On the Lakes 311 



effectives was most probably somewhat less than 

 Perry's. As the battle was fought in such smooth 

 water, and part of the time at long range, this, as 

 already said, does not much matter. The Niagara 

 might be considered a match for the Detroit, and 

 the Laurence and Caledonia for the five other Brit- 

 ish vessels ; so the Americans were certainly very 

 greatly superior in force. 



At daylight on Sept. loth Barclay's squadron was 

 discovered in the N.W., and Perry at once got under 

 way; the wind soon shifted to the N.E., giving us 

 the weather-gage, the breeze being very light. Bar- 

 clay lay to in a close column, heading to the S.W. 

 in the following order : Chippeway, Master's Mate J. 

 Campbell ; Detroit, Captain R. H. Barclay ; Hunter, 

 Lieutenant G. Bignell ; Queen Charlotte, Captain R. 

 Finnis; Lady Prevost, Lieutenant Edward Buchan; 

 and Little Belt, by whom commanded is not said. 

 Perry came down with the wind on his port beam, 

 and made the attack in column ahead, obliquely. 

 First in order came the Ariel, Lieut. John H. Packet, 

 and Scorpion, Sailing-Master Stephen Champlin, 

 both being on the weather bow of the Laurence, 

 Captain O. H. Perry; next came the Caledonia, 

 Lieut. Daniel Turner ; Niagara, Captain Jesse D. El- 

 liott; Somers, Lieutenant A. H. M. Conklin ; Por- 

 cupine, Acting-Master George Serrat; Tigress, 

 Sailing-Master Thomas C. Almy, and Trippe, Lieu- 

 tenant Thomas Holdup. 28 



98 The accounts of the two commanders tally almost ex- 

 actly. Barclay's letter is a model of its kind for candor and 



