166 HEREDITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS. 



George W. entered the navy at the age of 14 years and was killed in 1863, while 

 chief of staff of Dahlgren, who said that he was an officer "of the highest pro- 

 fessional capacity and courage." 



This trait of fearlessness is widely disseminated among more distant male 

 relatives of the Perrys. Thus General Nathanael Greene, perhaps second only to 

 Washington among colonial generals, was a second cousin to Christopher R. Perry. 

 C. R. Perry's mother's father, Oliver Hazard, was second cousin to General Benedict 

 Arnold. A more remote cousin is Ezek Hopkins, first head of the Colonial navy. 



Pertinacity is another Perry trait. This was marvelously displayed by Oliver 

 in the battle of Lake Erie. Only 18 out of 101 of the men on board the Lawrence 

 were uninjured. A British officer reported of the Lawrence that "it would be im- 

 possible to place a hand on the broadside, which had been exposed to the enemy's 

 fire, without covering some portion of a wound, either from grape, round, canister, 

 or chain shot." The masts were so much injured that they rolled out in the first 

 severe gale. Yet not till every gun was out of commission did Perry move, and then 

 not to surrender the helpless ship but to retire to another and continue the fight ! 



Matthew had much of this quality, which he showed in diplomacy with the 

 Japanese. On his first arrival at Uraga, the vice governor called and stated that 

 discussion could be held only at Nagasaki; he was informed that the admiral 

 would not go to Nagasaki. The next day the governor called and was again 

 informed that the admiral would not go to Nagasaki. Finally, the Japanese 

 yielded and agreed to receive the letter from the president of the United States. 

 After delivering the letter Perry stated that he would return in a few months 

 for the reply. He did so, and decided that he would receive the reply at the capital 

 city. Repeatedly he was told that that was impossible; he persisted, the Japanese 

 acceded; they met at Yokohama. As point by point was haggled over, "Perry 

 intimated his readiness to stay in the bay a year or two if necessary." (Griffis, 

 p. 363.) Finally a satisfactory treaty was arranged and signed. "It was Perry's 

 pertinacity that first conquered for himself a fleet (to go to Japan); his thorough- 

 going method of procedure in every detail and his powerful personality and in- 

 vincible tenacity in dealing with the Japanese that won a quick and permanent 

 success without a drop of blood." (Griffis, p. 374.) 



In temperament the two Perrys differed slightly. From youth Oliver was 

 the more excitable and liable to occasional outbursts of temper. (Mills, p. 26.) 

 At the age of 13 years he and some fellows were sailing boats and planks on the 

 shallow waters of the Pawcatuck near his home. In a play sea-fight, Oliver's craft 

 happened to be run down by that of his playmate. Whereupon "Oliver's rage 

 became ungovernable, and for a minute or two he was anxious for an actual set- 

 to, to recover the lost advantage of the day." (Mills, p. 13.) After his victory in 

 his ship in Tunis bay in 1816, he struck one of his officers a blow for showing what he 

 (Perry) conceived to be a disrespectful attitude. Over this a duel was eventually 

 held, in which Perry, who was ready to apologize, refused to fire at his opponent. 

 Matthew seemed to have his temper better in hand, but he was regarded as "some- 

 thing of a martinet." Both were very energetic, working hard and keeping tense. 

 Both were insistent on discipline and stood for duty all over. 



Oliver was a man of action, primarily, and reached his highest achievement 

 in battle. He wrote little, and disliked writing. But he made rapid progress 

 in mathematical astronomy, so that when he left school at 13 years of age his 

 teacher declared "that he was the best young navigator in Rhode Island." (Mills, 



