Welcome back to Guns Across the Lake a
Virtual Series of the Old Northwest in
the War of 1812.
Last week our friends at Fort Meigs
continue the story of the war
through the summer of 1813. Today we
continue the story from South Bass
Island Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie
here at Perry's Victory and
International Peace Memorial.
My name is Rob Whitman I am a National
Park Service Park Ranger here at the
Memorial.
On August 19 1813 General Harrison and
his officers met with Perry and his
naval officers over in Sandusky Bay to
discuss
strategy for the war between the army
and the navy. This is a rare meeting and
a beginning of a successful partnership
between Perry and Harrison.
A couple important things come out of
this meeting besides details of how to
fight the war.
First Perry did not have enough men to
fight and sail his vessels for battle.
Harrison offers his army up and over a
hundred men from his army volunteered
to be attached to the navy. Second
important thing was Put-in-Bay was chosen
to be the base of operation for the US
squadron under Perry
when it was in the western end of the
lake. They chose here for three reasons.
First from here you'd be able to watch
the Royal Navy if they decide to leave
the safety of the Detroit River.
Here Perry would also stay in contact
with General Harrison
and third the bay provided a safe harbor
in case of bad weather.
The battle of Lake Erie is one of the
most pivotal battles of the war in the
old northwest
and takes place just about in the middle
of the war. The battle was important
foremost because whoever controlled the
lake controlled the ground around it.
Control of the lake meant that you could
move men and supplies easier than
if only relying on land-based
transportation.
On September 9, 1813 with the US
squadron at Put-in-Bay
the main supply route for the British
had been cut off.
The British military was now running low
on supplies at Fort Malden.
They had two choices retreat or send
their squadron out and open the supply
route.
They chose to fight. Now back at Put-in-Bay
87 out of the 540 men of the US squadron
were sick with lake fever
including Perry and the squadron's two
surgeons.
The morning of September 10th the US
squadron spots the Royal Navy on the
horizon.
The US will spend several hours
fighting the wind to
gain the weather gauge from the British
whoever held the weather gauge would
have an advantage in the coming battle.
After several hours Perry will finally
issue the order to turn around
and give up his attempt to get the
weather gauge but before the order can
be followed the wind shifts 180 degrees
giving Perry the advantage. During the
time it takes to close the distance
final preparations for battle are made
and Perry stops and talks to his gun
crews about the coming battle.
Also during this time Perry will bring
out his battle flag "Dont Give Up The
Ship"
the final command of his friend Captain
James Lawrence who was mortally wounded
in the naval battle with the British in
June of 1813.
The Royal Navy opens the battle about 11:45 for roughly the next two hours the
Lawrence Perry's flagship
takes on the whole British squadron with
the help of just a few smaller US vessels.
After those two hours Perry has lost
close to 80 percent of his men killed or
wounded.
All of his carronades on the engaged
side are disabled.
At this point the British are winning.
What is Perry to do?
At this low point someone then spots the
Niagara moving forward
Perry decides to jump in one of the long
boats and have a few men
roll them over to the Niagara where he
takes command and adds more sail.
This is the oh shoot moment for the
British. Perry just got a brand new boat.
As Perry and the Niagara bears down on
the British squadron the Detroit and the
Queen Charlotte decided to wear ship,
turn around, so their unengaged side can
now fight the US.
At this point the British are feeling
the toll the US fire power.
Every captain and first officer of every
British vessel is killed or wounded.
Junior officers are now in command of
damaged ships,
that are crewed by a large number of
soldiers rather than sailors.
The Detroit and the Queen Charlotte
collide opening a hole in the line for
the Niagara to sail
into. Perry claims at half pistol range,
about 30 yards, he double shots his
carronades.
The British soldiers and sailors take
this pounding
fire at close range for about 15 minutes
as they work to cut their vessels apart.
Barclay wounded comes back to take
command but is wounded a second time and is
taken below again.
The British get their vessels cut apart
but the damage is done.
At this point the British start
surrendering one by one.
after the victory Perry writes a quick
note to General Harrison.
"Dear General, We have met the enemy and
they are ours. Two ships,
two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop.
Yours with great respect and esteem,
O.H. Perry." That night the two squadrons
lay together
off west sister island to care for the
wounded and bury the enlisted men at sea.
The six officers three American and
three British killed in the battle will
be buried together on South Bass Island
in the days following the battle. This is
not the end of the army
navy cooperation under Perry and
Harrison we'll leave the rest of the
story to our friends and neighbors
across the lake to continue the tale.
Make sure to tune in next week to hear
the next segment
of Guns Across the Lakes.
