PERRY
PERRY
the Chicago Tribune and the Providence Journal;
contributed stories and poems to magazines, and
for several years before her death confined her-
self to writing stories for girls. She is the author
of: After the Ball and Other Poems (1874); The
Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories
(1880); Bookof Love Stories {\m\); For a Woman
(1885); New Songs and Ballads (1886); A Flock
of Girls (1887); The Youngest Miss Lorton and
Other Stories (1889); Brave Girls (1889); Lyrics
and Legends (1S90); Hope Benham{l8M); Her
Lover's Friends and Other Poems, and Three Lit-
tle Daughters of the Revolution (posthumous,
(1896). She died in Dudley, Mass., May 13, 1896.
PERRY, Oliver Hazard, naval officer, was born
in Newport, R.I., Aug. 21, 1785; eldest son of
Christopher Raymond and Sarah (Alexander)
Perry; grandson of Freeman Perry, and a descen-
dant in the sixth generation of Edward Perry,
who emigrated from
Devonshire, England,
and settled in Sand-
wich, Mass., in 1653.
His father was an
officer in the patriot
army and navy dur-
ing the Revolution-
ary war; was made
post captain in the
U.S. navy Jan. 9,
1798; built and com-
manded the General
Greene and cruised
in the West Indies;
participated in the
civil war in Santo
Domingo and was appointed collector of New-
port, R.I., in 1801. Oliver attended private
schools, and was a pupil of Count Rochambeau.
He joined the U.S. navy as a midshipman,
April 7, 1797, and sailed with his father to the
West Indies. He was ordered to the Adams in
1802 and served in the Tripolitan war under
Preble: served on board the Constellation in the
Mediterranean, 1804-05; was pi-omoted lieutenant
and given command of the Nautilus in 1805, and
during the embargo that led to the war of 1812
commanded a fleet of seventeen gun boats off
Newport Harbor. He was promoted master of
the schooner Revenge in 1809, and served on that
vessel until she was stranded on the rocks off
Watch Hill, R.I., Jan. 9, 1810. He was married
May 5, 1811, to Elizabeth Champlain, daughter
of Dr. Benjamin Mason, Newport. Upon the
outbreak of the war of 1812, he was promoted
captain and resumed command of the gunboat
fleet off Newport, but was transferred to Sackett's
Harbor. N.Y., Feb. 17. 1813. .to assist Commodore
Isaac Cliauncey in the building of a fleet to
(^9^^^^-^y-y
operate on the lakes. In March, 1813, he was pro-
moted master-commandant of a proposed fleet to
be built at Erie, Pa., and joined Captain Jesse D.
Elliott in the completion of a fleet for the defence
of the northwest. The fleet of nine vessels, com-
prising the tugs Laicrence and Niagara and the
schooners Caledonia, Scorpion, Porcupine, Ti-
gress, Ariel. Somers and Trippe of 500 tons burden,
of lighter build but armed with heavy long guns,
was completed in less than six months, and Perry
set sail from Put-in bay on tiie morning of Sept.
15, 1813, to meet the British fleet under Commo-
dore Barclay. This fleet comprised the Chippeiva,
Detroit, Hunter, Queen Charlotte, Lady Prevost
and Little Belt. The opening shot of the engage-
ment was fired from the British flag-ship Detroit,
to which Captain Perry replied from the Laic-
rence. This was immediately followed by a storm
of iron hail from the entire British fleet that
soon played havoc with the rigging, masts and
bulwarks of the Americans. The battle now
took the form of a duel, the heaviest A-essels in
each fleet confronting each other. The Lawrence
was reduced to a hulk by the steady fire of the
Detroit, and in two hours only one gun was left
mounted and the deck was crowded with dead
and wounded. The Niagara floated out of range,
owing to the lightness of the wind, and was
unable to give assistance to the Laivrence, and
the rest of the American fleet were of little use
on account of their light armament. Perry,
assisted by Chaplain Breeze, Hambleton, the
pui'ser, and two unwounded sailors, continued to
work the one remaining gun of the Laicrence
until a shot killed Hambleton and dismantled
the gun. A British victory seemed imminent
when the undaunted Perry determined on a bold
move. Ordering a boat lowered, with four
sailors, and his brother Alexander, and with the
flag of the Laicrence on his arm, he left the ship,
and sheltered by the smoke and escaping a volley
fired by the enemy, was rowed to the Niagara,
where he hoisted his commodore's fiag and as-
sumed command. Captain Elliott volunteered
to bring up the laggard scliooners to his support,
and a new line of battle was formed at close
quarters. The wind freshened and the American
fleet under full sail bore down upon the enemy.
In endeavoring to wear ship, the British ships,
Detroit and Queen Charlotte, fell foul, and taking
advantage of the situation, the Niagara dashed
through the enemy's line, discharging both broad-
sides as she passed the gap. The Caledonia,
Scorpion and Trippe broke the line at other
points, and the batteries of the Niagara, assisted
by the riflemen in the tops, so disabled the enemj'
that after seven minutes of fighting the flag of
the Detroit was lowered and four of the six British
vessels surrendered. The two smaller boats that
