Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/305

 PERRY

PERRY

the Chicago Tribune and the Providence Journal; contributed stories and poems to magazines, and for several years before her death confined her- self to writing stories for girls. She is the author of: After the Ball and Other Poems (1874); The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (1880); Bookof Love Stories {\m\); For a Woman (1885); New Songs and Ballads (1886); A Flock of Girls (1887); The Youngest Miss Lorton and Other Stories (1889); Brave Girls (1889); Lyrics and Legends (1S90); Hope Benham{l8M); Her Lover's Friends and Other Poems, and Three Lit- tle Daughters of the Revolution (posthumous, (1896). She died in Dudley, Mass., May 13, 1896. PERRY, Oliver Hazard, naval officer, was born in Newport, R.I., Aug. 21, 1785; eldest son of Christopher Raymond and Sarah (Alexander) Perry; grandson of Freeman Perry, and a descen- dant in the sixth generation of Edward Perry, who emigrated from Devonshire, England, and settled in Sand- wich, Mass., in 1653. His father was an officer in the patriot army and navy dur- ing the Revolution- ary war; was made post captain in the U.S. navy Jan. 9, 1798; built and com- manded the General Greene and cruised in the West Indies; participated in the civil war in Santo Domingo and was appointed collector of New- port, R.I., in 1801. Oliver attended private schools, and was a pupil of Count Rochambeau. He joined the U.S. navy as a midshipman, April 7, 1797, and sailed with his father to the West Indies. He was ordered to the Adams in 1802 and served in the Tripolitan war under Preble: served on board the Constellation in the Mediterranean, 1804-05; was pi-omoted lieutenant and given command of the Nautilus in 1805, and during the embargo that led to the war of 1812 commanded a fleet of seventeen gun boats off Newport Harbor. He was promoted master of the schooner Revenge in 1809, and served on that vessel until she was stranded on the rocks off Watch Hill, R.I., Jan. 9, 1810. He was married May 5, 1811, to Elizabeth Champlain, daughter of Dr. Benjamin Mason, Newport. Upon the outbreak of the war of 1812, he was promoted captain and resumed command of the gunboat fleet off Newport, but was transferred to Sackett's Harbor. N.Y., Feb. 17. 1813. .to assist Commodore Isaac Cliauncey in the building of a fleet to

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operate on the lakes. In March, 1813, he was pro- moted master-commandant of a proposed fleet to be built at Erie, Pa., and joined Captain Jesse D. Elliott in the completion of a fleet for the defence of the northwest. The fleet of nine vessels, com- prising the tugs Laicrence and Niagara and the schooners Caledonia, Scorpion, Porcupine, Ti- gress, Ariel. Somers and Trippe of 500 tons burden, of lighter build but armed with heavy long guns, was completed in less than six months, and Perry set sail from Put-in bay on tiie morning of Sept. 15, 1813, to meet the British fleet under Commo- dore Barclay. This fleet comprised the Chippeiva, Detroit, Hunter, Queen Charlotte, Lady Prevost and Little Belt. The opening shot of the engage- ment was fired from the British flag-ship Detroit, to which Captain Perry replied from the Laic- rence. This was immediately followed by a storm of iron hail from the entire British fleet that soon played havoc with the rigging, masts and bulwarks of the Americans. The battle now took the form of a duel, the heaviest A-essels in each fleet confronting each other. The Lawrence was reduced to a hulk by the steady fire of the Detroit, and in two hours only one gun was left mounted and the deck was crowded with dead and wounded. The Niagara floated out of range, owing to the lightness of the wind, and was unable to give assistance to the Laivrence, and the rest of the American fleet were of little use on account of their light armament. Perry, assisted by Chaplain Breeze, Hambleton, the pui'ser, and two unwounded sailors, continued to work the one remaining gun of the Laicrence until a shot killed Hambleton and dismantled the gun. A British victory seemed imminent when the undaunted Perry determined on a bold move. Ordering a boat lowered, with four sailors, and his brother Alexander, and with the flag of the Laicrence on his arm, he left the ship, and sheltered by the smoke and escaping a volley fired by the enemy, was rowed to the Niagara, where he hoisted his commodore's fiag and as- sumed command. Captain Elliott volunteered to bring up the laggard scliooners to his support, and a new line of battle was formed at close quarters. The wind freshened and the American fleet under full sail bore down upon the enemy. In endeavoring to wear ship, the British ships, Detroit and Queen Charlotte, fell foul, and taking advantage of the situation, the Niagara dashed through the enemy's line, discharging both broad- sides as she passed the gap. The Caledonia, Scorpion and Trippe broke the line at other points, and the batteries of the Niagara, assisted by the riflemen in the tops, so disabled the enemj' that after seven minutes of fighting the flag of the Detroit was lowered and four of the six British vessels surrendered. The two smaller boats that