Existing comment:
Lake Erie:
Commodore Issac Chauncey appointed Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry to take charge of the squadron building at Erie, Pennsylvania, during March 1813. Despite great difficulties, Perry completed his warships by 4 August. These vessels, supplemented by schooners brought from Niagara, engaged the British squadron commanded by Commodore Robert H. Barclay on 10 September. This battle, which began at noon and lasted for nearly three hours, resulted in a decisive victory for Perry. He sent news of his success to General William Henry Harrison with the words, "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Harrison's army pursued the British and their Indian allies into Canada, routing them at the Battle of the Thames on 5 October 1813. |