The Battle of Lake Erie

Niagara Led Victory Charge


One-Hundred sixty-three years ago today a ship christened "Niagara" was launched from its building berth at the mouth of Cascade Run to become part of Capt. Oliver Hazzard Perry's fleet, destined to defeat the British in the historic Battle of lake Erie. It and another brig, the "Lawrence," were the largest of nine ships, sex of which were built at Erie, that sailed west on Aug. 12, 1813, in search of the enemy, whom they were soon to meet off the shores of Sandusky, Ohio.


Building the fleet and manning the boats with adequate personnel were only tow of the seemingly impossible tasks facing Perry when he assumed command of the Lake Erie fleet on March 27, 1813.


Perry, only twenty-seven years old, enlisted the help of house carpenters and black-smiths from throughout the country because of a shortage of shipbuilders at the time. Timber was gathered from nearby forest, and iron was collected at various warehouses and stores and shipped from Pittsburgh and Buffalo. By the end of May, the entire fleet that would eventually fight the powerful British Navy was ready. Besides the "Lawrence" and "Niagara," it consisted of schooners "Ariel," "Scorpion," "Ohio," "Somers" and "Amelia," brig "Caledonia," gunboats "porcupine" and "Tigress," and sloop "Trippe."


The fleet anchored at Sandusky on Aug. 17. On Sept. 7, as the crew readied for battle, Perry met with his officers and produced his famous battle flag- "Don't Give Up The Ship"- which was hoisted above the "Lawrence" the morning of Aug. 10, only hours before the first cannon shot would be fired. For the first two hours of battle, the "Lawrence" took the fire of the heaviest British ship " until every gun was dismounted, two-thirds of her crew killed or wounded, and the ship so badly cut up aloft as to be unmanageable." It was then that the "Niagara," which had, for no apparent reason, stayed out of the fire at the beginning, led the charge to victory.


"The gunboats being well up and the "Caledonia" in good position, the signal to break through the British line was shown from the "Niagara" at 2:45 in the afternoon. The fire of the "Niagara" was reserved until she got abreast of the "Detroit," when she poured her starboard at pistol shot into the vessel and the "Queen Charlotte," while with the port broadside she sent a storm of (cannon) ball into the 'Lady Provost' and 'Chippewa....' After passing through the British line, the 'Niagara' rounded to under their lee (the side sheltered from the wind), and sent one broadside after another into the entangled vessels, causing such fearful damage that in fifteen minutes from the time she bore up, a white handkerchief was waved from the 'Queen Charlotte' as a symbol of submission, shortly succeeded by one from the 'Detroit." The firing ceased almost instantly, after a struggle of almost three hours duration." Perry then penned a letter to his commander, Gen. William Henry Harrison: "Dear General: We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." Perry and the "Niagara" returned to a hero's welcome in Erie, the former eventually to assume commands elsewhere. The "Niagara" remained in Misery Bay and through the years, partially sank into the water. In 1913, 100 years after its famous fight, it made a triumphal tour of ports along Lake Erie, after which it returned here to be permanently docked on land alongside State Street, just south of the Public Dock.


Erie, Pa. Times-News, Sunday, July 4, 1976 page 5D by Bob Baptist Times Staff Writer