Cleveland, Sandusky, and Toledo. On the N. shore there is a harbor called Port Maitland, at the entrance of Grand river near the E. end of the lake, and this river is navigable by small vessels for some distance. Other harbors on the same side are Ports Dover, Burwell, and Stanley. Lake Erie drains but a narrow margin of country around it, and receives no rivers of importance. The Maumee is the largest on the American side, entering the lake at its S. W. extremity, its course being nearly on the extended line of the river St. Lawrence and the two lakes Ontario and Erie. Sandusky river, further E. in Ohio, rises about 60 m. S. of the lake; but more to the east the rise of the surface to the north reaches nearly to the lake shore, determining the drainage in the opposite direction, which is that of the general slope of the strata. The lake was early navigated by sailing vessels built upon its shores, and as many as seven steamers were running upon it in 1830. It is usually closed by ice in the early part of December, and continues more or less frozen over till March or April. In the season of navigation an immense amount of transportation is done upon it, and its commerce is of great value. The communication with Lake Ontario is through the Welland canal, constructed across the Canadian peninsula. On the American side are six customs districts, viz.: Buffalo Creek and Dunkirk, N. Y.; Erie, Pa.; and Cuyahoga, Sandusky, and Miami, Ohio. The value of the imports from Canada for the year ending June 30, 1872, was $3,429,722; exports to Canada, $3,945,588; entered from Canadian ports, 1,284 American vessels of 579,352 tons, and 986 Canadian vessels of 157,889 tons; cleared for Canadian ports, 1,168 American vessels of 533,845 tons, and 1,010 Canadian vessels of 162,509 tons; entered in the coastwise trade, 3,340 steamers of 2,132,391 tons, and 8,229 sailing vessels of 1,934,972 tons; cleared, 3,377 steamers of 2,147,819 tons, and 8,397 sailing vessels of 1,976,408 tons. There were registered, enrolled, and licensed in these districts 1,576 vessels of 257,377 tons, viz.: 241 steamers of 79,054 tons, 429 sailing vessels of 98,295 tons, 886 canal boats of 75,971 tons, and 20 barges of 4,057 tons; built during the year, 88 vessels of 18,445 tons, viz.: 29 steamers of 8,914 tons, 15 sailing vessels of 4,256 tons, 38 canal boats of 3,829 tons, and 6 barges of 1,446 tons. The fisheries of Lake Erie are of little importance compared with those of the upper lakes, where the same kinds of fish are more abundant and of better quality. The chief varieties taken are lake trout and whitefish; other varieties are sturgeon, sisquit, muskelonge, black bass, white bass, Oswego bass, and several species of pike.
ERIE, Lake, Battle of, an important naval engagement in the war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, fought near the W. extremity of the lake, Sept. 10, 1813. The naval supremacy on the lakes was a matter of much moment, and the American forces on Lake Erie were intrusted to Lieut. Oliver Hazard Perry, who equipped a squadron of nine sail at Erie on Presque Isle bay, and, although blockaded by the British fleet under Capt. Barclay, succeeded in getting his squadron out of port Aug. 12, 1813. On the 28th Perry was made master commandant, and on Sept. 10 lay in Put-in-bay, near Sandusky, when he discovered the British squadron in the offing, and went out to meet it. It consisted of six vessels, viz.: the ships Detroit and Queen Charlotte, the schooner Lady Prevost, the brig Hunter, and the smaller vessels Chippeway and Little Belt, in all mounting 63 guns, with 502 officers and men. Perry had nine vessels, viz.: the brigs Lawrence, Niagara, and Caledonia, and the Scorpion, Ariel, Somers, Porcupine, Tigress, and Trippe, with 54 guns and 490 officers and men. The Americans had some advantage in able seamen, Barclay's vessels being chiefly manned by Canadian watermen and soldiers. Only the Lawrence and Niagara, however, of the American squadron, were regular vessels of war, the others having been built for trading. Their guns were of heavier calibre than those of the English, but of shorter range. This enabled the British to open the battle with advantage. They concentrated their greater number of long-range guns on the Lawrence, Perry's flag ship, and by half past two o'clock, out of her 101 officers and men, only 18 were not disabled, and all her guns were rendered ineffective. In this desperate condition Perry left the Lawrence in command of Lieut. Yarnall, and shifted his flag to the Niagara, which lay half a mile to windward, crossing in his boat under a heavy fire. Lieut. Elliott of the Niagara, leaving his own ship, took command of the Somers, and brought up the smaller vessels of the fleet, which had as yet been little in the action. All together now bore down upon the enemy, and passing through his line, opened a raking cross fire, which in seven minutes compelled the surrender of the British flag ship Detroit, and of the Queen Charlotte, Lady Prevost, and Hunter. The Chippeway and Little Belt endeavored to escape, but were overtaken by the Scorpion and Trippe and surrendered to them about an hour later. When Perry saw that victory was secure he wrote with a pencil on the back of an old letter, resting it on his navy cap, the despatch to Gen. Harrison: “We have met the enemy and they are ours—two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop.” The combat had lasted about three hours, with a loss on either side of about 130 in killed and wounded, Barclay himself among the latter. This victory completely established the American supremacy on the lake, and enabled the naval force to coöperate with Gen. Harrison by transporting troops and stores, so that Detroit was evacuated by the British, and Michigan released from British occupation and Indian warfare. Congress bestowed gold medals upon Perry and Elliott, and other rewards upon the officers
