Battle of Lake Erie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Lake Erie
Part of the War of 1812
Battle of Lake Erie by William Henry Powell, painted 1865, shows Oliver Hazard Perry transferring from Lawrence to Niagara
Date 10 September 1813 Location Lake Erie, near Put-in-Bay, Ohio Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Oliver Hazard Perry Jesse Elliot	Robert Heriot Barclay +  Robert Finnis
Strength
5 schooners 3 brigs 1 sloop 540 men 1,536 lb broadside	2 ships 1 brig 2 schooners 1 sloop 450 men 804 lb total broadside
Casualties and losses
27 killed 96 wounded 1 brig severely damaged	41 killed 93 wounded 306 captured entire squadron captured

The Battle of Lake Erie, also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was a major naval battle during the War of 1812. It happened on September 10, 1813, on Lake Erie, near the coast of Ohio. In this battle, nine ships of the United States Navy fought against and captured six ships of the British Royal Navy. This important American victory gave the United States control of Lake Erie for the rest of the war. It also helped the Americans take back Detroit and win the Battle of the Thames, which weakened a large group of Native American tribes led by Tecumseh. It was one of the biggest naval battles of the War of 1812.

Why the Battle Happened

Starting the War (1812)

When the War of 1812 began, the British quickly took control of Lake Erie. They already had a few warships there, like the sloop Queen Charlotte and the brig General Hunter. Another ship, the schooner Lady Prevost, was finished soon after the war started. These ships were part of the Provincial Marine, which was a transport service, not a regular navy.

At first, the Americans had no ships to fight the British. Their only warship on Lake Erie, the brig Adams, was not ready. When the American army, led by Brigadier General William Hull, tried to invade Canada, Adams was trapped in Detroit. British cannons across the river at Sandwich kept it from moving. The British Major-General Isaac Brock used his control of the lake to defeat Hull's army. He cut off American supplies and quickly moved his troops to Amherstburg, leading to the successful Siege of Detroit.

The British captured Adams when Detroit surrendered, renaming it Detroit. Another ship, the brig Caledonia, was taken from a Canadian company. On October 9, American sailors and soldiers, led by Lieutenant Jesse Elliot, boarded and captured both ships near Fort Erie. Detroit got stuck on an island and was burned so the British couldn't get it back. Caledonia was taken to the navy yard at Black Rock and joined the U.S. Navy. Other American schooners, Somers and Ohio, and the sloop Trippe, were also at Black Rock. They were being turned into gunboats. However, the British controlled Fort Erie, so these American ships were stuck.

Later in 1812, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton, met with Daniel Dobbins, an American lake sailor who had escaped Detroit. Dobbins suggested using Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania, as a naval base. He started building four gunboats there. A problem was a sandbar at the harbor's entrance, which would make it hard to get large ships out.

Commodore Isaac Chauncey was put in charge of U.S. naval forces on the Great Lakes. He visited Erie in January 1813 and approved Dobbins's work. He also suggested gathering materials for a bigger ship.

Building the Fleets (1813)

In January 1813, William Jones, the new Secretary of the Navy, ordered two large ships, called corvettes, to be built at Presque Isle. He sent shipbuilder Noah Brown to lead the construction. These new ships were similar to the USS Hornet. Getting heavy cannons for the ships was very difficult, as they had to be moved a long distance. Luckily, some large cannons were sent before a British attack destroyed a cannon factory. Other materials came from Pittsburgh, which was becoming a manufacturing center.

Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry was chosen to command the American forces on Lake Erie. He arrived at Presque Isle in late March. After making sure Presque Isle was safe, he went to Lake Ontario to get more sailors from Commodore Isaac Chauncey. Perry then went to Black Rock, where the American ships were finally free because the British had left Fort Erie. Perry had these ships pulled by oxen up the Niagara River, which took six days, and then sailed them to Presque Isle.

Meanwhile, Commander Robert Heriot Barclay was put in charge of the British ships on Lake Erie. Another British officer had already refused the job because it seemed impossible to win. Barclay arrived at Amherstburg on June 10 with only a few officers and sailors. His squadron had very few experienced British sailors. Most of his crew were from the Provincial Marine (who Barclay thought were not very good), soldiers, and other men who were not used to naval combat.

Barclay immediately sailed out in Queen Charlotte and Lady Prevost. He checked out Perry's base at Presque Isle and saw it was well defended by 2,000 American militia with cannons. He then tried to stop the American ships coming from Black Rock, but the hazy weather caused him to miss them.

During July and August, Barclay received two small ships, the schooner Chippeway and the sloop Little Belt. He also tried to finish building the large ship HMS Detroit at Amherstburg. Because the Americans controlled Lake Ontario, supplies for Barclay had to be carried overland from York. The Americans had captured the cannons meant for Detroit earlier in the year during the Battle of York. So, Detroit had to be built with a mix of cannons taken from the forts at Amherstburg. Barclay later said these cannons were missing parts and could only be fired by using flintlock pistols to ignite the powder.

Barclay kept asking for more men and supplies from Commodore James Lucas Yeo, who commanded on Lake Ontario, but he received very little help. Major-General Henry Procter, who led the British troops in the Detroit area, also lacked soldiers and supplies. He refused to attack Presque Isle without more help. Instead, he suffered heavy losses in an unsuccessful attack on Fort Stephenson, which he launched because his Native American allies wanted him to.

The Blockades

By mid-July, the American fleet was almost ready, but it didn't have enough sailors. The British ships blocked Presque Isle for ten days, from July 20 to 29. A sandbar at the harbor's mouth, with only 5 feet (1.5 m) of water, stopped Barclay from sailing in to attack. But it also stopped the Americans from leaving easily. Barclay had to end the blockade on July 29 because he was running out of supplies and the weather was bad.

Perry immediately began moving his ships over the sandbar. This was very hard work. All the cannons had to be removed from the ships. The largest ships had to be lifted using "camels" (special barges that were filled with water to sink and then emptied to float, lifting the ship). When Barclay returned four days later, Perry had almost finished. Perry's two biggest ships were not fully ready, but the smaller gunboats formed a strong line, making Barclay retreat to wait for his ship Detroit to be finished.

Commodore Chauncey sent 130 more sailors to Presque Isle, led by Lieutenant Jesse Elliot. Although Perry said some were "wretched," at least 50 were experienced sailors from the USS Constitution. Perry also had some volunteers from the Pennsylvania militia.

Perry's ships then sailed to Sandusky, where they picked up more volunteers from Major General William Henry Harrison's army. After showing themselves near Amherstburg twice, Perry set up his base at Put-in-Bay, Ohio. For the next five weeks, Barclay was blocked and couldn't get supplies to Amherstburg. His sailors, Procter's soldiers, and many Native American warriors and their families quickly ran out of food. After getting a last-minute group of 36 sailors, Barclay had no choice but to sail out and fight Perry.

Before the battle, Perry told his friend, Purser Samuel Hambleton, that he wanted a special flag to signal his fleet. Hambleton suggested using the dying words of Perry's friend, Captain James Lawrence, "Don't Give up the Ship." Hambleton had the flag sewn by women in Erie and gave it to Perry the day before the battle. This flag became a famous symbol in American naval history.

The Battle Begins

Movements of the squadrons of Perry and Barclay on the morning of 10 September overlaid on contemporary photograph (image taken September 2004)

On the morning of September 10, the Americans saw Barclay's ships heading towards them. They left their anchorage at Put-in-Bay. The wind was light. Barclay initially had the advantage of the wind, but it shifted, allowing Perry to get closer and attack. Both groups of ships were in a line, with their heaviest ships in the middle.

The first shot was fired by the British ship Detroit at 11:45 AM. Perry wanted to get his two largest ships, his flagship Lawrence and Niagara, close enough to use their powerful carronade cannons quickly. But in the light wind, his ships moved very slowly. Lawrence was hit hard by Detroit's long-range cannons for at least 20 minutes before it could fire back effectively. When Lawrence finally got within carronade range at 12:45 PM, its shots were not as effective as Perry hoped, possibly because the gunners had overloaded the cannons.

Behind Lawrence, Niagara, commanded by Elliot, was slow to join the fight and stayed too far away for its carronades to be effective. It's possible Elliot was ordered to fight the Queen Charlotte, and that Niagara was blocked by the slower Caledonia. Elliot's actions became a long-lasting argument between him and Perry. On the British ship Queen Charlotte, both the commander (Robert Finnis) and his first officer were killed. The next senior officer, Lieutenant Irvine, saw that Niagara and the American gunboats were too far away. He moved his ship past the brig General Hunter to fight Lawrence up close.

Perry and Cyrus Tiffany rowing to the Niagara

Even though the American gunboats at the back of the line kept hitting the British ships with long-range shots, Lawrence was severely damaged by the two British ships. Four out of five of Lawrence's crew members were killed or wounded. Both fleet surgeons were sick, so an assistant, Usher Parsons, cared for the wounded. When the last cannon on Lawrence could no longer be used, Perry decided to move his flag to another ship. He was rowed about half a mile (1 km) through heavy gunfire to Niagara. While Lawrence was surrendered, it is said his personal servant, an African American sailor named Cyrus Tiffany, went with Perry and protected him.

Some people later claimed Perry left Lawrence after it surrendered, but he had only taken down his personal flag, which was blue and said, "Don't give up the ship."

When Lawrence surrendered, the firing stopped for a moment. Detroit crashed into Queen Charlotte. Both ships were very hard to control because their rigging was damaged, and almost all their officers were killed or badly wounded. Barclay was severely wounded, and his first officer was killed, leaving Lieutenant Inglis in command. Most of the smaller British ships were also damaged and drifting away. The British expected Niagara to lead the American schooners away in retreat.

Instead, once on Niagara, Perry sent Elliot to bring the schooners closer to the fight. Perry then steered Niagara towards Barclay's damaged ships, helped by the wind getting stronger. Niagara broke through the British line, going in front of Detroit and Queen Charlotte. It then turned to fire powerful broadsides (all cannons on one side) from the front of the British ships. Meanwhile, Caledonia and the American gunboats fired from behind. Even though the crews of Detroit and Queen Charlotte managed to untangle their ships, they could no longer fight effectively. Both ships surrendered around 3:00 PM. The smaller British ships tried to escape but were caught and also surrendered.

Even though Perry won the battle on Niagara, he accepted the British surrender on the deck of the Lawrence.

Who Was Hurt

The British lost 41 men killed and 94 wounded. The remaining crew members, including the wounded, numbered 306. Captain Barclay, who had already lost his left arm in 1809, lost a leg and part of his thigh in this battle. His other arm was also permanently injured. The Americans lost 27 men killed and 96 wounded, with 2 of the wounded later dying. The American ship Lawrence had the most casualties, with 2 officers and 20 men killed, and 6 officers and 55 men wounded.

The three most damaged ships (the American brig Lawrence and the British ships Detroit and Queen Charlotte) were turned into hospital ships. A strong storm hit the lake on September 13, damaging Detroit and Queen Charlotte even more. After the wounded were taken to Erie, Lawrence was repaired for use in 1814. However, the two British ships were too damaged to be used again.

What Happened Next

Perry's ships and the captured British ships were anchored and being quickly repaired near West Sister Island. There, Perry wrote his famous message to General Harrison. He wrote it in pencil on the back of an old envelope:

Perry then sent this message to the Secretary of the Navy, William Jones:

After his ships were repaired, Perry transported 2,500 American soldiers to Amherstburg, which was captured without a fight on September 27. At the same time, 1,000 mounted troops led by Richard Mentor Johnson marched to Detroit, which was also taken back without a fight around the same day. The British army under Procter had already planned to leave their positions even before Procter knew the battle's outcome. Despite Tecumseh's strong words, Procter had already abandoned Amherstburg and Detroit. He began to retreat up the Thames River on September 27. Without supplies, Tecumseh's Native American allies had to go with him. Harrison caught up with Procter's retreating forces and defeated them on October 5 at the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was killed in this battle, as was his second-in-command, Wyandot Chief Roundhead.

The victory on Lake Erie was very important for the war. The Americans controlled Lake Erie for the rest of the conflict. This helped the Americans succeed in the Niagara peninsula in 1814. It also removed the threat of a British attack on Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Western New York.

However, an American attempt in 1814 to take back Mackinac Island on Lake Huron failed. The Americans also lost eight of their smaller ships.

After the war, Perry and Elliot had a bitter argument about who did what during the battle. On the British side, Captain Barclay was found not guilty of any blame by a court-martial. However, he was too badly injured to serve again for several years.

Remembering the Battle

In 1820, Lawrence and Niagara were purposely sunk near Misery Bay in Lake Erie because they were rotting. In 1875, Lawrence was raised and moved to Philadelphia, where it was shown at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Later that year, the ship burned when the building it was in caught fire. Niagara was raised and restored in 1913, but it later fell apart. It was eventually taken apart, and parts of it were used to rebuild a new Niagara, which can now be seen in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The 352-foot (107 m) tall Perry Monument, part of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, now stands at Put-in-Bay, Ohio. It honors the men who fought in the battle.

Another 101-foot (31 m) tall Perry Monument is located at the eastern end of Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania. It stands next to Presque Isle Bay, where Niagara and Lawrence were built, stationed, and later sunk after the war.

Why America Won

Most historians say the American victory was due to having "superior heavy metal," meaning more ships and powerful cannons. Perry's leadership, especially in the later parts of the battle, is also seen as a key factor. The British historian C.S. Forester noted that it was lucky for the Americans that Lawrence still had a boat that could float, and that Perry was not hit.

On the British side, William Bell built Detroit, which was the best-built ship on the lake. However, Detroit was built slowly, partly because Bell wanted it to be perfect. It was the only British warship built specifically for Lake Erie during the war. The cannons meant for Detroit were captured by the Americans earlier. This difference in shipbuilding, with six American ships built in the same time, was another important reason for the American victory. Even if Barclay had more ships, he might not have been able to get enough weapons or crews for them.

Captain Barclay and his surviving officers faced a court-martial. They were found to have "conducted themselves in the most gallant manner." The court decided that the defeat happened because the Americans had more ships, the British didn't have enough skilled sailors, and many senior British officers were killed early in the battle.

Ships in the Battle

Listed in order of sailing:

Navy	Name	Rig	Tonnage	Crew	Armament	Commander	Notes
Royal Navy	Chippeway	Schooner	70 tons burthen	15	1 × 9-pounder long gun	Master's Mate J. Campbell	Captured
	Detroit	Ship	490 tons	150	1 × 18-pounder (on swivel) 2 × 24-pounder long guns 6 × 12-pounder long guns 8 × 9-pounder long guns 1 × 24-pounder carronade 1 × 18-pounder carronade	Commander Robert Heriot Barclay	Captured
	General Hunter	Brig	180 tons	45	4 × 6-pounder long guns 2 × 4-pounder long guns 2 × 2-pounder long guns 2 × 12-pounder carronades	Lieutenant George Bignall	Captured
	Queen Charlotte	Ship	400 tons	126	1 × 12-pounder long gun 2 × 9-pounder long guns 12 × 24-pounder carronades	Commander Robert Finnis	Captured
	Lady Prevost	Schooner	230 tons	86	1 × 9-pounder long gun 2 × 6-pounder long guns 10 × 12-pounder carronades	Lieutenant Edward Buchan (mortally wounded); command passed to Lieutenant Frédérick Rolette	Captured (lost rudder)
	Little Belt	Sloop	90 tons	18	1 × 12-pounder long gun 2 × 6-pounder long guns	Lieutenant John F. Breman	Captured
Total	6 warships		1,460 tons	450	330 lb shot from long guns 474 lb shot from carronades
United States Navy	Scorpion	Schooner	86 tons	35	1 × 32-pounder long gun 1 × 32-pounder carronade	Sailing Master Stephen Champlin	Long gun dismounted (overcharged)
	Ariel	Schooner	112 tons	36	4 × 12-pounder long guns	Lieutenant John H. Packet	One gun exploded (overcharged)
	Lawrence	Brig	480 tons	136	2 × 12-pounder long guns 18 × 32-pounder carronades	Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry	Surrendered but recaptured
	Caledonia	Brig	180 tons	53	2 × 24-pounder long guns 1 × 32-pounder carronade	Lieutenant Daniel Turner	Captured from British 9 October 1812
	Niagara	Brig	480 tons	155	2 × 12-pounder long guns 18 × 32-pounder carronades	Master Commandant Jesse Elliott
	Somers	Schooner	94 tons	30	1 × 24-pounder long gun 1 × 32-pounder carronade	Lieutenant A. H. M. Conklin
	Porcupine	Schooner	83 tons	25	1 × 32-pounder long gun	Acting Master George Serrat
	Tigress	Schooner	82 tons	35	1 × 32-pounder long gun	Sailing Master Thomas C. Abny
	Trippe	Sloop	60 tons	35	1 × 24-pounder long gun	Lieutenant Thomas Holdup Stevens
Total	9 warships		1,657 tons	540	288 lb shot from long guns 1,248 lb shot from carronades

See also

In Spanish: Batalla del Lago Erie para niños