- Sept 11, 1813 - Battle of Lake Erie - Americans Defeat British Fleet - “We have met the enemy & they are ours!”-An Amazing Similarity to 911 ||>When Oliver Hazard Perry ventured onto Lake Erie to battle the British on September 11, 1813, during the War of 1812, he sailed on a flagship he had named the Lawrence in honor of his friend Captain James Lawrence, killed in battle three months earlier. The flagship flew a banner emblazoned with Captain Lawrence’s final order: Don’t Give Up the Ship. The motto signaled Perry’s resolution to fight to the end. -- The British squadron numbered six ships with 63 cannons. The American fleet counted nine vessels, but their 54 guns had only half the range of the British cannon, so Perry knew he must draw close to have a chance. -- The battle began just before noon, and at once things went wrong. A 24-pound cannonball smashed into the Lawrence, killing and wounding sailors. The British ships concentrated their fire on the stricken ship. The Lawrence’s guns roared back, but the American vessel was overwhelmed by the hailstorm of balls ripping into her sides. By mid-afternoon, the flagship was a crippled hulk. -- Calmly taking his banner, Perry climbed into a longboat and rowed through a gauntlet of cannon fire to the Lawrence’s sister ship, the Niagara. Two British ships bore down on the Niagara, but the enemy vessels collided and became entangled. Quickly taking advantage of the blunder, Perry charged through the confused British line, pounding away with broadsides. One by one, the British ships struck their colors until the entire fleet surrendered. -- With Lake Erie now under American control, Perry scrawled on an old envelope his now-famous message to headquarters: “We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem, O. H. Perry.” -thanks billbennet-
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:38:52 +0000
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