"Don't Give Up the Ship!" [part]

Though weakened by malaria, Perry sailed on August 6, 1813, to join General William Henry Harrison whose army was poised to march on Detroit. Because the American fleet held an advantage in short-range carronades, while the British had the edge in long-range cannons, Perry warned his captains to close with the British. Dillon wrote that he echoed Nelson before Trafalgar: "If you bring the enemy close alongside, you cannot be out of your plan."

On September 10, 1813, Barclay's fleet met Perry and his vessels near Put-in-Bay. Barclay's six ships [Note: yes, I know, they weren't all "ships"] (Detroit, 19 guns; Queen Charlotte, 17; Lady Prevost, 13; Hunter, 10; Little Belt, 3; and Chippewa [or Chippeway], 1), deployed for battle. Perry's nine ships [see previous note. :-)](Lawrence, 30; Niagara, 20; Ariel, 4; Caledonia, 3; Scorpion, 2; Somers, 2; Porcupine, 1; Tigress, 1; and Trippe, 1) sailed out of their base at Put-in-Bay to decide the control of Lake Erie--and of the Old Northwest.

Prior to the battle, Perry ordered sand spread on the decks of his ships to provide firmer footing when the inevitable blood was spilled; he raised his "Don't Give Up the Ship" banner to the cheers of his crew. He then destroyed his personal papers so that, if defeated, his wife's letters would not be read by the British. According to some witnesses, as the Americans readied for battle "Rule Britannia" echoed from the British fleet.

Battle was joined when the Detroit opened fire at long range. As Perry drove Lawrence forward to close with the British, his formation began to break apart when some vessels failed to keep up; the Niagara in particular hung back for no apparent reason. The British concentrated their fire on the Lawrence. By the time Perry brought his ship close enough for his carronades and Kentucky sharpshooters to damage the British, she'd already been hit hard. Aided only by Scorpion, Ariel, and Caledonia, the Lawrence was slowly smashed by the fire from the British fleet. For two hours, the Lawrence gallantly endured, fighting on despite the loss of gun after gun to British fire. The ship's hull was splintered and its crew killed and maimed. Perry's own dog reportedly added to the chaos by poking its head through a hole shot through his cabin and yelping in panic. But even when the last gun on the Lawrence was silenced, Perry would not surrender. Instead, he took a small boat and rowed to the undamaged Niagara, which had failed to close with the enemy as per his instructions. ...[Final note: This was my first published item. Looking back on it, I have no idea why I added "the" before vessel names so often.]