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On September 10, 1813, Perry's command fought a successful [[fleet action]] against a squadron of the [[Royal Navy]] in the [[Battle of Lake Erie]]. It was at the outset of this battle that Perry famously said, “If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it.”<ref name="Farmer">[https://books.google.com/books?id=_Od5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA283 Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) ''The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County'', p. 283] and [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL161750W/The_history_of_Detroit_and_Michigan_or_The_metropolis_illustrate Various formats at] [[Open Library]].</ref> Initially, the exchange of gunfire favored the British. Perry's [[flagship]], the {{USS|Lawrence|1813|6}}, was so severely disabled in the encounter that the British commander, [[Robert Heriot Barclay]], thought that Perry would surrender it, and sent a small boat to request that the American vessel pull down its flag. Faithful to the words of his [[Naval Ensign|battle flag]], "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP" (a paraphrase of the dying words of Captain [[James Lawrence]], the ship's namesake and Perry's friend),<ref name="quotes">{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/trivia/trivia02.htm |title=Famous Navy Quotes: Who Said Them and When |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |accessdate=September 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>
On September 10, 1813, Perry's command fought a successful [[fleet action]] against a squadron of the [[Royal Navy]] in the [[Battle of Lake Erie]]. It was at the outset of this battle that Perry famously said, “If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it.”<ref name="Farmer">[https://books.google.com/books?id=_Od5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA283 Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) ''The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County'', p. 283] and [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL161750W/The_history_of_Detroit_and_Michigan_or_The_metropolis_illustrate Various formats at] [[Open Library]].</ref> Initially, the exchange of gunfire favored the British. Perry's [[flagship]], the {{USS|Lawrence|1813|6}}, was so severely disabled in the encounter that the British commander, [[Robert Heriot Barclay]], thought that Perry would surrender it, and sent a small boat to request that the American vessel pull down its flag. Faithful to the words of his [[Naval Ensign|battle flag]], "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP" (a paraphrase of the dying words of Captain [[James Lawrence]], the ship's namesake and Perry's friend),<ref name="quotes">{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/trivia/trivia02.htm |title=Famous Navy Quotes: Who Said Them and When |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |accessdate=September 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>
Dudley, William S., ed. ''The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History. vol.2'' (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1992), p. 559.</ref> Perry, with ''Lawrence's'' [[chaplain]] and [[purser]] as the remaining able crew, personally fired the final [[salvo]],<ref name=rooz>{{cite book|last=Roosevelt|first=Theodore|authorlink=Theodore Roosevelt|title=The Naval War of 1812 Or The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans|publisher=G. P. Putnum's Sons|edition = Tenth|location=New York|year = 1889|page=266 |<!--isbn=0-375-75419-9|-->url=http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9104}}</ref> and then had his men row him a half-mile (0.8&nbsp;km) through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to {{USS|Niagara|1813|6}}. Once aboard, Perry dispatched ''Niagara''{{'s}} commander, Captain [[Jesse Elliot]], to bring the other schooners into closer action while he steered the ''Niagara'' toward the damaged British ships. Like Nelson's {{HMS|Victory||2}} at Trafalgar, ''Niagara'' broke the opposing line. Perry's force pounded Barclay's ships until they could offer no effective resistance and surrendered. Although he had won the battle aboard ''Niagara'', he received the British surrender on the deck of the recaptured ''Lawrence'' to allow the British to see the terrible price his men had paid.<ref name="Farmer"/> Perry's battle report to General [[William Henry Harrison]] was famously brief: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."<ref name="quotes"/>{{#Tag:Ref|The British order of battle was actually two ships, ''one'' brig, ''two'' schooners and one sloop.<ref name=rooz/>{{rp|260–261}} "Perry's message was inaccurate." <ref name = altoff/>{{rp|Note 129, p. 97.}}|group=upper-alpha}}
Dudley, William S., ed. ''The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History. vol.2'' (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1992), p. 559.</ref> Perry, with ''Lawrence's'' [[chaplain]] and [[purser]] as the remaining able crew, personally fired the final [[salvo]],<ref name=rooz>{{cite book|last=Roosevelt|first=Theodore|authorlink=Theodore Roosevelt|title=The Naval War of 1812 Or The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans|publisher=G. P. Putnum's Sons|edition = Tenth|location=New York|year = 1889|page=266 |<!--isbn=0-375-75419-9|-->url=http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9104}}</ref> and then had his men row him a half-mile (0.8&nbsp;km) through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to {{USS|Niagara|1813|6}}. Once aboard, Perry dispatched ''Niagara''{{'s}} commander, Captain [[Jesse Elliot]], to bring the other schooners into closer action while he steered the ''Niagara'' toward the damaged British ships. Like Nelson's {{HMS|Victory||2}} at Trafalgar, ''Niagara'' broke the opposing line. Perry's force pounded Barclay's ships until they could offer no effective resistance and surrendered. Although he had won the battle aboard ''Niagara'', he received the British surrender on the deck of the recaptured ''Lawrence'' to allow the British to see the terrible price his men had paid.<ref name="Farmer"/> Perry's battle report to General [[William Henry Harrison]] was famously brief: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."<ref name="quotes"/><ref group="upper-alpha">The British order of battle was actually two ships, ''one'' brig, ''two'' schooners and one sloop.<ref name=rooz/>{{rp|260–261}} "Perry's message was inaccurate." <ref name = altoff/>{{rp|Note 129, p. 97.}}</ref>
[[File:DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP flag.svg|200px|thumb|<center>Perry's battle flag]]
[[File:DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP flag.svg|200px|thumb|<center>Perry's battle flag]]
This was the first time in history that an entire British naval squadron had surrendered, and every captured ship was successfully returned to Presque Isle.<ref>[[#Skaggs00|Skaggs, 2000]], p. 147</ref><ref name="Skaggs">{{cite journal |url=http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2009-04/perry-triumphant |last1=Skaggs |first1=David Curtis |title=Perry Triumphant |date=April 2009 |volume=23 |journal=[[Naval History (magazine)|Naval History Magazine]] |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |accessdate=September 3, 2011 |issue=2}}</ref>
This was the first time in history that an entire British naval squadron had surrendered, and every captured ship was successfully returned to Presque Isle.<ref>[[#Skaggs00|Skaggs, 2000]], p. 147</ref><ref name="Skaggs">{{cite journal |url=http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2009-04/perry-triumphant |last1=Skaggs |first1=David Curtis |title=Perry Triumphant |date=April 2009 |volume=23 |journal=[[Naval History (magazine)|Naval History Magazine]] |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |accessdate=September 3, 2011 |issue=2}}</ref>


Although the engagement was small compared to Napoleonic naval battles such as the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], the victory had disproportionate strategic importance, opening Canada up to possible invasion, while simultaneously protecting the entire [[Ohio Valley]].<ref name="Bloom"/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=q_HIcc8n3K4C&pg=PA48 Symonds, Craig L; Clipson, William J. (April 2001) ''The Naval Institute historical atlas of the U.S. Navy'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press 264pp, ISBN 978-1-55750-984-0; ISBN 1-55750-984-0, p. 48.]</ref> The loss of the British squadron directly led to the critical [[Battle of the Thames]], the rout of British forces by Harrison's army, the death of [[Tecumseh]], and the breakup of his Indian alliance.<ref name="Skaggs"/> Along with the [[Battle of Plattsburgh]], it was one of only two significant fleet victories of the war.<ref name="Bloom"/>
Although the engagement was small compared to Napoleonic naval battles such as the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], the victory had disproportionate strategic importance, opening Canada up to possible invasion, while simultaneously protecting the entire [[Ohio Valley]].<ref name="Bloom"/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=q_HIcc8n3K4C&pg=PA48 Symonds, Craig L; Clipson, William J. (April 2001) ''The Naval Institute historical atlas of the U.S. Navy'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press 264pp], ISBN 978-1-55750-984-0; ISBN 1-55750-984-0, p. 48.</ref> The loss of the British squadron directly led to the critical [[Battle of the Thames]], the rout of British forces by Harrison's army, the death of [[Tecumseh]], and the breakup of his Indian alliance.<ref name="Skaggs"/> Along with the [[Battle of Plattsburgh]], it was one of only two significant fleet victories of the war.<ref name="Bloom"/>


In fact, Perry was involved in nine battles that led to and followed the Battle of Lake Erie, and they all had a seminal impact. "What is often overlooked when studying Perry is how his physical participation and brilliant strategic leadership influenced the outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories:" Capturing [[Fort George, Ontario]] in the [[Battle of Fort George]]; Destroying the British munitions at [[Olde Fort Erie]] (see [[Capture of Fort Erie]]); Rescuing five vessels from Black Rock; Building the Erie fleet; Getting the ships over the sandbar; Blocking British supplies for a month prior to battle; Planning the Thames invasion with General Harrison; Winning the Battle of Lake Erie; and Winning the Battle of Thames.<ref name="Bloom"/><ref name="Skaggs"/>
In fact, Perry was involved in nine battles that led to and followed the Battle of Lake Erie, and they all had a seminal impact. "What is often overlooked when studying Perry is how his physical participation and brilliant strategic leadership influenced the outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories:" Capturing [[Fort George, Ontario]] in the [[Battle of Fort George]]; Destroying the British munitions at [[Olde Fort Erie]] (see [[Capture of Fort Erie]]); Rescuing five vessels from Black Rock; Building the Erie fleet; Getting the ships over the sandbar; Blocking British supplies for a month prior to battle; Planning the Thames invasion with General Harrison; Winning the Battle of Lake Erie; and Winning the Battle of Thames.<ref name="Bloom"/><ref name="Skaggs"/>

Revision as of 05:07, 13 January 2017

This article is about the naval officer. For the U.S. Navy frigate class, see Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.

Commodore

Oliver Hazard Perry
The Hero of Lake Erie
Born(1785-08-23)August 23, 1785
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
DiedAugust 23, 1819(1819-08-23) (aged 34)
Trinidad
Place of burial
Island Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1799–1819
RankCommodore
Commands
Battles / wars
AwardsCongressional Gold Medal
Relations
  • Christopher Perry (father)
  • Sarah Perry (mother)
  • Raymond Henry Jones Perry (brother)
  • Matthew Calbraith Perry (brother)
  • James Alexander Perry (brother)
  • Nathaniel Hazard Perry (brother)
  • Sarah Wallace Perry (sister)
  • Anna Marie Perry Rodgers (sister)
  • Jane Tweedy Perry Butler (sister)

Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and of Sarah Wallace Alexander, and the older brother of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858).

Perry served in the West Indies during the Quasi War of 1798-1800 against France, in the Mediterranean during the Barbary Wars of 1801-1815, and in the Caribbean fighting piracy and the slave trade, but is most noted for his heroic role in the War of 1812 during the Battle of Lake Erie.[1][need quotation to verify] During the War of 1812 against Britain, Perry supervised the building of a fleet at Erie, Pennsylvania, at the age of 27. He earned the title "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, receiving a Congressional Gold Medal and the Thanks of Congress.[2][3] His leadership materially aided the successful outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories, and the fleet victory was a turning point in the battle for the west in the War of 1812.[3] He is remembered for the words on his battle flag, "Don't Give Up the Ship" and his message to General William Henry Harrison which reads in part, "We have met the enemy and they are ours; ..."

Perry became embroiled in a long-standing and bitter controversy with the Commander of USS Niagara, Captain Jesse Elliott, over their conduct in the Battle of Lake Erie (1813), and both were the subject of official charges. In 1815 he successfully commanded Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. So seminal was his career that he was lionized in the press (being the subject of scores of books and articles).[4] He has been frequently memorialized, and many places, ships and persons have been named in his honor.

Childhood and early life

As a boy, Perry lived in Tower Hill, Rhode Island,[5] sailing ships in anticipation of his future career as an officer in the US Navy.[3] He was the oldest of five boys born to Christopher and Sarah Perry. Perry came from a long line of accomplished naval men from both sides of his family. His mother taught Perry and his younger brothers to read and write and had them attend Trinity Episcopal Church regularly, where he was baptized by Reverend William Smith at the age of nine. Theodore Dehon, rector of the church from 1797 to 1810 had a significant influence on the young Perry.[6] He was educated in Newport, Rhode Island.

Early naval career

At twelve years of age, Perry sailed with his father to the West Indies aboard the USS General Greene. He was appointed a midshipman in the United States Navy on April 7, 1799, at the age of thirteen. The ship made its first stop in Cuba, charged with receiving US merchant ships and providing escort from Havana to the United States.[3][7] Perry's service aboard the General Greene continued during the Quasi-War with France.[8] He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800, off the coast of the French colony of Haiti, which was in a state of rebellion.[9][10]

During the First Barbary War, he served aboard USS Adams[11] and later was first lieutenant (2nd in command) of USS Nautilus. He then served under Captain John Rodgers on the USS Consititution and USS Essex. He was placed in charge of construction of gunboats in Newport and Westerly, Rhode Island.

Beginning in April 1809, he commanded the sloop USS Revenge, engaging in patrol duties to enforce the Embargo Act, as well as a successful raid to regain a U.S. ship held in Spanish territory in Florida. On January 9, 1811, Revenge ran aground off Rhode Island and was lost. "Seeing fairly quickly that he could not save the vessel, [Perry] turned his attention to saving the crew, and after helping them down the ropes over the vessel's stern, he was the last to leave the vessel."[12]: 61  The subsequent court-martial exonerated Perry, placing blame on the ship's pilot.[A][13] In January 2011, a team of divers claimed to have discovered the remains of Revenge, nearly 200 years to the day after it sank.[14][15]

Following the court-martial, Perry was given a leave of absence from the navy. On May 5, 1811, he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason of Newport, Rhode Island, whom he had met at a dance in 1807.[13] They enjoyed an extended honeymoon touring New England. The couple would eventually have five children, with one dying in infancy.[16]

War of 1812

At the beginning of the War of 1812 the British Navy controlled the Great Lakes, except for Lake Huron, while the American Navy controlled Lake Champlain.[17] American naval forces were very small, allowing the British to make many advances in the Great Lakes and northern New York waterways. The roles played by commanders like Oliver Hazard Perry, at Lake Erie and Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario and Thomas Macdonough at Lake Champlain all proved vital to the naval effort that provided the most redeeming military feature of that war. Naval historian E. B. Potter noted that "all naval officers of the day made a special study of Nelson's battles". Oliver Perry was no exception. [18] At his request he was given command of United States naval forces on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton had charged prominent merchant seaman Daniel Dobbins with building the American fleet on Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, and Perry was named chief naval officer.[2][3][19]

Perry knew battle was coming, and he "consciously followed Nelson's example in describing his battle plans to his captains."[18]: 218  Perry's instructions were:

Commanding officers are particularly enjoined to pay attention in preserving their stations in the Line, and in all cases to keep as near the Lawrence as possible. ...Engage your designated adversary, in close action, at half cable's length. [B][20]

— Oliver H. Perry, General Order, USS Lawrence

Hero of Lake Erie

Perry (standing) after abandoning Lawrence in a 1911 painting by Edward Percy Moran

On September 10, 1813, Perry's command fought a successful fleet action against a squadron of the Royal Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie. It was at the outset of this battle that Perry famously said, “If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it.”[21] Initially, the exchange of gunfire favored the British. Perry's flagship, the USS Lawrence, was so severely disabled in the encounter that the British commander, Robert Heriot Barclay, thought that Perry would surrender it, and sent a small boat to request that the American vessel pull down its flag. Faithful to the words of his battle flag, "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP" (a paraphrase of the dying words of Captain James Lawrence, the ship's namesake and Perry's friend),[22][23] Perry, with Lawrence's chaplain and purser as the remaining able crew, personally fired the final salvo,[24] and then had his men row him a half-mile (0.8 km) through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to USS Niagara. Once aboard, Perry dispatched Niagara's commander, Captain Jesse Elliot, to bring the other schooners into closer action while he steered the Niagara toward the damaged British ships. Like Nelson's Victory at Trafalgar, Niagara broke the opposing line. Perry's force pounded Barclay's ships until they could offer no effective resistance and surrendered. Although he had won the battle aboard Niagara, he received the British surrender on the deck of the recaptured Lawrence to allow the British to see the terrible price his men had paid.[21] Perry's battle report to General William Henry Harrison was famously brief: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."[22]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Perry's battle flag

This was the first time in history that an entire British naval squadron had surrendered, and every captured ship was successfully returned to Presque Isle.[25][26]

Although the engagement was small compared to Napoleonic naval battles such as the Battle of Trafalgar, the victory had disproportionate strategic importance, opening Canada up to possible invasion, while simultaneously protecting the entire Ohio Valley.[3][27] The loss of the British squadron directly led to the critical Battle of the Thames, the rout of British forces by Harrison's army, the death of Tecumseh, and the breakup of his Indian alliance.[26] Along with the Battle of Plattsburgh, it was one of only two significant fleet victories of the war.[3]

In fact, Perry was involved in nine battles that led to and followed the Battle of Lake Erie, and they all had a seminal impact. "What is often overlooked when studying Perry is how his physical participation and brilliant strategic leadership influenced the outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories:" Capturing Fort George, Ontario in the Battle of Fort George; Destroying the British munitions at Olde Fort Erie (see Capture of Fort Erie); Rescuing five vessels from Black Rock; Building the Erie fleet; Getting the ships over the sandbar; Blocking British supplies for a month prior to battle; Planning the Thames invasion with General Harrison; Winning the Battle of Lake Erie; and Winning the Battle of Thames.[3][26]

The Battle Flag

“Don’t Give Up The Ship”, a phrase repeated by Captain James Lawrence during his dying days after being wounded by enemy fire aboard the Chesapeake on June 1, 1813, became the battle cry of Oliver Hazard Perry. Perry learned of Lawrence’s demise upon arrival at Presque Isle and commanded that Lawrence would be honored with the name of a brig, which would simply be called, the Lawrence. A battle flag would also be needed, and the words of Perry’s good friend Lawrence would be just the battle cry suited for the coming days. A seamstress by the name of Margaret Foster Steuart, a resident of Erie Pennsylvania, was enlisted to make the battle flag. With the help of her two daughters, three nieces, and a cousin, the flag was ready for Perry within just a few days.[28] As of July, 2009, Perry’s flag, Steuart’s work, and Lawrence’s dying words can still be seen today as the flag has been placed on display at the United States Naval Academy Museum.

Perry–Elliott controversy

Mural: Battle of Lake Erie, 10 September 1813. (1959) by Charles Robert Patterson and Howard B. French, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Niagara joins the battle. Detroit and Queen Charlotte at right.

While Nelson had his Collingwood, Perry had his Elliott, and was considerably less well served. Jesse Elliott, while serving with Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario, was tasked to augment Perry's squadron with 11 officers and 91 men, "and none were sent but the worst."[29] Subsequently, detailed by Chauncey to command Niagara, Elliott stated "that if he could have foreseen that he himself should be sent to Lake Erie, his selections would have been different."[29] Elliott then appropriated the "best of the worst" for Niagara; and Perry "in the interest of harmony" accepted the situation, though with growing ill-will.[29]

In his initial post-action report, Perry had praised Captain Elliott's role in the American victory at Lake Erie; and as news of the battle spread, Perry and Elliott were both celebrated as national heroes. Soon after, however, several junior officers publicly criticized Elliott's performance during the battle, charging that Elliott allowed Lawrence to suffer the brunt of the British fire while holding Niagara back from the fight. William Vigneron Taylor, Perry's sailing master, in a letter to Taylor's wife, put it thus:

The Lawrence alone rec'd the fire of the whole British squadron 2 1/2 hours within pistol shot—we were not supported as we ought to have been. Captain Perry led the Lawrence into action & sustained the most destructive fire with the most gallant spirit perhaps that was ever witnessed under similar circumstances.[30]

— William Taylor, 15 September 1813

The meeting between Elliott and Perry on the deck of Niagara was terse. Elliott inquired how the day was going. Perry replied, "Badly." Elliott then volunteered to take Perry's small boat and rally the schooners, and Perry acquiesced.[20]: 49  As Perry turned Niagara into the battle, Elliott was not aboard. Elliott's rejoinder to history's criticism of inaction was that there had been a lack of effective signaling. Charges were filed but were not officially acted upon. Attempting to restore his honor, Elliott and his supporters began a 30-year campaign that would outlive both men and ultimately leave his reputation in tatters.[26]

In Perry's report to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, written three days after the battle, he mentioned Elliott in what, at first, seem to be complimentary terms but, when read carefully, betray his disdain for Elliott. Perry wrote - In this action he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgement; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance. [31]

Congressional Gold Medal

On January 6, 1814, Perry was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal,[32] the Thanks of Congress, and a promotion to the rank of Captain.[33][34] This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812.[35]

leftcenterrightcenter
  • Obverse – bust of Perry facing right surrounded by Oliverus H. Perry Princeps Stagno Eriense. ~ Classam Totam Contudit.
  • Reverse depicts a sea battle scene with inscriptions:
Viam Invenit Virtus Aut Facit
Inter Class. Ameri.
Et Brit Die X. Sep.
MDCCCXIII
(Valor finds or makes a way. Between the Fleets of America and Britain September 10, 1813.)[36][37]

Elliott was also recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal[32] and the Thanks of Congress for his actions in the Battle of Lake Erie. This recognition would prove to fan the flames of resentment on both sides of the Elliott–Perry controversy.[26]

In recognition of his victory at Lake Erie, in 1813 Perry was elected as an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati.

Later commands and controversies

USN engraved portrait of
Commodore Perry

In July 1814, Perry was placed in command of USS Java, a 44-gun frigate which was under construction in Baltimore. While overseeing the outfitting of Java, Perry participated in the defenses of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. during the British invasion of the Chesapeake Bay. In a twist of irony, these land battles would be the last time the career naval officer saw combat. The Treaty of Ghent was signed before Java could be put to sea.[16]

For Perry, the post-war years were marred by controversies. In 1815, he commanded Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. While moored in Naples, Perry was provoked into slapping the commander of the ship's Marines, Captain John Heath. The ensuing court-martial found both men guilty but levied only mild reprimands. After the crew returned home, Heath challenged Perry to a pistol duel, which was fought on October 19, 1817, on the same field in Weehawken, New Jersey where Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Heath fired first and missed. Perry refused to fire, satisfying the Marine's honor.[16]

Perry's return from the Mediterranean also reignited the feud with Elliott. After an exchange of angry letters, Elliott challenged Perry to a duel, which Perry refused. He instead, on August 8, 1818, filed formal court-martial charges against Elliott. Perry filed a total of six charges and twenty-one specifications including "conduct unbecoming an officer," and failure to "do his utmost to take or destroy the vessel of the enemy which it was his duty to encounter."

Wishing to avoid a scandal between two congressionally decorated naval heroes, Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and President James Monroe suppressed the matter by offering Perry a diplomatic mission to South America in exchange for dropping his charges against Elliott. This put an official end to the controversy, though it would continue to be debated for another quarter century.[38]

Death and legacy

Oliver Hazard Perry
Issue of 1894
Other stamps depicting Perry:

In 1819, aboard of the frigate John Adams with frigate Constellation and schooner USS Nonsuch, sailed in a squadron for the Orinoco River, Venezuela, arriving 15 July to discourage piracy while still maintaining friendly relations with Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Buenos Aires. Shifting his flag to USS Nonsuch, Perry sailed upriver to Angostura to negotiate an anti-piracy agreement with President Simón Bolívar. A favorable treaty was signed on 11 August with the vice-president Francisco Antonio Zea in the absence of Bolivar (who was engaged in the liberation of New Granada); but when the schooner started downriver, many of her crew including Perry had been stricken with yellow fever. Despite the crew's efforts to reach Trinidad for medical assistance, the Commodore died on his 34th birthday as the ship was nearing Port of Spain. Commodore Perry died on board the USS John Adams shortly after its arrival at Gulf of Paria on 23 August. He was buried in Port of Spain with great honors while USS Nonsuch's crew acted as honor guard.

File:17Perry's-Victory-Quarter-Design-2013.jpg
"Perry's Victory" Quarter

His remains were later taken back to the United States and interred in Newport, Rhode Island. After resting briefly in the Old Common Burial Ground, his body was finally moved to Newport's Island Cemetery,[39][40] where his brother Matthew C. Perry is also interred.[41]

Family

Commodore Oliver Perry Farm in Rhode Island

Perry's parents were Christopher Raymond Perry (1761–1818), who was also born in South Kingston, RI, and Sarah Wallace Alexander (1763-1830). Through his mother, Perry was a direct descendant of the uncle of Scottish nobleman William Wallace[2] (d. 1305), whose life was the inspiration for the movie Braveheart.

Perry married Elizabeth Champlin Mason in 1811. They had five children, four of whom lived to maturity. They were:

  1. Christopher Grant Champlin Perry (April 2, 1812 – April 5, 1854) m. Murial Frances Sergeant of Philadelphia (great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin); their daughter Margaret Mason Perry married the artist John LaFarge;
  2. Oliver Hazard Perry II (February 23, 1813 – March 4, 1814) died in infancy;
  3. Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr. (February 23, 1815 – August 20, 1878) m. 1) Elizabeth Ann Randolph (1816–1847) (Virginia Randolph family) and m. 2) Mary Ann Moseley;
  4. Christopher Raymond Perry (June 29, 1816 – October 8, 1848) never married;
  5. Elizabeth Mason Perry m., as his 2nd wife, the Reverend Francis Vinton, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport.

Perry's son Christopher Grant Champlin Perry served as commander of the Artillery Company of Newport from 1848 until his death in 1854.

Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr. entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1829, rose to the rank of lieutenant and resigned in 1849.

Christopher Raymond Perry graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1842. He served during the Mexican War and fought at the Battle of Palo Alto on May 8, 1846 and at the Battle of Resaca-de‑la‑Palma on May 9, 1846. He died on active duty as a 1st lieutenant in 1848.[42]

His family's descendants include Commander John Rodgers, the second person to become a United States naval aviator,[43] and well known civilian aviator Calbraith Perry Rodgers, the first person to fly an airplane—the Vin Fiz—across the United States.[44]

Perry's nephew by marriage, George Champlin Mason, Sr., was a noted architect and historian.

Oliver Hazard Perry La Farge (December 19, 1901 – August 2, 1963) was an American writer and anthropologist, best known for his 1930 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Laughing Boy.

His great nephew Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (November 12, 1858 – June 10, 1908) was an American socialite and United States Representative from New York.

Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877) (no relation)—the 14th Governor of Indiana, a famous Republican politician and U.S. Senator, who was a leader among the Radical Republican reconstructionists—was named in his honor.[45]

Dates of rank

  • Midshipman - 7 April 1799
  • Lieutenant - 15 January 1807
  • Master Commandant - 28 August 1812
  • Captain - 10 September 1813

Note - Although Perry is often referred to as "Commodore Perry" it should be kept in mind that, prior to the American Civil War, commodore was not a rank in the U.S. Navy but, rather, the title of an officer in command of a squadron of two or more ships. Perry first held the title of commodore when he took command of the Lake Erie squadron in 1813.

Assignments

  • Midshipman, USS General Greene - April 1799 to May 1801
  • Acting Lieutenant, USS Adams - Spring 1802 to November 1803
  • Second Lieutenant, USS Constellation - May 1804 to July 1805
  • First Lieutenant, USS Nautilus - July 1805 to December 1805
  • Acting Lieutenant, USS Constitution - December 1805 to c. July 1806
  • Second Lieutenant, USS Essex - c. July 1806 to c. October 1806
  • Officer in Charge of Gunboat construction in Newport and Westerly, RI - October 1806 to April 1809
  • Commanding Officer, USS Revenge - April 1809 to January 1811
  • Commanding Officer, Gunboat Squadron, Newport, RI - c. 1811 to January 1813
  • Commanding Officer, Lake Erie Squadron - March 1813 to c. October 1813
  • Commanding Officer, USS Java (under construction) - July 1814 to August 1815
  • Commanding Officer, USS Java (in commission) - August 1815 to c. May 1817
  • Senior Naval Officer, Newport, RI - c. May 1817 to c. May 1819
  • Commanding Officer, Venezuelan diplomatic mission - c. May 1819 to August 1819 (deceased)

Geographical namesakes

Many locations, both in Rhode Island and near Lake Erie, are named in his honor, including:

Counties and municipalities (organized by state)

Monuments

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (1912-15), Put-In-Bay, Ohio.

The national monument commemorating Perry is the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Its 352 ft. (107 m) tower, the world's most massive Doric column, was constructed by a multi-state commission between 1912 and 1915.[50]

Other monuments

Historical paintings

  • Oliver Hazard Perry (1860) by William Walcutt, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.
    Oliver Hazard Perry (1860) by William Walcutt, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.
  • Battle of Lake Erie (1873) by William Henry Powell, U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.
    Battle of Lake Erie (1873) by William Henry Powell, U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.
  • Oliver Hazard Perry (1885) by William Greene Turner, Newport, Rhode Island.
    Oliver Hazard Perry (1885) by William Greene Turner, Newport, Rhode Island.
  • Perry Monument (1926), Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania.
    Perry Monument (1926), Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania.
  • Perry statue (1928), Rhode Island State House.
    Perry statue (1928), Rhode Island State House.

Documentary

In 2016, principal photography began on We Have Met the Enemy, a feature-length documentary produced by Lou Reda (Vietnam in HD, The Blue and the Gray), for a planned Spring 2017 release.[60]

Eponymous ships

Commodore Perry has been repeatedly honored with ships bearing his name.

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ His progression from being the subject of a court-martial for running aground to being a formidable commander who made a real difference has a striking parallel to the career of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
  2. ^ A "cable" is 720 feet in the Royal Navy, 600 feet (183 m) in the U.S. Navy. "Half cable's length" would be less than 330 feet (100 m).
  3. ^ There is a monument of him on the river near the PYC (Perrysburg Yacht Club). This town also is the home of Fort Meigs

Citations

  1. ^ Skaggs, 2006, p. xi
  2. ^ a b c White, 1895, p. 288
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloom, Page essay
  4. ^ Paullin, 1918, See Bibliography
  5. ^ Capace, Nancy (May 1, 2001). The Encyclopedia of Rhode Island. St. Clair Shores, Michigan: Somerset Publishers, Inc. p. 368. ISBN 9780403096107. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  6. ^ Skaggs, 2006, p. 6
  7. ^ Mackenzie, 1840, p. 40
  8. ^ Barnes, 1912, p. 11
  9. ^ Brown, 2006, Oliver Hazard Perry, p. 226
  10. ^ Barnes, 1912, p. 16
  11. ^ Mackenzie, 1840, pp. 53-55
  12. ^ Copes, Jan M. (Fall 1994). "The Perry Family: A Newport Naval Dynasty of the Early Republic". Newport History: Bulletin of the Newport Historical Society. 66, Part 2 (227). Newport, RI: Newport Historical Society: 49–77.
  13. ^ a b Cooper, James Fenimore (May 1843). Oliver Hazard Perry. Vol. XXII. Graham's Magazine. p. 268. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  14. ^ "Divers: 1811 Wreck of Perry Ship Discovered Off RI". New York Times (Associated Press report). January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  15. ^ "Divers Say They've Found 1811 Wreck of Perry Ship". AOL News. January 8, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c "Oliver Hazard Perry – Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial". Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  17. ^ Skaggs, 2006, p. 50
  18. ^ a b Potter, 1981, p. 106
  19. ^ Herring, James; Longacre, James Barton (1854). The national portrait gallery of distinguished Americans. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: D. Rice & A.N. Hart. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  20. ^ a b Altoff, Gerard T. (1999). Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie. Put-in-Bay, OH: The Perry Group. ISBN 978-1887794039.
  21. ^ a b Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County, p. 283 and Various formats at Open Library.
  22. ^ a b "Famous Navy Quotes: Who Said Them and When". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  23. ^ Dudley, William S., ed. The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History. vol.2 (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1992), p. 559.
  24. ^ Roosevelt, Theodore (1889). The Naval War of 1812 Or The History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans (Tenth ed.). New York: G. P. Putnum's Sons. p. 266.
  25. ^ Skaggs, 2000, p. 147
  26. ^ a b c d e Skaggs, David Curtis (April 2009). "Perry Triumphant". Naval History Magazine. 23 (2). United States Naval Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  27. ^ Symonds, Craig L; Clipson, William J. (April 2001) The Naval Institute historical atlas of the U.S. Navy Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press 264pp, ISBN 978-1-55750-984-0; ISBN 1-55750-984-0, p. 48.
  28. ^ Skaggs, David Curtis (2013). The Battle of Lake Erie and Its Aftermath. Ohio: The Kent State University Press. p. 220.
  29. ^ a b c Quoted in Altoff, Gerard T. (1993). Deep Water Sailors Shallow Water Soldiers: Manning the United States Fleet on Lake Erie – 1813. Put-in-Bay, OH: The Perry Group. pp. 23–24. ISBN 978-1887794015.
  30. ^ Taylor, William V. (1813). Logbook of the USS Lawrence. Newport, RI: Newport Historical Society. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  31. ^ American State Papers. Naval Affairs. Volume 1. pg. 295.
  32. ^ a b J. F. Loubat, LL.D. (1831–1927) (1888). The Medallic History of the United States of America, 1776—1876. Volume II. Illustrated by Jaquemart, Jules Fredinand (1837–1880). N. Flayderman & Co. Retrieved September 3, 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ Lossing, Benson J. (1869). "XVIII – Events on the Northern and Niagara Frontiers in 1812". Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  34. ^ "List of Congressional Gold Medal Recipients". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved September 3, 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  35. ^ Glassman, Matthew Eric, Analyst for the Congress (June 21, 2010). "Congressional Gold Medals, 1776–2009": 3. Retrieved September 3, 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ Congressional Gold Medal Honoring Oliver Hazard Perry.
  37. ^ Snowden, James Ross (1809–1878), Director of the Mint: United States Mint (1861). A Description of the Medals of Washington; and of other Objects of Interest in the Museum of the Mint. Illustrated, to which are added Biographical Notices of the Directors of the Mint from 1792 to the year 1851. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: J. B. Lippincott & Co. pp. 83–84. Retrieved September 3, 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ Skaggs, David Curtis (2006). Oliver Hazard Perry: Honor, Courage, and Patriotism in the Early U.S. Navy. Naval Institute Press. pp. 191–199. ISBN 978-1-59114-792-3. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  39. ^ Drake, Samuel Adams,1833–1905. Nooks and corners of the New England coast, Rhode Ialand Cemeteries, p. 401.
  40. ^ Oliver Hazard Perry at Find a Grave
  41. ^ "Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794–1858) – Find a Grave Memorial". Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  42. ^ Christopher R. Perry. "Christopher R. Perry • Cullum's Register • 1163". Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  43. ^ "John Rodgers, Commander, United States Navy". Arlington National Cemetery Website. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  44. ^ Patricia Clark. "Calbraith Rodgers". Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Penn State. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  45. ^ Woollen, William Wesley (1975). Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana. Ayer Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 0-405-06896-4. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  46. ^ "Perry, New York Village Information - ePodunk". epodunk.com.
  47. ^ Espenshade, Abraham Howry (1925). Pennsylvania place names. Pennsylvania State College. p. 337.
  48. ^ Capace, Nancy (May 1, 2001). The Encyclopedia of Rhode Island. St. Clair Shores, Michigan: Somerset Publishers, Inc. pp. 160, 360, 363. ISBN 9780403096107. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  49. ^ Bergstrom, Bill (December 11, 1984). "Origins of place names are traced". Kentucky New Era. pp. 2B. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  50. ^ Watterson, Henry (1840–1921) (1912). The Perry memorial and centennial celebration under the auspices of the national government and the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Minnesota and Indiana. Cleveland, Ohio: Interstate Board of the Perry's Victory Centennial Commissioners. Retrieved October 22, 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  51. ^ Text of Perry memorial plaque, quoted in George Champlin Mason, Annals of Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, 1698–1821, (Philadelphia: The Evans Printing House, 1890), p. 323.
  52. ^ Olshan, Matthew (August 20, 2009). "A tale of two statues: A reader's story about Newport's Perry monuments prompts an investigation by a Pennsylvania writer". The Newport Daily News. Newport, RI. pp. A9.
  53. ^ "Papers of Rear Admiral Henry E. Lackey (1899–1940)". Washington, D.C: Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  54. ^ "USS Memphis". historycentral.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  55. ^ United States Mint. "Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial". United States Mint. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  56. ^ "82000020 NRHP nomination for Commodore Oliver Perry Farm" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  57. ^ Perry's Victory on Lake Erie, from The Ohio Statehouse.
  58. ^ Battle of Lake Erie, from United States Senate.
  59. ^ Portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry by Gari Melchers, Rhode Island State House.
  60. ^ [1]
  61. ^ "Commodore Perry". The Naval Historical Center. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  62. ^ "Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II". usmm.org.
  63. ^ Vergakis, Brock (January 7, 2015). "Last deployment: All Navy frigates soon to be decommissioned". Associated Press. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  64. ^ Rogoway, Tyler (January 10, 2014). "End Of The 'Ghetto Navy' Is In Sight As Last USN Frigate Cruise Begins". Fox Trot Alpha. Retrieved January 10, 2014.

Bibliography

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oliver Hazard Perry.
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