War of 1812 Tall Ships Coming to Chicago This Week-- Part 1

From the July 28, 2013, Chicago Tribune Special Section "Tall Ships Chicago 2013.

They'll be here August 7-11 at Navy Pier and there will be 14 of them. Two pages of the edition were devoted to a thumbnail sketch on each ship and several had War of 1812 connections (and non 1812 one was even built of recycled German U-boats. I'll write about that in my history blog.)

THE FRIENDS GOOD WILL (U.S.) "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." Commander Oliver Hazard Perry, USN, sent that famous dispatch after the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. His message went on to describe a merchant sloop turned man of war named Friends Good Will.

The Michigan Maritime Museum launched a 101-foot square topsail sloop replica of that fateful ship in 2004. Today, the ship trains people in traditional maritime skills.

--Brock-Perry