Cammodore Oliver Hazard Perry

318. Commodore Oliver Hazard⁸ PERRY (Christopher Raymond⁷, "Judge" Freeman⁶, Susannah⁵ BARBER, Moses⁴, James A.³, James², Thomas¹) (#3235) was born in South Kingston, RI 23 AUG 1785. Some report that his birth was on Aug. 20th. Commodore died 23 AUG 1819 in Orinoco River, Venezuela, at age 34. His body was interred 1826 in New Port, RI.

He married Elizabeth Champlain MASON 5 MAY 1811 in RI. (Elizabeth Champlain MASON is #5510.) Elizabeth died 21 JUN 1879 at age unknown. They had five children with one dying in infancy. he joined the navy at 13 years of age as a mid shipman, he was zealous about selfemprovement, he was an inveterate reader of military treatises and classic literature. "Perry was born on August 23, 1785 at the Old Perry Homestead in South Kingston, RI of Fighting Quaker parents." His father was in the United States Navy and young Perry soon followed. At the age of 13, Perry entered the Navy as a midshipman, where his first assignment was in the Caribbean under the command of his father aboard the sloop-of-war, GENERAL GREENE. Perry's subsequent voyages took him to Europe and Africa during the Barbary Wars. In 1805, at the age of 20, Perry became a lieutenant and was given the command of a small schooner. Next, he was called to oversee the construction of a number of gunboats ordered by President Thomas Jefferson. When this job was successfully completed, Perry was given the command of the 14-gun vessel REVENGE and crusied the northern- and mid-Alantic waters of the Eastern United States. In January 1811, Perry was ordered to survey a number of Rhode Island harbors Unfortunately, though faulty piloting and bad weather, REVENGE wrecked on a reef. Perry requested an inactive status and an investigation. The court of inquiry foound him blameless for the loss and actually applauded him for his valiant attempts to save public property. In May 1812, Perry returned to active duty and received a promotion to master-commandant. One month later the United States declared war on Great Britain, citing British policies that infringed on the American trade and freedom of the seas. He was given command of the 12 gunboats at newport and New London. Perry lost interest in the relative inactivity of this post and in September 1812, requested duty on the high seas or the Great Lakes. In February 1813, he was ordered to Commodore Isaac Chauncey's command at Sacket's harbor, Lake Ontario. Perry reached Chauncey's headquarters on March 3. Because British attacks were expected momentarily, Chauncey kept Perry with him for two weeks. The attacts failed to materialize and Chauncey decided that Perry would be better use in Erie Pennsylvania, where a fleet was being constructed to wrest the control of Lake Erie from the British who already had a small squadron there. Perry was fully briefed on the situation in Erie and was sent to command the project. He worked well with Noah Brown, the master builder who Commodore Chauncey had hired earlier. Although facing many adverse conditions, including lack of men and materials, Perry and his men successfully completed six vessels by July 1813. These six were joined by others from Buffalo. Two months later, on September 10, 1813, the American squadron cammanded by Perry fought a British squadron commanded by Captain Robert Barclay, RN. The Battle of Lake Erie began with Perry aboard his flagship Lawrence. In the early stagesof the battle, however, LAWENCE and her crew took most of the enemy's fire. Lawernce was severely damaged and over 80 percent of Perry's crew were killed or wounded by concentrated British gunfire. In a attempt to change defeat to victory, Perry, carring his battle flag emblazoned wth Captain Lawrence's dying works, "Don't Give up the Ship" transferred from Lawrence to the lightly damaged NIAGARA in a small boat. He took command of the NIGRARA and sailed her into the British battle line. The British had also taken heavy causualties from the Lawrence' Fire. Broadsides from the fresh NIAGARA compelled their surrender within 15 minutes of Perry's transfer. Immediately following his victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry penned the famous words, "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." in his report to General William Henry Harrison. Perry was the first in history to defeat an entire British squadron and successfully bring back every ship to his base as a prize of war. Perry, at the age of 28, was hailed by the public as a national hero for his victory on Lake Erie.

Commodore Oliver Hazard PERRY and Elizabeth Champlain MASON had the following children:

445 i. Christopher Grant⁹ PERRY (#8594) was born in South Kingston, Washington Co., RI 2 APR 1812. Christopher died 7 APR 1857 at age 45.

446 ii. Oliver Hazard PERRY (#8595) was born in South Kingston, Washington Co., RI 13 FEB 1813. Oliver died 4 MAR 1814 in RI, at age 1.

447 iii. Oliver Hazard PERRY (#8596) was born in Newport, Newport Co., RI 23 FEB 1815. Oliver died 3 AUG 1878 at age 63.

448 iv. Elizabeth Mason PERRY (#8597) was born in Newport, Newport Co., RI 15 SEP 1819. Elizabeth died 1842 at age 22.

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