THE
CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
3
could only come in by water. It thus became imperative for Barclay to
regain command of the lake and he sailed out of Maiden harbor early in
September to give battle. Perry himself was on board the Lawrence,
named for the hero of the “ Chesapeake” while his second in command,
Captain Elliot, was on the Niagara. The young commander who was
thirty years old, plunged into the action with a zeal which may have
been indiscreet. At any rate he sailed his vessel ahead of his fleet so
far that he met the fire of his enemy without much support. Captain,
Elliott did not show any haste in followsng his chief and before long thè
Lawrence was ready to sink Some men would have thought it about
time to surrender then, but Perry’s mind was of different mold. He
looked about for escape from his dilemma and noticed the Niagara
making its languid way to the front. Instantly he saw what to do. He
lowered a boat, and leaving his ship to its fate, boarded the Niagara,
which he immediately drove into action. A moment later the Law’rence
raised the white flag. Soon after Perry reached the Niagara the British
saw’ that they were beaten and surrendered.
This was one of the few decisive actions of the War of 1812. It gave
the Americans command of Lake Erie and enabled them to begin effect
ive operations against the British and Indians in the West by land.
General Harrison, who had been sent to that quarter to succeed a series
of incapables proved to be the right man. His vigorous measures present
ly recovered Detroit, which Hull had foolishlv surrendered at the begin
ning of the war, and by the time the Winterset in the British retained
none of their conquests west of Lake Ontario except Mackinaw. This
post they held to the end of the war, but their scheme of erecting an in
dependent Indian territory out of the spoils of the United States was
blighted forever.