US Brig Niagara

The US Brig Niagara, built in Erie during the War of 1812, along with most of the warships that served in the war, was sunk for preservation in Misery Bay, in 1820. Raised in April of 1913, it was reconstructed by local shipbuilder William Paasch for the occasion of the centennial celebration of the Battle of Lake Erie. The reconstructed ship then sat for more than two decades at the foot of State street, until rescued as a Works Progress Administration project by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This second reconstruction effort stalled though in the postwar era, hampered by the lack of funds caused by the after-effects of the Great Depression. Eventually it was finished in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1963. After the celebration the ship sat in a concrete cradle at the foot of State Street, a neglected old naval icon. In the mid-1980s the Flagship Niagara League, with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, begun the task of making Niagara sail again. After years of determined work, the Niagara, entirely reconstructed by noted ship designer Melbourne Smith, was re-launched on September 10, 1988, the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. Today the ship sails with a crew of 30-40 professional and trained volunteer crew, and with the financial support of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Flagship Niagara League. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973, and was designated the official state ship of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1988.

When the Niagara was raised from Misery Bay for the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie its keel was found to be in good enough condition for the brig to be rebuilt. Efforts to rebuild the Niagara were hampered by the lack of original plans. The restored Niagara was launched on June 7, 1913, complete with a new bowsprit, rigging and reproduction cannons supplied by the Boston Navy Yard. From mid-July to mid-September the Niagara was towed to various ports on the Great Lakes by the USS Wolverine — the Navy's first iron-hulled warship. Returning to Erie on September 21, and cribbed up just out of the water, ownership of the Niagara was transferred to the City of Erie in 1917, where it remained docked, deteriorating.

The City of Erie transferred ownership of the Niagara to the newly formed USS Niagara Foundation in 1929, which was tasked with acquiring and restoring the ship and making it the centerpiece of a museum. The onset of the Great Depression forced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to take ownership, through the Flagship Niagara Commission, two years later. $50,000 was made available for another restoration in 1931, but by 1938 the state stopped its funding, leaving the restoration unfinished.

The Niagara was transferred to the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, predecessor of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and became a project for the Works Progress Administration. The Historical Commission contracted Howard I. Chapelle to draw up plans for another restoration of the Niagara, based on other period ships that were built by Noah Brown, like the Saratoga. According to Chapelle, very little of the original Niagara remained, as parts of it had been sold as souvenirs, and the 1913 reconstruction was not accurate to the period.

The hull of the Niagara was launched in October 1943 without any masts, spars, or rigging. It was placed in a concrete cradle in 1951. Discovery of dry rot throughout every part of the Niagara made it clear that a complete reconstruction would eventually be needed. Funds were appropriated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to make the Niagara presentable for the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1963, with the addition of rigging and cannons.

In 1981 the Flagship Niagara League was formed with intent of reconstructing the Niagara, so that it would be a working ship, instead of an outdoor museum piece. The organization was eventually incorporated a non-profit organization associated with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Melbourne Smith was hired in 1986 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to head the reconstruction. The decay of the Niagara was so bad that it was dismantled and ultimately destroyed, with various timbers salvaged and used in non-structural areas of the ship. The destruction of the old ship, and use of new wood, often lends the Niagara to be considered a replica. While the first Niagara was built hurriedly, the new Niagara was built out of properly seasoned and preserved yellow pine and Douglas fir.

The new Niagara was launched on September 10, 1988, but was not completed until July 18, 1990, when its sea trials were held. The Pennsylvania General Assembly designated the Niagara as the official flagship of Pennsylvania on April 29, 1988, and described its purpose as being a sailing ambassador for Pennsylvania. In March 2008 the yellow pine mainmast was replaced with one of Douglas fir.

The Niagara is one of two remaining vessels that served in the War of 1812, the second being the USS Constitution. The United States Coast Guard certified the Niagara as a Sailing School Vessel in August 2005. For safety reasons, the Niagara was equipped with modern equipment such as auxiliary diesel engines, lifeboats, radar, LORAN and radio.

The Niagara was also depicted on a commemorative Pennsylvania license plate. In 2009 the Flagship Niagara League assumed day-to-day management of the Niagara, after a decision by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to cut $250,000 to fill a budget deficit. The Niagara was used to depict the whaleship Essex in an episode of the Public Broadcasting Service documentary series American Experience.

US Brig Niagara's specifications:

Class: Brig
Launched:1813
Rebuilt In: 1913, 1933, 1988
Length: 198 feet overall, 111 feet at the waterline
Beam: 31 feet
Draft: 10 feet, 6 inches
Displacement: 295 tons
Foremast: 113 feet, 4 inches above waterline
Mainmast: 118 feet, 4 inches above waterline
Crew: Approximately 155
Armament: (1813) Eighteen 32 pounder carronades; two 12 pounder long guns
Armament: (1997) two 32 pounder carronades, two 12 pounder long guns

US Brig Niagara, Presque Isle (1938)

US Brig Niagara, at the foot of State Street (1960s)

Erie mayor Louis J. Tullio (center) congratulating Melbourne Smith (left) on the reconstruction of the Niagara.

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The Perry Centennial

In September of 1910 the Interstate Board of The Perry’s Victory Centennial Commissioners was organized to create a permanent tribute to Commodore Perry and enable a worthy celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, and of course do it in grand style. From Milwaukee to Buffalo over a dozen Port cites and ten states planned events and then participated in the Battle of Lake Erie Centennial Celebration. Erie’s participation begun long before the Celebration; without it, there wouldn't have been the fleet of ships that brought Perry to victory. At the outbreak of the War of 1812 Erie was a frontier settlement of a few dozen buildings and about 400 settlers. It was first settled in 1795, shortly after the federal government decided a land dispute between New York, Pennsylvania, and other states over the Erie Triangle — a triangular tract of land that fits roughly over present-day Erie county. The residents were mostly farmers, and merchants and sailors dealing in salt, fur, and the lumber trade. Daniel Dobbins first saw Erie in 1795, as part of a surveying party, he remained and settled in Erie to work aboard ships that traded on Lake Erie. By 1803 he was captain of a merchant sloop, the Good Intent, which was one of only a dozen on the Lake. Several years later, in 1809, he would buy his own ship, the schooner Salina.

Dobbins made routine trips to Fort Mackinac in the Strait of Mackinac between Lakes Michigan and Huron. In 1812, while he was at Fort Mackinac, on July 17, some 300 British regulars and hundreds of Indian allies took the fort without a shot. The British troops informed the surprised Americans that war had been declared between their two nations nearly a month earlier. Dobbins was captured there, and then granted parole in exchange for transporting paroled Americans to Cleveland. While transporting the parolees his ship was commandeered as a transport vessel at Fort Detroit, which was captured earlier in mid-August. Dobbins, again captured, was in danger of being executed for violating his parole, but he appealed to an old friend — John Nichol, a Scots-born Canadian trader who was now a Colonel of a provincial militia — for a pass to Cleveland, which was promptly granted.

Dobbins first brought the news of the capture of Fort Mackinac and Detroit to Erie, then to Washington, where he spoke to President James Madison and his cabinet. There, the president asked Dobbins where was the best location to build a fleet on Lake Erie, and Dobbins, with no hesitation, answered: Presque Isle.

Over the next six months, Erie hustling and bustling with activity, its population nearly doubled. The sudden influx of militia, boat builders, and the workers needed to support them, attracted laborers from the rest of the county who cut the timber for the ships, fed the troops, and transported the iron and other material needed for the ships, everyone working furiously to build six ships to challenge the British fleet.

The wartime expansion begun with $2,000 in funds given to Dobbins by President Madison. Four gunboats were being built at the mouth of Lee's run — near where the present-day Myrtle Street ends, when the regional naval commander, Isaac Chauncey, visited, and expanded production. He ordered two of the gunboats to be lengthened and two brigs to be built by the New York City shipwright, Noah Brown, whom hired some 200 workers to work on the brigs at the mouth of Cascade Creek.

Oliver Hazard Perry arrived on March 26, 1813, to take control of the operation. Dobbins took charge of procurement, all of which had to be hauled in from Buffalo or Pittsburgh. With prices in Erie beginning to skyrocket, with all the money brought to the area by the federal contracts and the workers, Dobbins had to impose price controls and rationing.

But by the end of the summer of 1813 the ships were built, and together with some ships from Black Rock, near Buffalo, a small fleet was assembled and ready to enter the lake. But one major obstacle lied in their path: a sandbar sitting at the mouth of the harbor.

Normally only six feet under water, the sandbars were what made Presque Isle Bay an ideal location to build the fleet. The British ships' draft were too deep to enter the harbor, and any attempt would risk being stuck on the sand in the harbor’s mouth, vulnerable to capture or destruction. But now the Lawrence and the Niagara would have to cross that same sandbar to engage the British. They had been built with shallow drafts — only 8 feet — for the very purpose of being able to get over the sandbars. But at the beginning of August, winds pushing the Lake’s waters westward, drifted sand, raising the sandbar, leaving only four and a half feet of water over the sand.

On the morning of August 1 the Lawrence was the first to try to cross the sandbar. Two camel-scows – box barges were placed alongside her, filled with water. When the Lawrence struck the bar, the camels were drained of water so that they would float and lift the brig. Her guns and two smaller anchors were removed, and her anchor was dropped ahead of her; her crew at the capstans pulled the ship to the anchor, inch-by-inch. Twelve hours later, the Lawrence passed the first sandbar. The next day, the process was repeated for the second bar, and twenty-two hours later, on August 3, the Lawrence had successfully passed it.

The next day, on August 4, the British had arrived. The Lawrence was still being refitted after her trip across the sand bars, and the Niagara was as good as a hundred miles away, just inside Presque Isle Bay. From the vantage-point of the British fleet commander, Robert Barclay, it appeared as if both brigs were over the bars and ready for action. Perry sent out his schooners, the Ariel and Scorpion, to fire on the British, confirming their impression that the Americans were ready for battle. Barclay left, fearful of the larger American fleet.

In the following day, August 5, the Niagara crossed the sandbars in only one day, The American Fleet was finally on the lake.

The Battle of Lake Erie was fought on a Friday, September 10, 1813. During the initial conflict the Niagara was not engaged. After two hours of heavy fighting the U.S. Brig Lawrence, Perry’s first flagship and the Niagara’s sistership, had been bombarded and battered into a defenseless hulk. Perry then transferred his battle flag to the Niagara and assumed command. Sailing the Niagara between the British battle line, Perry unleashed his new flagship’s firepower to the fullest, devastating the enemy fleet and capitulating the entire British force into surrendering. For her victorious efforts the Niagara lost 2 men, killed in action, and 25 wounded. Perry’s offensive and the Niagara’s heavy guns together, successfully ended the British dominance of Lake Erie.

Following the Battle of Lake Erie the brig assisted with the transporting of Harrison’s army to the Canadian shore, and her guns covered the landing of American troops. After the Battle of the Thames the Niagara returned to Erie and spent the winter in Presque Isle Bay. The weather-related exhaustion of the brig’s officers, while encased in the 1813-14 winter blanket of ice was much heavier than during the tumult of battle, resulting in two deaths from disease and one suicide. In 1814 the Niagara participated in the ill-ventured raid at Port Dover, Upper Canada, and the ill-fated campaign against Fort Michilimackinac.

The 1814 Treaty of Ghent was signed on Christmas Eve ending any real demand for warships on Lake Erie. The need for the gun brigs were made even more pointless after the Rush-Bagot Agreement was signed with Great Britain in 1818, a treaty which called for disarmament on the Great Lakes. For the next two years the Niagara served as a station ship at Presque Isle, but as the Erie Naval Station was phased out there was nothing that could be done to save the brig. Built specifically as a shallow draft gun vessel, it was impractical to sell the Niagara for conversion to a merchant vessel. In the possibility that the brig might be needed at some future point in the event that hostilities were to erupt with Canada the U.S. Brig Niagara was sunk for preservation purposes by the U.S. Navy in Misery Bay.

The Niagara remained at the bottom of Misery Bay for the next ninety-three years. Then in 1913, as part of the Perry Centennial, the Niagara was raised and restored by a group of Erie citizens and the Perry Centennial Commission. Original plans could not be found at either the Navy Department or the National Archives, so the restoration was based on a design conceived by the noted naval historian, Howard I. Chapelle. The reconstructed Niagara was then towed, by the USS Wolverine, to different ports on the Great Lakes for the variety of centennial activities that were to be held.

The idea of raising the Niagara won the supported of the Perry Centennial Commission in the autumn of 1912, and in the early spring on March 6, 1913, divers were sent down for a thorough examination of her condition. The old ship was found with many of her original timbers intact, the hand-forged iron nails in most cases still adhering firmly. The vessel had laid for nearly a century on her side, partly embedded in the clean white sand of Misery Bay, with decaying vegetation entirely absent. The waters had tended to preserve her, the only disintegration being on the side nearest the surface, where the waves had washed away the gun ports. She was discovered to have been built mainly of oak, and the frame part of the bulwarks of oak, cedar and black walnut. Shortly after the examination she was raised from her long resting place and launched with proper patriotic ceremonies, on June 7, 1913. Afterwards, the work of her restoration continued rapidly in preparation for her cruise of the Great Lakes, in the Perry's Victory Centennial Celebration.

On July 4, 1913, the Perry Centennial Celebration begun at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, with the laying of the corner stone of the Perry Memorial monument. Celebrations were planned for the cities of Erie, Toledo, Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, Sandusky, Lorain and Green Bay, with Put-in-Bay being the focus of the celebration culminating September 10-11th.

During her tour of the ports of the Great Lakes which held the celebrations, the Niagara was convoyed by a fleet consisting of the representative naval militia ships of the Great Lakes and United States revenue cutters. Her debut was scheduled for the 6th of July at Erie, from there she set forth on her long voyage on July 13th, pursuing the following itinerary: Fairport, Ohio, one day, July 14th; Lorain, Ohio, July 15-20th; Put-in-Bay, Ohio, July 20-25th ; Monroe, Michigan, July 26-27th; Toledo, Ohio, July 27th-August 1st; Detroit, Michigan, August 1st-3d ; Green Bay, Wisconsin, August 7-9th ; Milwaukee, Illinois, August ll-16th ; Chicago, Illinois, August 17th-22d ; Buffalo, New York, September 1st-6th; Sandusky, Ohio, September 8-9th ; Put-in-Bay, Ohio, September 10-11th; Returning to Erie on September 21, 1913, to be cribbed up just out of the water.

Erie’s Celebration

Erie had its own itinerary for its own celebration, which was a week long.

Sunday, July 6. — 11:00 o'clock a.m., special services in all churches, with international peace as the leading theme of pulpit utterances; 3:00 o'clock p.m., a great mass peace meeting of churches, Sunday schools and other organizations, preceded by a grand parade terminating at the grand stands between the post office and public library, where the marching hosts will be seated and costumed in such manner as to form the American flag. Thereupon the musical and oratorical program will be carried out.

Monday, July 7. — Reception day. In the forenoon the mercantile establishments of Erie will be dressed in gala attire for the reception of visitors; 3:00 p.m., reception of the DuPont powder wagon, which is to be escorted by a detachment of Pennsylvania militiamen of the USS Wolverine, the Navy’s first iron vessel, built in Erie in 1884; 4:00 o'clock p. m., baseball at Perry Field, Erie vs. Akron; 7:30 p.m., guard mount at state encampment. Arrival of Commodore Perry at Erie with an address of welcome by Major W. J. Stem; 8:00 o'clock p.m., parade of decorated and illuminated automobiles.

Tuesday, July 8. — Mothers' and Children's Day; 2:00 o'clock p. m., grand parade of 10.000 school children; 4:00 o'clock p.m., baseball at Perry Field, Erie vs. Canton; 7:30 o'clock p.m., guard mount at state encampment; 8:00 o'clock p.m., grand concert and pageantry parade.

Wednesday, July 9. — Governor's day; 2:00 o'clock p.m., grand military parade of 5,000 soldiers and sailors of the National Guard and naval militia of Pennsylvania, to be reviewed by Governor and staff; 4:00 o'clock p.m., baseball at Perry Field, Erie vs. Canton; 9:00 o'clock p.m., grand display of fireworks, with fire portraits and elaborate set pieces, including a picture of the Battle of Lake Erie.

Thursday, July 10. — Naval day; 2:00 o'clock p.m., military parade to be reviewed by Honorable Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy; 3:00 o'clock p. m., naval parade, followed by boat races on the Bay. Entries of 150 yachts and motor boats; 4:00 o'clock p. m., baseball at Perry Field. 7:30 o'clock p. m., guard mount at state encampment; 8:00 o'clock p.m., pageantry parade of historical floats. Grand concert of massed bands.

Friday, July 11. — Fraternal day; 2:00 o'clock p. m., monstrous fraternal parade composed of all uniformed bodies of the city, with beautiful floats emblematic of historical events; 4:00 o'clock p.m., baseball at Perry Field, Erie vs. Steubenville; 7:30 o'clock p.m., guard mount at state encampment; 8:00 o'clock p. m., grand massed band concert; 8:30 p.m., street carnival or Mardi Gras.

Saturday, July 12. — Industrial day; 2:00 o'clock p. m., grand civic and industrial parade by manufacturers, merchants and organizations, with floats representing the progress of Erie in the industrial world; 4:00 o'clock p. m., baseball in Perry Field, Erie vs. Steubenville; 7:30 p.m., guard mount at state encampment;

8:00 o'clock p.m., band concerts in the different parks.

During the celebration the restored flagship Niagara was at the public dock for general inspection by the public without charge. From July 6th to the departure of the Niagara her convoys of the naval militia was also at anchor in the harbor.

Historic Facts About The Battle Of Lake Erie

"Don't give up the ship" was not said by Perry. These were the the dying words of Captain James Lawrence for whom Perry's flagship was named. A group of Erie women made the flag for Perry in July 1813, prior to the sortie of his squadron from Presque Isle Bay enroute to Put-in-Bay. This famous flag is now exhibited in a place of honor at the United States Naval Academy.

Ironically - the only way Perry was able to win the Battle of Lake Erie was to haul down the "Don't Give up the ship" flag and do just that; leave the LAWRENCE for the NIAGARA .

Perry's report of victory in the Battle of Lake Erie to General Harrison, "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." has become a classic quote from American history.

Within 15 minutes after Perry's transfer from LAWRENCE to NIAGARA, the Battle of Lake Erie was over with the surrender of the entire British squadron. Within those 15 minutes, Perry put every ounce of energy into the fight. The real motto was "Don't Give Up."

Commodore Perry not only won the first United States Navy fleet action, but with the victory at Lake Erie, he defeated and captured an entire British squadron for the first time in British history.

On the day of the battle, Perry's entire squadron numbered between 500 and 600 crew. One hundred sixteen of them were incapacitated with lake fever, greatly reducing his numbers. At the time lake fever was believed to be caused by spoiled food. Today it is thought the lake fever, was caused by contaminated lake water.

A significant number of the sailors who manned the U.S. squadron during the Battle of Lake Erie were African-Americans, perhaps as many as one-fourth.

In naval battles, prize money for each vessel captured was awarded to the victorious crews. Although Daniel Dobbins was responsible for initiating construction in Erie of the Lake Erie fleet, he did not take part in the actual battle as his ship was enroute from Erie to Perry with vital supplies. After the battle, however, Dobbins and his crew did receive shares of the prize money.

Perry was awarded a Congressional medal for his actions during the battle, and he was finally given command of the frigate, USS Java.

US Brig Niagara being raised out of Misery Bay (1913)

US Brig Niagara being raised out of Misery Bay (1913)

The crew of shipwrights that rebuilt the Flagship Niagara in 1913 after the remains of the ship were raised from Misery Bay.

US Brig Niagara under tow of the tug, Buffalo, during the Perry Centennial Naval Parade (1913)

Monroe, Michigan residents thronged to the harbor, in 1913, for a glimpse at the original US Brig Niagara.

Perry Centennial Parade, City of Erie (1913)

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African Americans in the Battle of Lake Erie

If the U.S. Navy could control the waterways comprising much of the border between the United States and British Canada, then American forces would have ready-made avenues for invasion. Conversely, the lakes and rivers could just as easily serve as invasion corridors for the enemy-vulnerable passageways allowing the British to slash through to the soft underbelly of the United States. Whoever wielded control over the lakes possessed a powerful strategic and tactical advantage. As a result, the northern lakes arena witnessed the hardest and bloodiest fighting of the war.

The British, unhindered by the U.S. Navy, used the lakes as transportation routes for troops and supplies during the early months of the war. But the U.S. leadership recognized that warships were needed to form a protective shield along the country's northern and northwestern border, and by late 1812 a furious shipbuilding program had been inaugurated. By the summer of 1813, through new construction and the conversion of purchased merchant vessels, U.S. naval flotillas were cruising Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Champlain and, like their counterparts on the Atlantic, warships on the lakes berthed large numbers of African-American seamen.

Black seamen sailed on American warships throughout the Quasi-War with France during the late 1790s and also in the wars against the Barbary pirates during the first decade of the 19th century. In the early years of the Navy the presence of black seamen on board Navy warships was unofficial to say the least. However, Navy captains during this period were responsible for crewing their own ships and most commanders knew that black seamen were just as well trained and disciplined as white seamen; at sea the color of a man's skin counted for much less than did his skills and abilities. On 3 March 1813 official policy changed when Congress passed a law authorizing the enlistment of persons of color, natives of the United States. The United States Navy was integrated by law, and it is estimated that black seamen constituted between ten and fifteen percent of the Navy's crews before, during, and after the War of 1812.

For the most part, general references pertaining to black seamen on the Great Lakes are scarce. Specific citations concerning individuals are even rarer, such as the grim diary entry recorded by Surgeon's Mate Usher Parsons at the Black Rock Naval Station on 7 April 1813: "James Smith a colored man died today." However, the role of black seamen on the lakes served as the focal point of a bitter controversy that erupted during the summer of 1813 between the overall Great Lakes commander and his subordinate on Lake Erie.

In March of 1813, Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry was assigned by Commodore Isaac Chauncey to finalize construction and take command of the Lake Erie flotilla, based at Erie. By mid-July the 11 vessels comprising Perry's squadron were built, fitted out, and ready to sail, save for one major stumbling block. Needing more than 700 men to man his ships, Perry could muster only 120 men fit for duty. Due to limited resources at Erie, Perry was forced to depend upon his superior for reinforcements. The majority of naval resources destined for the lakes were channeled through Sackets Harbor, New York, the Lake Ontario headquarters for the Great Lakes Command, and Chauncey, as the overall commander of Great Lakes naval operations, was obligated to responsibly allocate those resources. On several different occasions the Lake Erie commodore communicated with Chauncey to request reinforcements, but without success. Uncertain as to why Chauncey was unresponsive to his queries and willing to pursue whatever methods necessary to man his ships, Perry bypassed his immediate superior and communicated his concerns directly to the Secretary of the Navy. When Chauncey discovered that Perry went over his head, an acrimonious correspondence was initiated between the principals. Chauncey felt, not without some justification, that Perry wished to rid himself of his superior's authority to gain an independent command. The Lake Erie commodore's flagrant breach of military etiquette infuriated Chauncey, but his impolitic ploy nevertheless worked.

Pressure from sources in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere ruptured the logjam of seamen, prompting Chauncey to dispatch from Sackets Harbor to Lake Erie two drafts of sailors comprising nearly 150 men. Although desperate for seamen, Perry was still less than delighted with the quality of his reinforcements. Giving little thought to his actions, Perry penned to Chauncey an artless indictment that asserted, "The men that came...are a motley set, blacks, Soldiers, and boys, I cannot think that you saw them after they were selected. I am however, pleased to see anything in the shape of a man."

As might be expected, the Great Lakes commander was mortified when he discovered that Perry ignored the chain of command and complained directly to the Navy Department. Already piqued by his subordinates blunder, the blatant impudence of Perry's latest grievance about the reinforcements caused an incensed Chauncey to retort: "I regret that you are not pleased with the men sent you... for to my knowledge a part of them are not surpassed by any seamen we have on the fleet, and I have yet to learn that the Color of the skin, or cut and trimmings of the coat, can effect a man's qualifications or usefulness". I have nearly 50 Blacks on board of this Ship [the General Pike], and many of them are amongst my best men....

Most of Chauncey's statement was undoubtedly true, but Chauncey's seemingly artifice did not divert Perry and he once again communicated directly with Navy Secretary Jones. Referring to the hodgepodge of soldiers and sailors that Chauncey forwarded to Lake Erie, Perry asserted, "...they may sir, be as good as are on the other Lake, but if so, that squadron must be poorly manned indeed."

This unseemly interchange has occasionally been used to accredit Chauncey as a progressive and Perry a bigot. Although he had reason to be nettled, much of Perry's grief was, to a degree, self-induced. Perry was plagued with an impulsive personality and throughout the course of his dispute with Chauncey he seemed self-absorbed and oblivious to the problems of others. During his tenure on Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry displayed more than a modicum of myopia in dealing with his superiors, manifested a disregard for Chauncey's situation on the lower lake, and employed ill-considered vernacular when referring to the men from Lake Ontario as blacks, Soldiers, and boys.

Some fault for the controversy must also attach itself to Chauncey, either directly or indirectly. The fact that none of the 50 black sailors from the General Pike-seamen who Chauncey described as "amongst my best men" — were sent to Lake Erie is evidence of the Lake Ontario commodore's desire to retain veteran seamen for his own ships. Also, it is safe to assume that the task of selecting men for transfer to Lake Erie was delegated to a subordinate. Even if the individual designated for that chore did not receive specific instructions, a junior officer would not incur the wrath of his superior by arbitrarily consigning the Lake Ontario squadron's most highly trained and disciplined sailors to another command. Instead, human nature motivated the selecting officer to rid Chauncey's flotilla of its undesirable elements: new recruits who were poorly trained, men on the sick list, and those who experienced disciplinary problems.

There can be no doubt that a number of African-American seamen were among the men transferred from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, but it was not "the Color of the skin" that so concerned and discouraged Perry. A 13-year veteran of the Navy, Perry could not have been surprised that black sailors were included with the drafts of men sent from Lake Ontario. In fact, a number of black seamen were among the 150 men who not only volunteered, but were welcomed by Perry to accompany him when he transferred to the lakes from his previous command at Newport, Rhode Island.

What the Lake Erie commodore actually deplored about the Lake Ontario levies was their lack of training, poor state of discipline, and the general ill-health of all the sailors, not just the black seamen. Perry was not the only individual at the Lake Erie Naval Station who noted the poor condition of the newly arrived men. Sailing Master William V. Taylor later lamented that many of the crewmen sent from Lake Ontario "were barely able to assist themselves." Purser Samuel Hambleton complained in his diary that, "Our force consisted principally of the refuse of Commodore Chauncey's fleet... Despite the deficiencies of his reinforcements, Perry had no choice but to accept their services, white and black, and their efforts more than sufficed. On 10 September 1813 Perry gained a decisive victory, capturing British Commander Robert Heriot Barclay's entire squadron in a frenzied three-and-a-half hour battle near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. But the victory did not come easily. Two hours of incessant broadsides transformed Perry's stately flagship, the 20-gun brig Lawrence, into a blasted hulk with nearly 80% casualties. Just when defeat seemed inevitable, Perry hauled down his "Don't [sic] Give Up The Ship" battle flag and transferred to the U.S. Brig Niagara, Lawrence's sister ship. With a fresh 20-gun brig under his feet, Perry broke the chaotic British battle line, hurled broadsides from Niagara's larboard and starboard sides, and forced the entire six-ship enemy squadron to capitulate. Perry's victory, in addition to sweeping the British from Lake Erie, conclusively altered the balance of power in the Great Lakes.

Whatever his feelings towards his African-American crewmen, Perry nevertheless praised his victorious black seamen to Chauncey, who in turn wrote: "Perry speaks highly of the bravery and good conduct of the Negroes, who formed a considerable part of his crew." ‘They seemed to be absolutely insensible to danger. When Captain Barclay came on board the Niagara, and beheld the sickly and partly-colored beings around him, an expression of chagrin escaped him at having been conquered by such men’ Little information has passed into history pertaining to the black sailors who fought with Perry, and few have been identified. Jesse Williams was an ordinary seaman on the flagship Lawrence, where he was wounded in action. Before being sent to Lake Erie, Williams served on the U.S. Frigate Constitution, where, as the 1st sponger (assigned to sponge the gun barrel to extinguish sparks before loading) on number 3 long gun. Williams participated in Old Ironsides' victory over HMS Java on 29 December 1812. In 1820, while a resident of Philadelphia, Williams was awarded a silver medal from the State of Pennsylvania for his role in the battle. Also wounded on the Lawrence was Newport Hazard, one of the seagoing Hazard family from Newport, Rhode Island. Hazard served under Perry at the Newport Naval Station and he was one of 150 volunteers from the Newport station to accompany Perry to the lakes. Anthony Williams, a native of Salem, Massachusetts, fought on board the schooner Somers. Williams moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania after the war, where he died in either 1833 or 1834. Cyrus Tiffany may be the best known black seaman from the Lake Erie fleet because of his close personal association with Perry. Tiffany, variously recorded as a seaman and a musician, also served with Perry at Newport. Perry apparently took a personal interest in Tiffany's well being. According to one account, When the engagement approached, the Commodore, in as far as he could to put [Tiffany] out of harm’s way, placed him on the berth deck [of the Lawrence] with a musket & bayonet, with orders to charge upon anyone attempting to skulk below. Shortly after the battle began the men fell so thick & fast that the Commodore observed the hatchway crowded with wounded, where passage below seemed to be obstructed. On going there he found them charged upon by old Tiffany, who swore they were a set of skulkers, and should not come below....In the [U.S. Frigate] Java he sometimes took great liberties, which the Commodore bore in the greatest good humor, & was much incensed on one occasion when a Lieutenant had punished him with a ropes end [a thickly knotted rope's end, called a starter, was used by boatswain's mates to galvanize shirkers]. He was a ‘hanger on’ to the Commodore to the day of his death, who always took the most humane care of him.

In some instances, references relating to individuals on board the Lake Erie flotilla are peripheral or obscure, making it difficult to ascertain their race. On the prize money list can be found the name of Jack Russell, a ship's boy who served on board the U.S. Brig Lawrence. Russell's prize money was paid to "George Mason, his master," but it is uncertain whether Russell was a slave or an indentured or apprenticed white youth. Isaac Hardy was an ordinary seaman killed in action on board the U.S. Brig Niagara. Hardy's wife later applied for a widow's pension from the government. To demonstrate her relationship to Hardy she was required to provide proof of marriage, and the marriage certificate for Isaac and Diane Hardy was signed by John Gloucester, Pastor of the First Presbyterian African Congregation in Philadelphia. Diane Hardy also retained the same lawyer as Jesse Williams when she requested her husband's silver medal from the State of Pennsylvania.

Purser Samuel Hambleton, who served on the Lawrence, contributed a reference in a letter written to his mother three weeks after the engagement. After describing his wound and current condition, Hambleton related, "My faithful Boy, who was exposed to all the dangers of the action, attends me with great care. I am excessively peevish and am constantly abusing him & repenting of it. But he, poor fellow, knows that I mean no harm & takes it all in good part." The implication is that Hambleton, a native of Maryland’s eastern shore, brought a slave on board to attend his needs.

Another confusing chapter of the Lake Erie story is that of the African-Americans who claimed to have fought in the Battle of Lake Erie but whose names do not appear on the list of men who served on board the fleet. Muster rolls for the Lake Erie Naval Station during the period in question have not been found, so the most referred to source for determining the names of Battle of Lake Erie participants is Samuel Hambleton's prize list. In 1814 Purser Hambleton was detailed to compile a list of participants in order that prize money appropriated by Congress could be accurately disbursed. Yet Hambleton's list is not complete; some names were omitted and numerous other errors were made.

Years later, a number of survivors and widows claims were filed at the pension office on the basis that their spouses fought at the Battle of Lake Erie. At least three of these claims emanate from African-American families. Mary Brown, wife of Robert Brown [or Bronen] filed a widow's pension application after her husband passed away. From Bedford, Pennsylvania, Brown apparently served in the Army-possibly the militia-supposedly fought on board the fleet, was wounded in action, and was discharged because of his wounds. He died in Bedford on 18 January 1865. Mary Brown's pension application was granted and she received $12.00 per month until her death in Bedford on 4 December 1895. Elizabeth Brown, wife of James Brown, filed a claim in 1871. She attested that her husband, who was originally from Somerset, Pennsylvania, where they were married in April of 1812, served with Perry in the battle. After the war James and Elizabeth Brown made their home at Erie, where James died in August 1857. The claim was rejected because Elizabeth Brown had lost her marriage certificate and could not prove her relationship to James Brown. Margaret Boone filed a similar pension application upon the death of her husband. Brown Boone was a native of Hartford County, North Carolina and he reportedly enlisted in the North Carolina Militia in August of 1812. At that time he was 22 years old, 5'9", and a farmer by occupation. He was sent to Norfolk, Virginia and, according to the pension application, somehow ended up on the Lake Erie fleet. Brown Boone died in Franklin County, Ohio on 9 September 1843. Margaret Boone, who was 78 when she filed her application in June of 1878, could remember no clarifying details. Her claim was denied because no official corroborating information could be found.

Then there is the case of Hannibal Collins. The Fall, 1994 issue of Newport History, the bulletin of the Newport, Rhode Island Historical Society, proclaims that Collins was a freed slave from Newport, that he fought with Perry on Lake Erie, and that he was among the cutter's crew that rowed Perry from the Lawrence to the Niagara when the commodore transferred his flag at the crucial point of the battle. Yet the name of Hannibal Collins is not found on either Samuel Hambleton's prize list or the list of men who accompanied Perry from Newport to the lakes.

Any or all of these men may have served with the American squadron on Lake Erie, and if they did, it is not known why their names were omitted from Samuel Hambleton's prize list. Since Hambleton also excluded the names of more than fifteen white participants, there seems to have been no contrived effort to discriminate against black seamen. It seems likely that Hambleton simply did not possess detailed muster rolls or other official documentation necessary to compile a comprehensive list.

Since there is no supporting documentation, it can only be estimated that between ten and fifteen percent of the sailors on board the Lake Erie squadron were African-Americans. This estimate does not represent the total fleet complement since roughly forty percent of the men who served on Perry's fleet were not sailors, but soldiers and marines. In other words, of the roughly 550 or so men who served with the flotilla, about 200 should be deducted before the percentage is calculated. Even the ten to fifteen percent figure might be called into question. In 1862, one of the Lake Erie squadron's surgeons, Doctor Usher Parsons, recalled, "In 1814 [approximately one year after the Battle of Lake Erie], our fleet sailed to the upper Lakes to co-operate with Colonel [George] Croghan [in an attempt to recapture Fort] Mackinac. About one in ten or twelve of the crews were blacks." At the time, Parsons was responding to a specific inquiry, and he obviously estimated his figure. It must also be remembered that nearly 50 years had passed to cloud his memory.

Although the exact numbers probably will never be known, it is an indisputable fact that African-American seamen did serve on board the United States flotilla during the Battle of Lake Erie. Lake Erie's black seamen fought with courage, distinction and dignity. Their efforts both served their country and helped secure the fundamental rights and freedoms of the United States of America- rights and freedoms that they themselves were not privileged to enjoy.

US Brig Lawrence

The US Brig Lawrence’s namesake James Lawrence was born in Burlington, New Jersey, on October 1, 1781. Educated in the field of law, Lawrence chose to enlist in the newly formed U.S. Navy instead, in September 1798. He served as a Midshipman aboard the Ganges and Adams during the undeclared war with France, as a Lieutenant aboard the schooner Enterprise during the War with Tripoli, and was second in command during the expedition to destroy the frigate Philadelphia in the Tripoli Harbor. Later in the Tripolitan War he commanded the Enterprise and a gunboat in battles with the Tripolitans. He subsequently served as First Lieutenant of the frigate John Adams, 1805 commanded Gunboat Number 6 during a voyage across the Atlantic to Italy, and commanded the warships Vixen, Wasp and Argus. Promoted to the rank of Master Commandant in 1810, he took command of the sloop Hornet the following year and sailed her to Europe on a diplomatic mission.

Lawrence was still in command of the Hornet when the War of 1812 broke out. In July 1812, the Hornet captured the privateer Dolphin. Later that year the Hornet blockaded the British sloop Bonne Citoyenne at Bahia, Brazil. On February 24, 1813, she sank the HMS Peacock off British Guiana.

Returning to the United States in March 1813, Lawrence was promoted to the rank of Captain. Two months later he took command of the frigate Chesapeake, which left Boston on June 1. Almost immediately after leaving port, the Chesapeake engaged the British frigate Shannon in battle. When the two ships crashed together, British seamen stormed the Chesapeake, where the two crews engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the British were ultimately victorious. Lawrence was mortally wounded during the battle. As he lay dying, he gave his final order, which became the rallying cry for the American Navy: "Don't give up the ship!" While inspired by his words, the Chesapeake's crew was unable to fend off the British and was forced to surrender the ship. Lawrence died of his wounds on June 4.

Named in honor of James Lawrence, the U.S. Brig Lawrence was one of two 493-ton Niagara-class brigs built at Erie, by Adam and Noah Brown under the supervision of Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins and Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry, for United States Navy service on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.

Lawrence was launched 24 May 1813 and fitted out at Erie with the other ships of Perry's newly built squadron while awaiting the arrival of her crew. On 9 August, Captain Jesse D. Elliott and some 100 men arrived and helped man the squadron, which sailed on 12 August. The squadron sailed to Detroit and quickly began operations with a voyage to Detroit in search of the opposing British squadron.

During the 10 September 1813 Battle of Lake Erie, Lawrence served as flagship for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry until she was disabled by enemy fire. Perry then transferred to the Brig Niagara, from which he fought the battle to a successful conclusion. In mid-1815, following the end of hostilities, Lawrence was sunk in Misery Bay, near Erie, in order to preserve her hull. Her submerged hulk was sold in 1825 and, except for a brief examination in 1836, remained underwater for nearly four more decades. In September 1875 her remains were raised, cut into sections and transported by rail to Philadelphia, where she was to be exhibited during the 1876 exhibition celebrating the Centennial of the United States.

During the exhibition, the Lawrence was displayed outside a warehouse where the ship was being cut up for relics. During the exhibit, the warehouse caught fire one night, and the ship's remains were destroyed.

Some people collected the Lawrence relics as souvenirs, while others had a more proprietary interest in them. Daniel Weeks, an Erie gunsmith, was one such proprietor. Out of what could have been Erie’s first flagship, Weeks created a wooden sewing box, three wooden napkin rings, two nut picks, a broach and earrings set, and a miniature iron cannon affixed to a wooden base.

There was a great interest at the time in Erie supporting the restoration of the Lawrence, but with the disastrous end of the Lawrence at the Philadelphia exhibition, Erie’s attention turned to the US Brig Niagara and the Perry Centennial. Suddenly, the Lawrence faded from public consciousness. The Lawrence is not the first ship most people think of when recalling the Battle of Lake Erie. Prior to 1913, the Lawrence was pretty much fixed in people's thoughts.

More pages in history are devoted to the story of the Battle of Lake Erie than to the building of the ships that fought that battle. The gun-brigs Niagara and Lawrence were constructed at Cascade shipyard. They were sister ships and were built exactly alike. Trees were selected for the Lawrence’s frames so that knees and bends provided smooth lines from stem to stern. Each frame was from a single tree, extending keel to main deck. This construction gave the brig great strength, and ability to bear shocks and strains.

Due to a lack of iron for hand-wrought nails, a large part of the hull was held together by wooden pins – tree nails (trunnels in sea lore). There was a complete lack of oakum and pitch for caulking all seams and making the ships water-tight, so lead caulking was used with great success. The green timber should have been seasoned for about one year. (When the Niagara was raised in 1913 the lead caulking was still firmly in place.) Lead caulking of the green timber undoubtedly produced a water-tight hull superior to oakum and pitch.

During the War of 1812 the U.S. government spent about $2,500,000 for the ships on Lakes Erie and Ontario. Only a small part of this money went into the building of the Lake Erie fleet. In no way was the cost of building excessive. The trees used in the construction of the ships were paid for at the rate of $1.00 each to the owner of the land where cut. Records of each payment were recorded by Dobbins. One dollar in 1813 was considered the day’s wage for a skilled worker.

The Lawrence and Niagara were the largest ships, with drafts of 9 feet. Today these ships are considered small, but in 1813 they were immense. They were a great curiosity and looked formidable compared with anything seen before on the Lakes. The big guns were giants of destruction to the citizens, and Erie felt a security it had not experienced for the past year, in 1812.

While in Erie, before leaving for the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry had a blue flag, with the words Don’t give up the ship in white, made for hoisting at start of action. At noon September 10, 1813, both fleets were underway and closing for action. Perry’s fleet had the weather gage and maneuvering advantage. Perry intended to close the British quickly to a range of about one-half mile to take full advantage of the carronades, and avoid damage from the long guns. The British ship Detroit started action about noon with its long guns when range was about 1-1/2 miles. The first shot fell short.

All the American ships, including the Lawrence, moved to engage the enemy except the Niagara, commanded by Elliott, which did not maintain formation and appeared to lag behind taking a small part in the action. By 2 P.M. Perry, in the Lawrence had borne the brunt of the battle with withering enemy fire from the Detroit and Queen Charlotte. By 2:30 P.M. the Lawrence, with every gun in the ship’s battery on the enemy’s side dismounted and with every brace-line shot away, was no longer manageable.

Casualties on both sides were heavy. In Lawrence, 83 of her crew of 103 were either killed or wounded (although Perry and his brother came through unscratched). Twenty-seven Americans were killed (22 in Lawrence), and 96 were wounded (61 in Lawrence).

Perry noted the Niagara was intact, called for a small boat with four oarsmen, and transferred to the Niagara, accompanied by his brother Alexander. The British, seeing the above movement, thought the Lawrence was about to surrender, ceased firing at the Lawrence, and assumed the British had won the battle.

The Niagara broke through the British line ahead of the Detroit and Queen Charlotte and luffed up to fire raking broadsides from ahead of them, while the US Brig Caledonia and the American gunboats fired from astern. Although the crews of Detroit and Queen Charlotte managed to untangle the two ships they could no longer offer any effective resistance. Both ships surrendered at about 3:00 pm. The smaller British vessels tried to flee but were overtaken and also surrendered.

The Battle of Lake Erie decisively determined the present northern boundary of Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and westward, rather than the British intent of the Ohio River westward to the Mississippi River. The long geopolitical scheme of the British empire for North America was destroyed forever.

While the Niagara’s place in history is well deserved, it would not have been possible without the Lawrence.

Raising US Brig Lawrence in Misery Bay (September 1875)

Raising US Brig Lawrence in Misery Bay (September 1875)

Used by Dr. Archimides Smith, Surgeon on the U.S. Brig Lawrence, during the Battle of Lake Erie.

Used by Dr. Archimides Smith, Surgeon on the U.S. Brig Lawrence, during the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813. These instruments [in the photo above] were given to Dr. Smith by General William Henry Harrison and donated to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology by W.H. Smith.

They include, at top: Hacksaw type bone saw.

In the middle group: 6½" forecept clamp (above, with - from left to right - below it): 7½" bone scraper; 7" knife; 7½" knife; 9" knife; artery clamp.

In the lower left: 13" curved knife. In lower center, top to bottom): 6¼" suture hook; 7½" scapel; 7" scapel; 5¼" scapel. In the lower right: 14½" curved knife.