Got My Battle of Lake Erie Stamps-- Part 4

"On the morning of September 10, Perry's fleet of nine vessels engaged a British fleet of six vessels off Put-in-Bay at the western end of Lake Erie. (Put-in-Bay is on South Bass Island near Sanduskey, Ohio, and home of the Perry Peace Monument.)

The British seized the advantage early in the battle, mainly due to their superior long-range guns. When the winds changed, Perry was able to close his flagship Lawrence, within range, where his firepower (Perry's ship mounted carronades with much shorter range) was almost twice that of the British. For most of the battle the Lawrence fought the two largest British vessels, the Detroit and the Queen Charlotte, unaided.

"After two harrowing hours, all three ships were badly damaged. 'Nearly the whole crew and officers' of the Lawrence, recalled Sailing Master William V. Taylor, were 'prostrated on the deck, interlined with broken spars, rigging, sail, and in fact one confused heap of horrid ruins.'"

 Hard-Fought Battle. --Brock-Perry