1921] HISTORICAL GROUPS. 115 



of her land forces for American duty. Hence, the War of 1812 

 was chiefly fought upon the water. Several of the most hard fought 

 and brilliant naval engagements of history occurred at this time, 

 though at the outset our navy numbered scarcely more than twenty 

 serviceable men-of-war. 



Battle of Lake Erie 



"Through Hull's surrender, the British from Canada came into 

 control of the then very large Territory of Michigan and soon 

 menaced Ohio and the vast Louisiana territory, so recently pur- 

 chased (1803) by us. The importance of gaining the naval control 

 of the Great Lakes was paramount. 



"To Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was entrusted, early in 

 the spring of 1813, the task of constructing a fleet of small vessels 

 at the port of Erie, Penn. On Avigust 2nd he set sail with his 

 fleet of two brigs and eight smaller vessels in quest of the enemy. 



"He found the British fleet of six larger vessels lying in the 

 harbor of Maiden and unwilling to come forth for an engagement. 

 He, therefore, retired to Put-in-Bay, in South Bass Island, where 

 he could watch his enemy. 



"On the morning of September 10th the British squadron 

 emerged and the American vessels immediately stood out into the 

 lake to engage them. 



"Perry's flagship, the Lawrence, was well in advance of the 

 other American vessels and took the concentrated fire of practically 

 all the British vessels for two hours, until nearly all her guns were 

 put out of action, her crew decimated and her rigging torn to bits. 



"With his ship in this unmanageable condition, Perry deter- 

 mined to take his flag and cross in a small boat over to the Niagara. 



"The scene here depicted is that from the deck of the Lawrence 

 when Perry had covered about half this perilous distance between 

 the two vessels, the small boat being the target of a strong mus- 

 ketry and shell fire from the British. Almost miraculously Perry 

 passed through this fire and gained the deck of the Niagara. 



"He then made through the British line and delivered raking 

 l^roadsides into the principal British vessels. By this time the 

 other smaller American vessels had come up and, after a short but 

 severe struggle, the entire British fleet struck its colors. 



