saved, with Buffalo, and stores on the Niagara frontier, by this successful sortie. In the space of an hour the hopes of Drummond were blasted, the fruits of the labor of fifty days were destroyed, and his force reduced by at least 1,000 men. Public honors were awarded to Brown, Porter, and Ripley. Congress presented each with a gold medal. To the chief commander (Brown), of whom it was said, "no enterprise which he undertook ever failed," the corporation of New York gave the freedom of the city in a gold box. The governor of New York (D. D. Tompkins) presented to him an elegant sword. The States of New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Georgia each gave Ripley tokens of their appreciation of his services.

on duty, before those in reserve at the camp could be brought into action." Fortunately for the sallying troops, a thick fog obscured their movements as they went out, towards noon, in three divisions one under General Proctor, another under James Miller (who had been brevetted a brigadier-general), and a third under General Ripley. Porter reached a point within a few rods of the British right wing, at near three o'clock, before the movement was suspected by his antagonist. An assault was immediately begun. The startled British on that flank fell back, and left the Americans masters of the ground. Two batteries were then stormed, and were carried after a close struggle for thirty minutes. This triumph was followed by the capture of the block-house in the rear Erie, LAKE, BATTLE ON. Who should of the batteries. The garrison were made be masters of Lake Erie was an important prisoners, cannon and carriages were de- question to be solved in 1813. The United stroyed, and the magazine blown up. States government did not fulfil its promMeanwhile, General Miller had carried isc to Hull to provide means for securing two other batteries and block-houses in the naval supremacy on Lake Erie. The the rear. Within forty minutes after necessity for such an attainment was so Porter and Miller began the attack, four obvious before the close of 1812 that the

batteries, two block-houses, and the whole government took vigorous action in the line of British intrenchments were in the hands of the Americans. Fort Erie was

matter. Isaac Chauncey was in command of a little squadron on Lake Ontario late

PERRY'S BATTLE FLAG.

24th of the same month two brigs were put afloat. The whole fleet was finished on July 10, and consisted of the brig Lawrence, twenty guns; brig Niagara, twenty guns; brig Caledonia, three guns; schooner Ariel, four guns; schooner Scorpion, two guns and two swivels; sloop Trippe, one gun; schooner Tigress, one gun; and schooner Porcupine, one gun. The command of the fleet was given to Perry, and the Lawrence, so named in honor of the slain commander of the Chesapeake, was his flag-ship. But men and supplies were wanting. A British squadron on the lake seriously menaced the fleet at Erie, and Perry pleaded for materials to put his vessels in proper order to meet danger. "Think of my situation," he wrote to Chauncey-" the enemy in sight, the vessels under my command more than sufficient and ready to make sail, and yet obliged to bite my fingers with vexation for want of men."

Perry, anxiously waiting for men to man his little fleet at Erie, was partially gratified by the arrival there of 100 men from Black Rock, under Captain Elliott, and early in August, 1813, he went out on the lake before he was fairly prepared for vigorous combat. On Aug. 17, when off Sandusky Bay, he fired a signalgun for General Harrison, according to

in 1812, and Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry, a zealous young naval officer, of Rhode Island, who was in command of a flotilla of gunboats on the Newport station, offered his services on the Lakes. Chauncey desired his services, and on Feb. 17 Perry received orders from the Secretary of the Navy to report to Chauncey with all possible despatch, and to take with him to Sackett's Harbor all of the best men of the flotilla at Newport. He sent them forward, in companies of fifty, under SailingMasters Almy, Champlin, and Taylor. He met Chauncey at Albany, and they journeyed together in a sleigh through the then wilderness to Sackett's Harbor. In agreement. Harrison was encamped at March Perry went to Presque Isle (now Seneca, and late in the evening of the Erie, Pa.) to hasten the construction and 19th he and his suite arrived in boats equipment of a little navy there designed and went on board the flag-ship Lawrence, to co-operate with General Harrison in at- where arrangements were made for the fall tempts to recover Michigan. Four vessels campaign in that quarter. Harrison had were speedily built at Erie, and five others about 8,000 militia, regulars and Indians, were taken to that well-sheltered harbor at Camp Seneca, a little more than 20 from Black Rock, near Buffalo, where miles from the lake. While he was waitHENRY ECKFORD (q. v.) had converted ing for Harrison to get his army ready merchant-vessels into war-ships. The ves- to be transported to Fort Malden, Perry sels at Erie were constructed under the cruised about the lake. On a bright immediate supervision of Sailing-Master morning, Sept. 10, the sentinel watching Daniel Dobbins, at the mouth of Cascade in the main-top of the Lawrence cried, Creek. Early in May (1813) the three " Sail, ho!" It announced the appearsmaller vessels were launched, and on the ance of the British fleet, clearly seen in

the northwestern horizon. Very soon into shreds, her spars battered into splinPerry's nine vessels were ready for the ters, and her guns dismounted. One mast enemy. At the mast-head of the Lawrence remained, and from it streamed the nawas displayed a blue banner, with the tional flag. The deck was а scene of words of Lawrence, the dying captain, in dreadful carnage, and most men would large white letters "DON'T GIVE UP THE have struck their flag. But Perry was

ron

SHIP." The two squadrons slowly ap- hopeful in gloom. His other vessels proached each other. The British squad- had fought gallantly, excepting the was commanded by Com. Robert Niagara, Captain Elliott, the stanchest H. Barclay, who fought with Nelson at ship in the fleet, which had kept outTrafalgar. His vessels were the ship De- side, and was unhurt. As she drew near troit, nineteen guns, and one pivot and the Lawrence, Perry resolved to fly to her, two howitzers; ship Queen Charlotte, and, renewing the fight, win the victory. seventeen, and one howitzer; brig Lady Putting on the uniform of his rank, that Prevost, thirteen, and one howitzer; brig he might properly receive Barclay as his Hunter, ten; sloop Little Belt, three; prisoner, he took down his broad penand schooner Chippewa, one, and two swivels. The battle began at noon, at long range, the Scorpion, commanded by young Sailing - Master Stephen Champlin, then less than twenty-four years of age, firing the first shot on the American side. As the fleets drew nearer and nearer, hotter and hotter waxed the fight. For two hours the Lawrence nant and the banner with the stirring bore the brunt of battle, until she lay words, entered his boat, and, with four upon the waters almost a total wreck stout seamen at the oars, he started on -her rigging all shot away, her sails cut his perilous voyage, anxiously watched by

I

B

POSITION OF THE TWO SQUADRONS JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE.

In have me the enemy and they are out:

Two Ships, two

Bris

Schooner I one

Hoop.

one

Yous, with great respect and esteem 01 Bmy.

PERRY'S DESPATCH.

those he had left on the Lawrence. Perry the Niagara in safety. Hoisting his penstood upright in his boat, with the pen- nant over her, he dashed through the nant and banner partly wrapped about British line, and eight minutes afterwards him. Barclay, who had been badly the colors of the enemy's flag-ship were wounded, informed of Perry's daring, and struck, all but two of the fleet surrenderknowing the peril of the British fleet if ing. These attempted to escape, but were the young commodore should reach the pursued and brought back, late in the decks of the Niagara, ordered big and evening, by the Scorpion, whose gallant

little guns to be brought to bear on the commander (Champlin) had fired the little boat that held the hero. The voyage lasted fifteen minutes. Bullets traversed the boat, grape-shot falling in the water near covered the seamen with spray, and oars were shivered by cannon-balls, but not a man was hurt. Perry reached

first and last gun in the battle of Lake Erie. Assured of victory, Perry sat down, and, resting his naval cap on his knee, wrote to Harrison, with a pencil, on the back of a letter, the famous despatch: "We have met the enemy, and they are

ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop." The name of Perry was made immortal. His government thanked him, and gave him and Elliott each a gold medal. The legislature of Pennsylvania voted him thanks and a gold medal; and it gave thanks and a silver medal to each man who was engaged in the battle. The Americans lost twenty-seven killed and ninety-six wounded. The British loss was about 200 killed and 600 made prisonAt about nine o'clock in the evening of the day of the battle, the moon shining brightly, the two squadrons weighed anchor and sailed into Put-in-Bay, not far from Sandusky, out of which the American fleet had sailed that morning. The last survivor of the battle of Lake Erie was John Norris, who died at Petersburg, Va., in January, 1879.

ers.

also offered reparation for the insult and injury in the case of the CHESAPEAKE (q. v.), and also assured the government of the United States that Great Britain would immediately send over an envoy extraordinary, vested with power to conclude a treaty that should settle all points of dispute between the two governments. This arrangement was completed April 18, 1809. The next day the Secretary of State received a note from Erskine, saying he was authorized to declare that his Majesty's Orders in Council of January and November, 1807, would be withdrawn on June 10 next ensuing. On the same day (April 19) the President issued a proclamation declaring that trade with Great Britain might be resumed after June 10. This proclamation gave great joy in the United States. Partisan strife was hushed, and the President was toasted and feasted by leading

Ernst, OSWALD HERBERT, military officer; born in Cincinnati, O., June 27, 1842; graduated at West Point in Federalists, as a Washingtonian worthy 1864, and entered the Engineer Corps; superintendent of West Point in 189398; appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers in May, 1898, and served in the war against Spain. He was sent to Porto Rico, and had command of the troops in the action of Coamo. He is the author of Practical Military Engineering.

of all confidence. In the House of Representatives, John Randolph, who lauded England for her magnanimity, offered (May 3, 1809) a resolution which declared "that the promptitude and frankness with which the President of the United States has met the overtures of the government of Great Britain towards a restoration of harmony and freer commercial intercourse Erskine, DAVID MONTAGUE, BARON, between the two nations meet the apdiplomatist; born in England in 1776; proval of this House." The joy was of soon after 1806 was sent to the United brief duration. Mr. Erskine was soon States as British envoy. He was on duty afterwards compelled to communicate to in Washington at the time of Madison's the President (July 31) that his governaccession to the Presidency. He found ment had refused to sanction his arrangethe new President so exceedingly anxious ment, ostensibly because the minister had for peace and good feeling between the exceeded his instructions, and was not two countries that he had written to Can- authorized to make any such arrangement. ning, the British minister, such letters Mr. Erskine was recalled. The true reaon the subject that he was instructed to son for the rejection by the British aupropose to the Americans a reciprocal thorities of the arrangement made by repeal of all the prohibitory laws upon Erskine probably was, that, counting upon certain conditions. Those conditions were the fatal effects of sectional strife in so partial towards Great Britain, requir- the Union, already so rampant in some ing the Americans to submit to the rule places, the British government was enof 1756, that they were rejected. Very couraged to believe that the bond of union soon, however, arrangements were made would be so weakened that a scheme then by which, upon the Orders in Council be- perfecting by the British ministry for ing repealed, the President should issue destroying that Union would be successful. a proclamation declaring a restoration of England having spurned the olive-branch commercial intercourse with Great Brit- so confidingly offered, the President of ain, but leaving all restrictive laws as the United States issued another proclaagainst France in full force. Mr. Erskine mation (Aug. 9, 1809), declaring the non