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Home , Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry

PERRY'S VICTORY and International Peace Memorial

NATIONAL MONUMENT • favor of the Americans. Previously, the The Memorial ble, and bronze. On the walls are several historical tablets. The names of the Ameri­ British had gained control of , of The memorial is constructed entirely of vital importance in the conduct of the war. can ships and of the killed and wounded in pink Milford granite from Massachusetts. In the are carved in the stone Perry's Victory and A British squadron under Commodore Bar­ large mass, this stone gives the appearance of walls. Beneath the floor of the rotunda, in a clay blockaded Erie, Pa., where Commodore purest white, especially from a distance. The crypt, repose the remains of 3 American and Perry was building ships to contest the British memorial, built of 78 courses of stone, is in 3 British officers killed in the battle. For the form of a fluted Doric column 352 feet control of the lake. A low sandbar protected a century they had lain where buried on the high and 45 feet in diameter at its base. Its International Peace Memorial Erie harbor. The long-awaited opportunity shore of Put-in-Bay after the battle. They cap serves as an observation platform. The arrived early in August when Barclay relaxed were removed and placed in the memorial penthouse above the observation platform is his watchfulness for a few days. Perry with impressive services on September 13, surmounted by a giant bronze urn 18 feet 1913, 100 years from the date of their NATIONAL MONUMENT floated his ships across the bar and his fleet wide, 23 feet high, and weighing 11 tons. was at large in the lake. He was subse­ From the urn a glow of light is directed up­ original burial. Near Put-in-Bay, Perry won the greatest quently reinforced with men, and his little ward. Two navigation lights are at opposite naval battle of the ; here also fleet sailed west unopposed by the British corners of the penthouse. The Doric column The National Monument is commemorated the century-old 3,000- fleet which had gone to a station on the De­ can be illuminated throughout its entire Establishment of Perry's Victory and Inter­ mile unfortified boundary of two nations. troit River. Perry made the harbor of Put­ height by floodlights, presenting a surpass­ national Peace Memorial National Monument in-Bay his headquarters. From here he could ingly brilliant spectacle at night. It gives was authorized by act of Congress, approved protection to life and shipping on Lake Erie victory, about which Perry made his famous watch Barclay and yet be conveniently close June 2, 1936. It consists of 14.25 acres sit­ when lighted from April through November. to General Harrison, who was then in north­ uated at Put-in-Bay on in report: "We have met the enemy and they It is said to be the greatest battle monument Lake Erie and includes the magnificant Doric are ours." Here also is memorialized the ern Ohio near Lake Erie. Commodore and the most massive column ever built (Portrait by Gilbert Stuart) memorial column. principle of international peace by arbitration On September 9, 1813, Barclay left his by man. The movement for the Perry's Victory Me­ and disarmament and the lasting peace of station and sailed out into the lake. The next Niagara, which should have supported him, The rotunda is made of Italian marble, morial was initiated in 1908 in Ohio when OMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY at nations. morning, September 10, the 2 fleets met about held back either because the wind would not granite, Indiana limestone, Tennessee mar- the State legislature authorized the appoint- the Battle of Lake Erie, near Put-in- 10 miles west-northwest of Put-in-Bay. Perry The Battle of Lake Erie fill her sails or because Elliott thought it best C Bay, won a decisive victory on Sep­ had 9 vessels, the largest of which were the to use his two long-range guns at a distance. tember 10, 1813, over the British naval During the great struggle between Napo­ sister , Lawrence and Niagara, of 480 The memorial at night The close-quarter fight was furious, and near The rotunda (Copyright, O. G. Herbster) squadron commanded by Commodore Robert leonic France and Great Britain, from 1793 tons each. The British fleet consisted of the end Perry found that the Lawrence was H. Barclay. That action had far-reaching to 1815, the youthful was 6 ships—the , the Queen Charlotte, unfit for further action. He then transferred results on the War of 1812 and the future of caught between the hammer and the anvil of and 4 smaller vessels. In point of armament in an open rowboat to the Niagara, which at the United States. It gained control of Lake British and French commercial and naval Perry had a superiority. The number of effec­ last had come up, and continued the desperate Erie for the American forces. This resulted policy. Her rights were violated by both tive men was about the same on both sides. fight. in an invasion of Canada, with its subsequent countries. Forcing of American sailors into Perry had planned the battle so that his In another 15 minutes the battle was over. victories, by Gen. , British service was one of the grievances of flagship, the Lawrence, was to fight the De­ Barclay surrendered his entire fleet, having commander in chief of the American Army. the United States against England which troit, the enemy's flagship. The Niagara, lost 41 men killed and 94 wounded. Perry These events made it possible for the United finally led to a declaration of war on June 18, under Commandant Elliott, was to fight the lost 27 men killed and 96 wounded. More States to hold the great Northwest upon the 1812. On land, during the first part of the Queen Charlotte. The smaller vessels were than two-thirds of the American casualties conclusion of peace by the war, American military operations left much to contest the smaller British ships. At were on the Laivrence. From the deck of the in 1814. A few years later, in 1817, the to be desired. Despite brilliant individual 10 a. m. the battle flag of the Lawrence was Niagara, Perry wrote out a message for Gen­ Rush-Bagot Agreement led to the permanent victories by American ships in with raised. Upon it had been inscribed the eral Harrison who was anxiously awaiting disarmament of the 3,000-mile boundary be­ British of war, the American coastline memorable words of Lawrence, the news of the outcome of the American bid tween the United States and Canada. was placed under an effective blockade. man for whom the ship was named: "Don't for control of Lake Erie. It read, "We have This area and its great memorial thus do The Battle of Lake Erie turned the tide of give up the ship." The battle began about met the enemy and they are ours." Thus, not commemorate solely America's great naval events in the northern part of the country in 11:45 a. m. and lasted until 3 p. m. The modestly and concisely, was this great victory Lawrence bore the brunt of the fight. Perry announced to the world, and an immortal The National Park System, of which this area is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, threw caution to the winds and took his flag­ sentence in American naval history given to scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration of its people. ship to close quarters with the enemy. The the Nation. PERRY'S VICTORY and International Peace Memorial

NATIONAL MONUMENT • OHIO

The memorial and part of South Bass Island ment of a commission to study the project. About Your Visit During the next 2 years the States of Pennsyl­ There is a nominal fee for elevator service vania, Illinois, Wisconsin, , New to the top of the memorial. This fee is York, , , and Massa­ waived for children under 12 years of age chusetts joined and assisted in the enterprise. and groups of school children 18 years of The Federal Government gave its assistance age or under when accompanied by adults re­ in 1911. sponsible for their safety and orderly conduct. The memorial was constructed under the On a clear day you will be able to see from direction of the Perry's Victory Centennial the observation platform many points of in­ Commission, between October 1912 and June terest, including nearby islands and the point 1915, at a cost of approximately $1,000,000 10 miles west-northwest where the battle took divided about evenly between the nine par­ place. The boundary between the United ticipating States and the Federal Government. States and Canada is only 5 miles distant. You may obtain further information about How to Reach the Monument this and other areas of the National Park System from members of the staff on duty Perry's Victory and International Peace Hotels and restaurants at Put-in-Bay are Memorial National Monument is on South open from May through October. The island Bass Island in Lake Erie, 4 miles from the and lake are famous for boating and fishing. mainland. You may visit the monument from April through November by automobile Administration ferry from Catawba Point, 8 miles; Port Clin­ Perry's Victory and International Peace ton, 14 miles; and Sandusky, 24 miles. Dur­ Memorial National Monument is adminis­ ing the summer, there are 8 round trips daily tered by the National Park Service of the from Catawba Point, 4 from Port Clinton, U. S. Department of the Interior. A super­ and 1 from Sandusky. Year-round air service intendent, whose address is Put-in-Bay, Ohio, is maintained from the Port Clinton airport. is in immediate charge.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fred A. Seaton, Secretary COVER: Powell's painting "Perry Transferring His Flag at the Battle of Lake Erie" NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, Conrad L. Wirth, Director (Courtesy, State of Ohio)

Revised 1957 U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1957— C-423786