S victory which Grip
pied the British fur trade in Can
ada by giving the U. S. A. supre-
macy of the Great Lakes.
In concluding his interesting
speech, Mr.. Prentice said that
the Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1918.
which established the unforti
fled international boundary be-
tween the U. S. and Canada is
the only such treaty in existence
today He offered the hope that
IN the future all countries of the
world can have such treaty so
that peace will last for centuries
rather than for a few short years.
Although he had helped build
the American fleet. Dobbins hint
self was not in the Battle of Lake
Erie. Only short time before
he was placed in charge of small
boat which was sent to Erie, Pa.
TO buy fresh meat for the fleet
while returning Dobbins heard
the gunfire of the battle and he
was quite indignant that he had
missed tha fsoht ,+or ,,,lo. A.