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From: "Maggie Stewart" <>
Subject: Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- The Great Lake Erie -Part 2
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 19:32:26 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: Darlene & Kathi kelley <>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 2:58 PM
Subject: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- The Great Lake Erie -Part 2


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Historical Collections of Ohio
Know Your Ohio
by Darlene E.Kelley
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Lake Erie is a gift-- A gift of the Glaciers. Bordered by Michigan,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. It has 856 square miles of
shoreline, giving it a surface area of just over 9,900 square miles.
Though the Lake bottoms out at 210 feet, it averages only 62 feet deep.
Because of the saucer-like shallowness, Lake Erie has gained a
reputation among sailors of being quick to " kick up her heels," raising
waves of frightening size in even a modest gale. Out of the five Great
lakes, Lake Erie may well be the most used, most enjoyed, and the most
loved. It supports the second largest sport fishery on all the lakes (
Lake Michigan being the first ) and contains well over 28 or more
varieties of fish. At Erie's eastern tip, near Buffalo, N.Y., its water
flows north into the NIagara River, racing downstream at 750,000 gallons
per second. In a 35 mile stretch between Lake Erie ad Lake Ontario, the
river elevation drops 326 feet, nearly 200 feet of it all at once-- At
Nigara Falls, one of North America's natural wonders of the world. A few
miles west of Niagara Falls lies the Welland Canal, containing along its
26 miles, eight locks that lower and lift cargo ships around the falls.
After the falls, the rampaging river again swings east and empties into
Lake Ontario.
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The Real Battle of Lake Erie -- Continued--

Earlier in the season, Perry had named his flagship after Captain
Lawrence, commander of the Chesapeake, then recently captured by the
Shannon on the Atlantic instill another well thumbed chapter to be
recorded in Herioc Deeds of American Sailors. Bringing the Lawrence,
Niagara, Caledonia, Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Porcupine, Tigris, and
Trippe into line against the British line of Detroit, Queen, Charlotte,
Lady Prevost, Hunter, Chipewa, and Little Bell, Perry took the blunt of
the battle by engaging the Detroit, the enemy ship with the heaviest
fire power, thus fighting broad pennet against broad pennet, commodore
against commodore.

Going into action, the twenty-seven year old leader had hoisted the
burgee or battle flag, inscribed with large white letters on a blue
background which could be read throughout the fleet: Don't Give Up The
Ship. They were the last words of the dying Lawrence.

Perry's squadron numbered nine vessels against the British six. but they
had been so hastly built by trees along the Erie shore that it might
well be said that the wood was still growing, and the enemy had a
preponderance of sixty three guns to fifty four which concentrated on
the flagship with the bold motto.

"The Lawrence sustained a most dreadful fire;
She fought three to one for two glasses or more;
Whilst Perrey undaunted did firmly stand by her
And on the proud foe heavy broadsides did pore.

Her masts being shattered, her rigging all tattered,
Her sails in ribbands, her wheel shot away,
And few left on deck to manage the wreck,
Our heroes on board her no longer could stay."

According to Heroic Deeds of America Sailors, Perry's last words to the
officer left in charge as the young commodore lowered himself away to be
rowed over to the Niagara were:
" Lieutenant Yarnell, sir, I leave it to your discretion to strike or
not, but the American colors must not be pulled down over my head
today."

"There was one gallant act of our noble commander,
Whilst writing my song I shall notice with pride;
When launching the smack that carried his standard,
A ball whistled through her quite close by his side.

Says Perrey those villians intend sure to dround us,
But push on, my brave boys, you need never fear;
And then with his coat he plugged up the boat,
And through sulphour and fire away he did steer."

The prose version of this historic transfer from one vessel to another
in the midst of battle is somewhat as follows:

When Commodore Perry left the Lawrence, there were but himself, his
little brother, and fourteen men alive and unhurt on board. He jumped
into the boat with eight stout seamen at the oars, and put off at thirty
minutes after two.
He stood erect in the stern of the boat, and the British saw it as, with
the zealous men at the oars, the little craft sprang away like a race
horse. A shower of grape, cannister and bullets flew about him, but he
heeded them not till, at the entreating tears of his crew, he finally
sat down, and quickly the boat reached the Niagara.

"The famed Niagara, now proud of her Perrey,
Displayed all her banners in gallent array;
Full twenty five guns on her deck she did carry,
Which soon put an end to the sad , bloody fray."

Perry ran up his pennant and hoisted the signal for close action. Loud
cheers resounded from every vessel in the squadron, as, under full press
of sail, he bore down upon the British line and broke thruogh between
the Hunter and the Detroit at half pistol shot, taking the Lady Prevost
with his broadside port and the entangled Detroit and Queen Charlotte
and his full starboard broadside.

In the vernicular of Historic Deeds of American Sailors, British
Commadore Barclay went down with a desperate wound aboard the Detrot and
many shrieks told of the destruction the guns had wrought. The decks of
the Lady Prevost were swept, and Perry luffed athhwart the bows of the
Detroit and Lady Charlotte.

" The bold British Lion now roared his last thunder,
When Perrey attacked him close on his rear;
The American Eagle soon made him coush under
And roar out for quarters as soon shall hear.

O had you been there I vow and declare
That such a grand sight you had nere saw before,
When six bloody fags that no longer could wag
Were laid at the feet of our Commodore."

Perry sent the report to William Henry Harrison on the mainland as
folows;
" Dear General: We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two
brigs, one schooner and one sloop." Then the postscript;
" Send us some soldiers to help take care of the prisoners, who are more
numerous than ourselves."

" The whole British fleet was captured complete;
Not a single vessel from us got away;
And prisoners some hundreds, Columbians wondered
To see them all ankered and moored in the bay.'

Students of history have noted dissension between the beardless
Commodore and his first Captain; but boys, including the grown up kind,
and ballads are hero-worshippers and not defamers of Character;

" Brave Elliot whose vallour must now be recorded,
On board the brave Somers so well played his part;
His gallant assistance, to Perrey afforded,
Will place him the second on Lake Erie chart.

'Twas delightful to see those noble commanders
Imbracing each other when the battle was ore,
And viewin with pride those invincible standards
That never had yielded to any before.

Says Perrey, Brave Elliott, give me your hand, Sir,
This day you have gained immortal renoun;
And as long as Columbia Lake Erie Commands, Sirs,
Let brave Elliott with Laurels be crowned."

The last two lines in the middle stanza were correct. The Battle of Lake
Erie marked the only occasion in history whe an entire British fleet,
commanded by a veteran of Trafalgar, surrendered to any enemies
flotilla. No wonder the ballad crowed until the whole backwoods echoed:

" Great Britton may boast of her conquering heroes,
Her Rodneys, her Nelsuns, and all the old crewe;
But Rome in her glory nere teald such a storey,
Nor boasted such feats as Columbians can do."

Considering the ratio of population, the ballad of Perry's victory
outsold any popular recording of today. It was still a prime favorite
at country fairs and other festivals half a century later. Patriots
took the song to heart because of the naval engagement on Lake Erie
represented a decisive triumph for them. It meant that the Northwest
Territory and the Mississppi Valley should be American, not British, and
that the United States should extend from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of
Mexico instead of being fenced in perhaps on the borders of Ohio. It
nullified the victories of the Canadians and their great Algonquin allie
Tecumseh at Detroit, Fort Dearborn, and MacKinnac, and restored control
of the Lakes to Uncle Sam, thus insuring that the hundreds of thousands
of immigrants about to people the heartland of the continent would
largely sail and settle under the stars and stripes;

" May heaven still smile on the shades of those heroes
Who fought with brave Perrey, whose cannons did roar,
And checked the proud spirit of those murdering Neroes
Who waited to make us base slaves evermore.

Then everyone sing till we make the woods ring!
Let us toast our brave heroes by land and by sea;
While Brittons drink sherry, Columbians drink Perrey
To the land of the brave and the home of the free."

Another far reaching outcome of the Lake Erie triumph was the agreement
suggested by President Monroe in the peace terms, an agreement that
might well be called the Monroe Doctrine of fresh water;
" The naval force to be maintained upon the American lakes by his
Majesty and the Government of the United States shall henceforth be
confined to the following vessels on each side; that is--
" On Lake Ontario to one vessel, not exceeding 100 tons burden, and
armed with one eighteen pound cannon. On the upper lakes to two vessels,
not exceeding like burden each, and armed with like force.
" All other armed vessels on those lakes shall be forthwith dismantled
and no other vesel of war shall be there built or armed."

Today no armed vessels patrol the waters of Lakes split down the middle
with two thousand miles of International boundary line. The only war
making forces on the Great Lakes are the elements, and they continue to
be more destructive than any battle ever fought on fresh water. The
total loss suffered by Commodore Perry's flotilla was thirty killed.
three less victims than the Carl D. Bradley claimed a century and a half
later. The British losses were 41 killed, not even half enough to rank
with the least of Lake Eries major disasters.

The war of man against the sea has no peace terms but unconditional
surrender, no armistice save death. The real battle of Lake Erie goes
on, day and night, around the clock.
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to be continued in part 3.

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