The Campaign for Lake Erie

"Brig Niagara Cannons" by Lance Woodworth

Throughout the War of 1812, American and British forces fought to control the Great Lakes - a natural boundary line between the United States and Canada, as well as a major trade route into the Northwestern frontier. Resulting in the constantly shifting possession of key cities and military posts along the Great Lakes, these battles were certainly unique. Never before had Naval battles taken place so far inland, perilously removed from large Naval bases and major economic centers where supplies were readily accessible. While the British retained a slight advantage at the beginning of the war, by 1813 the tides were beginning to turn. The Battle of Lake Erie became a defining moment in the fight for the Great Lakes, allowing the American forces to begin making some significant and strategic gains.

The Importance of the Lakes

Just as freshwater rivers provided early settlements with natural resources and convenient transportation routes to coastal ports in the East, the interconnectedness of the Great Lakes allowed settlements to move further west where more land and new economic ventures such as the fur trade could be pursued. So from the very beginning, the Great Lakes played an important role in the economics and sustainability of frontier settlements in the North. When war broke out in 1812, both sides considered the other a threat to this valuable resource and were determined to fight to ensure the safety of important trade and transportation routes. The Great Lakes were also seen as a passageway to Canada, allowing for an easy invasion or stronger defense depending on who controlled them. While battles were fought on all of the lakes, British and American military leaders realized that a battle for Lake Erie would be the most important for the victor would control all access to the Upper Great Lakes and therefore the Canadian heartland.

Preparing for Battle

At the beginning of the war, the British dominated Lake Erie and several other of the Great Lakes. They had already established several Naval bases and were more familiar with the geography and behavior of the lakes. Fort Erie, on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie, served as a small arsenal and naval yard as well as a transportation stop on the way to Amherstburg, where the British had an outpost as well as a naval yard for construction and repair of ships. As British military leaders began to build up defenses on Lake Erie in early 1813, Amherstburg became the headquarters of the growing naval fleet under Captain Robert Heriot Barclay.

In 1812, American forces occupied a small naval base on the eastern end of the lake at Black Rock, New York. Since it was located only three miles from Buffalo, Commodore Isaac Chauncey, the US Naval officer in charge of building up American forces in the Great Lakes, thought Black Rock was too tempting of a target for British raiders and thus an unsuitable base. In September 1812, a well-known lake trader named Daniel Dobbins went to Washington, DC to persuade Madison that Presque Isle harbor (present day Erie, Pennsylvania) would be a good place to begin construction on a lake flotilla. Located eighty miles to the west of Black Rock, Presque Isle was home to a small village of about 400 inhabitants. Although the area was primarily wilderness, it could be supplied by way of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This alternate supply route over land gave the Americans a distinct advantage for the British had no such route.

On March 27, 1813, twenty-eight year old Master Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry arrived at Presque Isle to begin assembling a fleet, with the intention of mounting an attack against British forces for control of the lake. Noah Brown, an expert shipbuilder, directed the construction of four new ships, including the USS Lawrence and USS Niagara, 141 foot sister brigs. These four ships were joined by five smaller vessels from Black Rock once American forces captured Fort Erie in May 1813 and it was safe for the convoy to make the trip to Presque Isle. With the outfitting of his fleet well underway in the Spring and early Summer of 1813, Perry needed to find and train crews for his ships. When he was transferred to the Great Lakes, the young commodore brought with him 149 officers and men from Newport, Rhode Island where he had commanded a flotilla defending against the British blockade. Perry was also assigned 400 Navy men, approximately a hundred of whom were inexperienced because Chauncey would recruit all the best sailors to join his forces in Lake Ontario.

In mid-August 1813, Perry was still concerned that he needed more men to fill out the crews on his nine ships. Master Commandant Jesse Duncan Elliott soon arrived at Presque Isle with one hundred officers and sailors to offer reinforcement; and Major General William Henry Harrison lent him one hundred Kentucky marksmen from his army forces stationed in Sandusky, Ohio. Although many of the men from Kentucky had never seen anything other than a flatboat or a raft, they turned out to be pretty good sailors once Perry patiently explained what he needed them to do.

Aware that he was greatly outnumbered, Barclay began petitioning for more manpower and military resources. In response, Commander in Chief Sir George Prevost informed Barclay and Ft. Malden’s army commander, Brigadier General Henry Procter, that “the ordinance and naval stores you require must be taken from the enemy whose resources on Lake Erie must become yours.” Frustrated, Barclay established a close blockade of Presque Isle in early July to provoke Perry into fighting before he ready. For unknown reasons, he broke off the blockade of July 29, 1813. Many have argued since then that the outcome of the battle could have been radically different. As historian Jon Latimer argued, “had Barclay maintained a tight, continuous blockade, Americans could not have risked dragging their vessels across the bar, but he apparently believed the Americans were not yet ready and inexplicably and disastrously left it unguarded between July 29 and August 4.” If Barclay had continued his blockade, it is possible that the American forces would have been weakened or forced to engage before they were fully prepared. As it was, Perry took advantage of the British captain’s negligence and quickly moved the sister brigs over the bar by removing all their guns and lifting them on floats across the shallow water.

Once Perry’s fleet began active operations in the lake in mid-August, British supplies were not able to be shipped into Amherstburg. By Late August Barclay’s supplies of food and other materials were getting dangerously low and his native allies had already abandoned the naval base. If there was any hope for the British bases at Amherstburg and Fort Malden, Barclay had to engage the Americans in a battle for control of the lake.

Put-in-Bay

The British fleet of six ships left their base at the mouth of the Detroit River at eleven am on September 9. Meanwhile, the American fleet under Commodore Perry had been anchored at Put-in-Bay on Bass Island near Sandusky since August 17th. At dawn on September 10, 1813, American forces saw the British fleet coming their way. A light wind caused the two sides to slowly drift toward each other, and it was not until a little before noon that the first shots were fired. The USS Lawrence under the command of Perry, sped ahead to take on Barclay’s flagship the HMS Detroit.

During the battle, Barclay ordered that thirty-five of the sixty-three guns on board the Detroit be directed at the Lawrence. What the British lacked in the size of their fleet, they certainly made up for in the number of guns they possessed. After two hours, the Lawrence was heavily damaged and could no longer return fire. As sailing master William V. Taylor recalled of the Lawrence, “nearly the whole crew and officers all prostrated on deck, interlined with broken spars, rigging, sail, and in fact one confused heap of horrid ruins.” Barclay, having been severely wounded during the exchange, retired below deck believing the battle had been won with the surrender of the Lawrence. Only 19 individuals of a crew of 142 remained fit for duty; and yet Perry who had stood on deck the entire time did not have a scratch.

Yet Perry, rather than surrendering, got into a small boat with four other able-bodied men, and rowed one half a mile to the Brigs Niagara. The Niagara under the command of Elliott had been ordered to engage the British vessel, the Queen Charlotte; but it had hardly taken more than a few shots. Thus, Perry took over the nearly perfect vessel and once more engaged the British flagship. Luck was once more with Perry as the Detroit and Queen Charlotte collided - their rigging entangled - and by 3:00pm were incapable of firing back at the Niagara. Realizing the predicament they were in, several of the smaller British vessels turned to flee, but the American fleet quickly overtook them and captured all of the ships. Silence soon descended on the lake.

The battle was over. A victorious Perry wrote on September 10th, “we have met the enemy, and they are ours.” Yet, as always, the price of victory was high on both sides. 123 Americans and 145 British were killed and many others suffered severe wounds. The surgeons got to work immediately and continued non-stop for several days - treating as many individuals as possible. All those who were captured were transferred to Harrison’s military post at Sandusky; and Barclay was sent to Quebec to receive proper treatment. He was later quoted as referring to Perry as a “gallant and generous enemy.” Disappointed in his performance, Barclay’s superiors sent him back to England with a court martial. Although he was exonerated, he was not posted to another vessel until 1824.

As for the young Commodore Perry, he was praised for his leadership in Lake Erie. Ten days after the battle, he requested a transfer from the Lake theater and relinquished his command to Elliott. He returned to the East where he was involved in the defense of the coastline around Washington, DC in late 1813 and 1814. Although Perry spoke well of Elliott in his official reports, rumors of a fight still circulated. By 1818, Perry had lost his patience and denounced Elliott who insisted that he, rather than Perry, was responsible for the American victory at Lake Erie.

The American victory at Lake Erie was best summarized by historian Jon Latimer when he said, “Victory was a tribute to Perry’s personal resolution and determination, to the employment of superior resources, but especially to the remarkable work of Noah Brown, whose achievement...make some of the modern wartime production feats something less than impressive.” After the battle, Brown’s brigs the Lawrence and the Niagara were repaired and sent back into action. In 1815, once the war had ended, the sister brigs were returned to Presque Isle and sunk just off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania. Nearly a century later, the Niagara was raised and rebuilt in 1913.

American Victories and British Retreats

Although the fighting on the Great Lakes would continue for several more years with victories and losses for both sides, the Battle of Lake Erie served as a turning point of the war. With Perry’s victory, Americans now controlled access to the Upper Great Lakes and were better able to invade Canadian soil. Meanwhile, the British defeat led to the eventual breakdown of British defenses in the area. On September 13, Proctor ordered his men to dismantle Fort Malden near Amherstburg and chose to retreat. Harrison’s troops followed close behind, taking control of the abandoned Fort. Malden before recapturing Detroit and defeating the British in the Battle of the Thames later that year.

Bibliography

Coles, Harry L. The War of 1812. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1965.

Gough, Barry. Fighting Sail on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay: War of 1812 and Its Aftermath. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2002.

Heidler, David S. and Jeanne T. Encyclopedia of War of 1812. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1997.

Latimer, Jon. 1812: War with America. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2007.

Malcomson, Robert. Historical Dictionary of War of 1812. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2006.

Historical Sites of the Erie Campaign

Erie Maritime Museum

150 East Front Street
Erie, PA 16507
814-452-2744
www.eriemaritimemuseum.org

The Erie Maritime Museum explores the history and events surrounding Lake Erie from the War of 1812 to the present day. A series of interactive exhibits allow the visitor to experience the life in the age of fighting sail. The Museum is also the home port of the reconstructed Brigs Niagara. Throughout the summer season, the Flagship is used for a variety of educational sailing programs, but when docked in Erie, the Brigs Niagara, is open for public tours.


Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
93 Delaware Avenue
Put-in-Bay, Ohio 43456-0549
419-285-2184
www.nps.gov/pevi

This memorial was established to honor those who served and died int he Battle of Lake Erie, also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay. It is located in Lake Erie on a small island that is a mere two miles by four miles in size. Interested visitors have the option to attend programs to learn about the Battle of Lake Erie and the War of 1812. The 352 foot tall memorial is currently undergoing renovations in preparation for the upcoming bicentennial of the War of 1812.



Follett House Museum
Sandusky Library’s Local History Musuem
114 West Adams Street
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419-625-3834
Website

The Follett House Museum is home to a large local history collection. Each floor of the museum contains exhibits that reflect the interesting and varied history of Sandusky - from the War of 1812 to the Civil War and beyond.



Lake Erie Islands Historical Society
25 Town Hall Place
Put-in-Bay, OH 43456
419-285-2804
www.leihs.org

Visitors to the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society can experience exhibits and artifacts from the Battle of Lake Erie, life on the islands, and maritime history. The Historical Society also contains a research library with a large genealogical database. Individuals at the museum are currently working on a project researching the men who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie.

Maritime Museum of Sandusky
125 Meigs Street
Sandusky, OH 44870
419-624-0274
www.sanduskymaritime.org

The Maritime Museum of Sandusky contains exhibits about ship building, navigation, shipwrecks, etc. - reflecting and preserving the maritime history of the area.